Science, Democracy, and the American University

From the Civil War to the Cold War
Erscheinungsjahr 2013
ISBN: 978-1-107-68631-1
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 416 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 705 g

This book reinterprets the rise of the natural and social sciences as sources of political authority in modern America. Andrew Jewett demonstrates the remarkable persistence of a belief that the scientific enterprise carried with it a set of ethical values capable of grounding a democratic culture - a political function widely assigned to religion. The book traces the shifting formulations of this belief from the creation of the research universities in the Civil War era to the early Cold War years. It examines hundreds of leading scholars who viewed science not merely as a source of technical knowledge, but also as a resource for fostering cultural change. This vision generated surprisingly nuanced portraits of science in the years before the military-industrial complex and has much to teach us today about the relationship between science and democracy.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Jewett, Andrew

Fachgebiete

• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften: Allgemeines Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften, Formalen Wissenschaften & Technik
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Amerikanische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Kultur- und Ideengeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Wissenschafts- und Universitätsgeschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction: relating science and democracy; Part I. The Scientific Spirit: 1. Founding hopes; 2. Internal divisions; 3. Science and philosophy; Part II. The Scientific Attitude: 4. Scientific citizenship; 5. The biology of culture; 6. The problem of cultural change; 7. Making scientific citizens; Part III. Science and Politics: 8. Science and its contexts; 9. The problem of values; 10. Two cultures; 11. Accommodation; Conclusion: science and democracy in a new century.

Über Autor(innen)

Jewett, Andrew
Andrew Jewett is Associate Professor of History and Social Studies at Harvard University, where he also participates in the History of American Civilization and Science, Technology, and Society graduate programs. He received his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley and previously taught at Yale University, Vanderbilt University, and New York University. He has held fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation, and the Cornell Society for the Humanities.