Value Assumptions in Risk Assessment

Lawrence Haworth is a professor of philosophy at the University of Waterloo and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; he also holds the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Articles of his have appeared in Dialogue, Philosophy of Science, American Philosophical Quarterly, Ethics, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Harvard Business Review, American Institute of Planners Journal, Educational Theory, Leisure Studies, Environments, and Plan Canada, among others. He has contributed chapters to a number of books, including The Inner Citadel, The Possibility of Aesthetic Experience, Power, Poverty, and Urban Policy, Social Ethics, Urban Problems, and Concepts in Social and Political Philosophy. He is the author of Autonomy (1986), The Good City (1963), and Decadence and Objectivity (1977).

"Any of us who have been involved in decision-making processes that involve risk assessment will immediately recognize the similarities between this example and our own experiences. It is very valuable to have this illuminating case study so thoroughly presented to us." -- John Jackson -- Alternatives, Vol. 19, No. 2, 1993

• Table of Contents for Value Assumptions in Risk Assessment: A Case Study of the Alachlor Controversy, by Conrad G. Brunk, Lawrence Haworth, and Brenda Lee Acknowledgements Introduction: Risk Assessment as Regulatory Science I. The Alachlor Controversy II. An Alternative Model of Risk Assessment III. The Arguments of the Government and Monsanto IV. The Alachlor Review Board's Estimation of Alachlor's Risks V. The Role of Values in Choice of a Risk-Benefit Standard VI. Value Frameworks in Risk Analysis Glossary Notes