Description
Taking on questions of scientific rationality, the social construction of scientific truth, and the authority and cultural biases of scientific practice, this reader offers arguments from both sides of the "science wars" that burst into public view with the hoax played by physicist Alan Sokal on the journal Social Text . The implications of that hoax are debated in the 13 writings presented by Parsons (philosophy, U. of Houston), as are such issues as feminist criticisms of objectivity, debates over the arbitrariness of the scientific method, and conservative attacks on science as a danger to religion. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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Is science our most precious possession or has our culture elevated science into a false idol? Is technology a useful servant or a malign genie? These questions are at the center of the "science wars" currently being waged over the role and future of science and technology in our society.This anthology presents the best debates on this important issue. Divided into two major sections, the first part deals with challenges to scientific knowledge, in particular its claims to objectivity and impartiality. Some conservative thinkers charge that many scientists follow a dogmatic naturalistic philosophy rather than truly objective standards of inquiry. Sociologists of knowledge claim that scientists "construct" scientific facts rather than "discover" them. And some feminists see patriarchal bias in traditional scientific ideals of method and rationality. Each of these claims will be presented and challenged by leading thinkers.The second part considers current controversies over technology and the applications of science. Have computers changed the world for the better? Is high-tech medicine the answer to our health needs? Will the biotechnology revolution feed billions and cure disease or lead us into the Brave New World? Do the electronic media offer harmless entertainment or subtle enslavement?This balanced selection of a variety of perspectives on the hotly contested role of science and technology in contemporary society will clarify this vital debate for both specialists and nonspecialists.
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