Description
Book SynopsisScientism, or the application of methods, attitudes, and concepts drawn from the natural sciences to human activities and social policy formation, is a pervasive feature of modern life, and it is one which has immense impact upon virtually all aspects of our private and public lives. This work explores the impact of Scientific Management, a movement initiated at the beginning of the twentieth century by the mechanical engineer, Frederick Winslow Taylor, in spreading scientistic attitudes through its appropriation by technical experts (technocrats) who have played a central and growing role in formulating public policies, not just in the United States, but throughout the world. It explores the movement of Scientific Management out of its initial American industrial context into progressive politics in the United States, into the policies of the Third Reich, those of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin, into Cold War policy formation in both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R , and into those
Trade ReviewScientism and Technocracy in the Twentieth Century covers far more ground than a brief review can detail.... Comparing the career of scientific management across such a wide scope is an ambitious and interesting project, and Olson ably synthesizes a variety of literatures from business history, the history of the social sciences, the history of imperialism, and much more, offering many tantalizing narrative lines.... Because of its transnational comparative approach...Olson’s work has something new to offer to scholars of a variety of geographic specialities interested in the historical and contemporary relationship between science, technology, and democracy in the twentieth century. * Isis *
This is a masterful addition to an extensive body of work analyzing the complex relationships between modern science and society. Beginning with Science Deified and Science Defied (1982) Richard Olson has produced a series of insightful, general studies of the ways science has influenced, been appropriated by, and critically challenged social orders. Scientism and Technocracy in the Twentieth Century is a worthy addition to his many previous publications and significantly deepens his search for appropriate ways to think and act to enhance ‘the quality of our public and private lives’ in a world increasingly dependent on both scientific knowledge and engineering prowess. -- Carl Mitcham, Colorado School of Mines
We often think of technocracy as a failed movement of the early twentieth-century United States. However, as Richard G. Olson shows in this definitive survey of a century of scientific management's global reach, its principles continue to play a profound role in politics and society throughout the world. -- Matthew Wisnioski, Virginia Tech
Richard Olson is one of the world’s keenest observers and thinkers on the evolution of the relationship between science, culture, and society. In this lucid, insightful, and global historical exploration of Taylorite scientific management, scientism, and technocracy in the modern era ranging from the United States and Europe to China and Africa, he shows both their potent influences and severe limitations, providing a timely reminder that the single-minded pursuit of efficiency could lead to disasters if not combined with broader concerns for democracy, equality, and other human values. -- Zuoyue Wang, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Scientism among the Engineers: Origins of the Scientific Management Movement Chapter 2: Scientific Management Enters the Public Domain: The Birth of the Administrative State and the Rise of Modernism in the Arts Chapter 3: Taylorism goes Global: The Spread of Technocratic/Scientistic Ideologies, 1910–1943 Chapter 4: Technocracy during the Cold War, 1945–1990 Chapter 5: Technocracy/Scientism in the Developing World, 1900–2000 Chapter 6: Mitigated Scientism and Technocracy: The Evolving Character of Technical Expertise and Advice at the Beginning of the Twenty-First Century Chapter 7: Continuing Concerns about the Role of Expertise in a Democracy Chapter 8: Conclusion: On the Mixed Blessings of Scientism and Technocracy
