The Ethics of Engaged Scholarship in a Complex World

Published in International Affairs

Abstract

Social scientists must grapple with how to pursue knowledge about an uncertain and complex world. This challenge is accentuated when scholars wish to engage responsibly with policymakers and the public in the interests of social betterment. In this essay, we use the scholarly literature on uncertainty and complexity to examine how these issues complicate the practice of engaged scholarship. We ground our analysis in interviews with publicly engaged scholars on the ethical challenges they have faced and how they have navigated uncertainties and complexities in their applied work in peace and security. We identify four broad ethical dilemmas associated with publicly engaged scholarship and propose ways that scholars might begin to navigate these challenges. Our analysis urges greater acceptance of uncertainty and complexity in the social science community and associated epistemic humility in collective scholarship, pedagogy, and public engagement.