Description
Book SynopsisWhy trust science? Why should science have more authority than other ways of knowing? Is science merely a social construct? Or even worse: a tool of oppression? This book boldly takes on these and other explosive questionsâlodged by ideologues on the left and the rightâand offers readers a well researched defense of science and a polemic addressed to its detractors.
Why Itâs OK to Trust Science critically examines the recent history of critiques of science, including those in academia from scholars like Bruno Latour, Simon Schaffer, and Thomas Kuhn. It then presents case studies drawn from recent advances in the field of dinosaur paleontology, showing how science generates objective knowledge, even during revolutionary episodes. The book next looks at how that same objective knowledge can be gained even when researching extremely complex issues, using climate science to distinguish between genuine skepticism âupon which science dependsâfrom dogmatic denial.
The
Table of Contents
Introduction: What Has Science Done for me Lately?; 1: The "Science Wars" and Why They Had to be Won; 2: The Facts About Social Constructivism; 3: Thomas Kuhn: Foe of Science?; 4: Thomas Kuhn: Friend of Science?; 5: Can We Have Good Science and the Right Values?; 6: Dinosaur Revolutions; 7: How We Know About Big, Complex Things; Conclusion; Bibliography;
