Description
Scientists act within a social context and from a philosophical perspective that is inherently political. Whether they realize it or not, scientists always choose sides. The Dialectical Biologist explores this political nature of scientific inquiry, advancing its argument within the framework of Marxist dialectic. These essays stress the concepts of continual change and codetermination between organism and environment, part and whole, structure and process, science and politics. Throughout, this book questions our accepted definitions and biases, showing the self-reflective nature of scientific activity within society.
Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1985.
User reviews
LibraryThing member larrycam
Like "Intelligent Design", this is just another attempt to mimic science within the constraints of a pre-established belief system -- and in this case a system that is now, thankfully, largely extinct. For an illustration of why we should be thankful, see especially the chapter on Lysenkoism, rife
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with this sort of banal, depersonalized apology for mass murder: "The pressing demand to feed the urban population forced collectivization to proceed much faster than the political state of the countryside could support." Show Less
Language
ISBN
067420283X / 9780674202832