Simey wanted science to serve humanity in practical ways, instead of being only an academic pursuit. In that context, this book is mainly about the unity of facts and values. Facts and values are inseparable. Facts are meaningless without values - and values are mere abstractions without facts. Values pre-determine perception. The pursuit of truth requires open honesty about both values and facts - including numbers, laws, rules, notions about time, space,causality. Certainty may be impossible but honesty about values can be possible. Humans can strive to know why and how they arrive at facts, opinions, actions. With such insights, people can clarify and reconcile conflicts of values. They can talk to agree about values. In such ways, social science can assist people to create (temporary) agreements about the purpose of society - plus how this purpose might best be pursued. They can clarify the Universal Common Good.
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