Using and Abusing Science

2016-05-11 Science

Author : Cyril Besson
Release : 2016-05-11
Genre : Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 184/5 ( reviews)

GET EBOOK

Book Synopsis Using and Abusing Science by : Cyril Besson

Download or read book Using and Abusing Science written by Cyril Besson. This book was released on 2016-05-11. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the last two centuries, as politics has evolved from the status of “amateurship” to that of profession, political discourse, together with its practices and their validity, has been increasingly subject to questioning. Politicians, as illustrated by the low turnouts that have recently characterised general elections and a general lack of interest in politics throughout Western countries, enjoy less than ever the trust of the electorate, and their discourse is now often criticised for being both hollow and untrustworthy. Conversely, by evolving from the status of enlightened amateur to that of expert, the figure of the scientist has, over recent centuries, gained credibility with the general public. Even though the traditional view of science as the expression of reality has regularly been challenged, science continues to be held in high regard and is believed to provide a reliable form of knowledge. Summoning science has thus often been a way, in everyday life, advertising and the popular media, to lend authority to a discourse, and imply that one’s claims are beyond dispute. That politicians should have occasionally been tempted to do the same and make up for the deficit of legitimacy of their discourse through the instrumentalisation of scientific arguments or participation in contemporaneous debates on scientific issues is, therefore, not surprising. The issue at stake in this volume is to examine how, and to what extent, this process may have been taking place in the past three centuries. In order to accomplish this, the contributions cover various fields of expertise, ranging from the “hard” sciences to more controversial types of science, investigating the intricate relations of science and political discourse.

Abusing Science

1983-06-23 Science

Author : Philip Kitcher
Release : 1983-06-23
Genre : Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 377/5 ( reviews)

GET EBOOK

Book Synopsis Abusing Science by : Philip Kitcher

Download or read book Abusing Science written by Philip Kitcher. This book was released on 1983-06-23. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abusing Science is a manual for intellectual self-defense, the most complete available for presenting the case against Creationist pseudo-science. It is also a lucid exposition of the nature and methods of genuine science. The book begins with a concise introduction to evolutionary theory for non-scientists and closes with a rebuttal of the charge that this theory undermines religious and moral values. It will astonish many readers that this case must still be made in the 1980s, but since it must, Philip Kitcher makes it irresistibly and forcefully. Not long ago, a federal court struck down an Arkansas law requiring that "scientific" Creationism be taught in high school science classes. Contemporary Creationists may have lost one legal battle, but their cause continues to thrive. Their efforts are directed not only at state legislatures but at local school boards and textbook publishers. As Kitcher argues in this rigorous but highly readable book, the integrity of science is under attack. The methods of inquiry used in evolutionary biology are those which are used throughout the sciences. Moreover, modern biology is intertwined with other fields of science—physics, chemistry, astronomy, and geology. Creationists hope to persuade the public that education in science should be torn apart to make room for a literal reading of Genesis. Abusing Science refutes the popular complaint that the scientific establishment is dogmatic and intolerant, denying "academic freedom" to the unorthodox. It examines Creationist claims seriously and systematically, one by one, showing clearly just why they are at best misguided, at worst ludicrous.

The Use and Abuse of Science in the Defense of Religion

1986 Religion and science

Author : Religion/Science Controversy Conference
Release : 1986
Genre : Religion and science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : /5 ( reviews)

GET EBOOK

Book Synopsis The Use and Abuse of Science in the Defense of Religion by : Religion/Science Controversy Conference

Download or read book The Use and Abuse of Science in the Defense of Religion written by Religion/Science Controversy Conference. This book was released on 1986. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Using and Abusing Science

2016 Science

Author : Véronique Molinari
Release : 2016
Genre : Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 452/5 ( reviews)

GET EBOOK

Book Synopsis Using and Abusing Science by : Véronique Molinari

Download or read book Using and Abusing Science written by Véronique Molinari. This book was released on 2016. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the last two centuries, as politics has evolved from the status of "amateurship" to that of profession, political discourse, together with its practices and their validity, has been increasingly subject to questioning. Politicians, as illustrated by the low turnouts that have recently characterised general elections and a general lack of interest in politics throughout Western countries, enjoy less than ever the trust of the electorate, and their discourse is now often criticised for being both hollow and untrustworthy. Conversely, by evolving from the status of enlightened amateur to that of expert, the figure of the scientist has, over recent centuries, gained credibility with the general public. Even though the traditional view of science as the expression of reality has regularly been challenged, science continues to be held in high regard and is believed to provide a reliable form of knowledge. Summoning science has thus often been a way, in everyday life, advertising and the popular media, to lend authority to a discourse, and imply that one's claims are beyond dispute. That politicians should have occasionally been tempted to do the same and make up for the deficit of legitimacy of their discourse through the instrumentalisation of scientific arguments or participation in contemporaneous debates on scientific issues is, therefore, not surprising. The issue at stake in this volume is to examine how, and to what extent, this process may have been taking place in the past three centuries. In order to accomplish this, the contributions cover various fields of expertise, ranging from the "hard" sciences to more controversial types of science, investigating the intricate relations of science and political discourse.

Popular eBooks

Using and Abusing Science

Abusing Science

The Use and Abuse of Science in the Defense of Religion

Using and Abusing Science

You may also like...