The social function of history: policy, history and twentieth-century science

Discussion of science has been characteristically futuristic, focussed on promises or threats of the shape of the things to come. Scientists had, according to C.P. Snow, the future in their bones'.

Discussion of science has been characteristically futuristic, focussed on promises or threats of the shape of the things to come. Scientists had, according to C.P. Snow, the future in their bones'. Yet stories about science's past have also been very important too. In thinking about future British science policy, very particular accounts of history have been surprisingly important. It is claimed that policies of the past have failed, that lessons from history need to be learned. We need to ensure that better, richer, histories are available to those concerned with policy. For example, R.B. Haldane did not invent the 'Haldane Principle', which appeared as an idea only in the 1960s. The British wartime bomb project was not run by nuclear physicists, but by the unknown industrial chemist, Wallace Akers. The well-known scientific adviser, Sir Henry Tizard, far from believing in the 'Linear Model', thought Britain probably overinvested in research.

Historians bring to thinking about science policy a very particular understanding which should be central to policy: historians are trained to know in their bones that the future is unknown and to understand the power of the cheap futurism which characterises the present.

Register to tell a friend about this lecture.

Comments

If you would like to comment about this lecture, please register here.

©2003-2006 Niminim Limited. Created by

Any ad revenue is entirely reinvested into the Lecture List's operating fund