Scientific Controversies

A Socio-Historical Perspective on the Advancement of Science

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Other Sciences, History
Cover of the book Scientific Controversies by , Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9781351491792
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: July 5, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9781351491792
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: July 5, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

In Scientific Controversies, Dominque Raynaud shows how organized debates in the sciences help us establish or verify our knowledge of the world. If debates focus on form, scientific controversies are akin to public debates that can be understood within the framework of theories of conflict. If they focus on content, then such controversies have to do with a specific activity and address the nature of science itself. Understanding the major focus of a scientific controversy is a first step toward understanding these debates and assessing their merits.Controversies of unique socio-historic context, disciplines, and characteristics are examined: Pasteur's germ theory and Pouchet's theory of spontaneous generation; vitalism advocated at Montpellier versus experimental medicine in Paris; the science of optics about the propagation of visual rays; the origins of relativism (the Duhem-Quine problem). Touching on the work of Boudon, Popper, and others, Raynaud puts forward an incrementalist theory about the advancement of science through scientific controversies.The debates Raynaud has selected share in common their pivotal importance to the history of the sciences. By understanding the role of controversy, we better understand the functioning of science and the stakes of the contemporary scientific debates.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In Scientific Controversies, Dominque Raynaud shows how organized debates in the sciences help us establish or verify our knowledge of the world. If debates focus on form, scientific controversies are akin to public debates that can be understood within the framework of theories of conflict. If they focus on content, then such controversies have to do with a specific activity and address the nature of science itself. Understanding the major focus of a scientific controversy is a first step toward understanding these debates and assessing their merits.Controversies of unique socio-historic context, disciplines, and characteristics are examined: Pasteur's germ theory and Pouchet's theory of spontaneous generation; vitalism advocated at Montpellier versus experimental medicine in Paris; the science of optics about the propagation of visual rays; the origins of relativism (the Duhem-Quine problem). Touching on the work of Boudon, Popper, and others, Raynaud puts forward an incrementalist theory about the advancement of science through scientific controversies.The debates Raynaud has selected share in common their pivotal importance to the history of the sciences. By understanding the role of controversy, we better understand the functioning of science and the stakes of the contemporary scientific debates.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book The Routledge Dictionary of Latin Quotations by
Cover of the book The Economic Theory of Representative Government by
Cover of the book Birmingham and Midland Hardware District by
Cover of the book Marine Natural Resources and Technological Development by
Cover of the book Mindbrain, Psychoanalytic Institutions, and Psychoanalysts by
Cover of the book The Individual and the Other in Economic Thought by
Cover of the book Richard Cantillon's Essay on the Nature of Trade in General by
Cover of the book Tradition and Transition in East Africa by
Cover of the book Jurisprudence Lawcards 2012-2013 by
Cover of the book The Lost Women of Rock Music by
Cover of the book Race, Gender, And Discrimination At Work by
Cover of the book A Staff Guide to Addressing Disruptive and Dangerous Behavior on Campus by
Cover of the book The Thriller and Northern Ireland since 1969 by
Cover of the book Knowledge Mobilization and Educational Research by
Cover of the book Humanism by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy