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Gerald Holton on the Anti-Science Phenomenon—And Why It Should Not Be Dismissed As a Harmless Fringe

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Gerald Holton on the Anti-Science Phenomenon—And Why It Should Not Be Dismissed As a Harmless Fringe Current Comments@ EUGENE GARFIELD INSTITUTE FOR SCIENTIFIC WFORMATICWS s501 MARKET ST WILAOELFHA, PA 19104 Parascience, Pseudoscience, and Political Power: Gerald Holton on the Anti-Science Phenomenon—And Why It Should Not Be Dismissed as a Harmless Fringe Number 45 November 9, 1992 Introduction: Homage to a Mentor 1’ve often written of the many historians of science who have been mentors in my career. 1-3We sometimes take mentors for granted, neglecting to tell the world how they played a role in our personal or pro- fessional lives. It came as a surprise to re- alize I hadn’t yet acknowledged Gerald Holton as an important mentor or expressed my appreciation of his influence. An em- barrassing surprise, really, since he wrote the foreword to a volume of Essays of an Information Scientist.4 The Current Con- rentsm (Cd) essay which follows is an op- portunity to makeup for this oversight. Many CC readers will know from previ- ous essays that Holton is Mallinckrodt Pro- fessor of Physics and professor of history Gerald Holton of science at Harvard University, Cam- ties.”s The lecture was cited in a previous bridge, Massachusetts. He has distinguished CC essay on the bicentennial of the US himself both in science and (he “science of Constitution.6 I’ve also cited Holton’s work science’’—that is, his seminal contributions on metaphors in science.’.s His book, The- on the social and cultural aspects of sci- matic Origins of Scientific Thought: Kepler ence. It is here that our interests intersect to Einstein, 9 was featured as a Citation and where I first “met” him. Classic@ in CC. 10These are in addition to our continuing discussion and correspcm- Intersecting Interests: dence on art and science. Jefferson and Einstein Thomas Jefferson said science is funda- For example, whenever I hear “Thomas mental to the health of the US.5 It is re- Jefferson” I recall his 1981 Jefferson Lec- freshing to recall how much of its current ture in Washington, DC. Selection to this research leadership the US owes to the in- award by the National Endowment for the flux of brilliant European scientists, like Humanities is “the highest honor the fed- Albert Einstein, around the time of World eral government confers for distinguished War H. Like so many others, I have an intellectual achievement in the humani- abiding interest in the life and work of 172 Einstein, a subject which Holton has re- text in Public Understanding of Science to searched so welI. 11 fully appreciate Holton’s insights. Refugees from intolerant, intolerable, to- talitarian states, these erni~ant researchers About the Author reinforced the intellectual infrastmcture of generations of scientific progress in the US, Holton received a bachelor’s and mas- where both the “freedom and happiness of ter’s degree in physics from Wesleyan Uni- man” and the advancement of knowledge versity. He also earned a master’s and PhD were the two goals of science, to quote degree, both in physics, from Harvard. Jefferson again.5 Holton, too, emigrated to Concurrent with his Harvard appointments, the US to escape Nazi persecution in Ger- Holton is a visiting professor at the Massa- many, where he was born in Berlin of Aus- chusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), trian parents. And our social sciences schol- where he was a founding faculty member arship has been enriched as a result. of the Program on Science, Technology, and Society. A member of numerous pres- Parascience and Pseudoscience: tigious professional organizations world- Not a Harmless Fringe wide, he has also received many honors and awards-including the Millikan, Oer- Holton sent me a presentation he made sted, and Sarton medals. to a conference on “Anti-Science and Anti- Over the past decades, Holton has pur- Technology Movement in the US and sued three related research interests. One USSR,” which was recently published in a has been the relation between science and new journal, Public Understanding of Sci- culture, which has involved the founding ence. 12It was a penetrating analysis of the of Daedalus and the publication of numer- gamut of “fringe science’’—from astrology ous books and essays. Another interest has to Lysenkoism to creationism. It also ex- been the intersection between science, tech- plained why it is unwise to dismiss this nology, and society. This has encompassed “anti-science” phenomenon as a harmless the founding of Science, Technology and fringe at a time when it is building politi- Human Values, the MIT educational pro- cal momentum and influence. Finally, gram, and other major activities. His third Holton constructed a theoretical framework major interest is the dynamics of growth in and practical strategy for dealing with the science, including sociological models for phenomenon. the expansion of research. His publications The relevance and interest of the paper on this topic are too numerous to mention to CC readers seemed obvious. However, here. space would not permit a reprint of the complete 26-page original. So it was de- A New Journal on the Public cided we would condense the paper. The Understanding of Science resulting digest follows. Although the di- gest is only about one-third the length of As noted earlier, the article digested in the original manuscript, it preserves the the following was published in the inaugu- thrust of Holton’s thoughts on anti-science. ral issue of Public Understanding qf Sci- However, the digest by no means substi- ence, on whose editorial advisory board tutes for Holton’s originaf article on the Holton serves. Launched by IOP (Institute anti-science phenomenon. It is meant to of Physics) Publishing and the Science Mu- draw attention to an important issue for the seum, London, its goal is to provide an research community by presenting his el- international forum for studies on the pub- egant and incisive analysis of it. We hope Iic dimensions of science, technology, and it will encourage you to read the entire medicine by educators, historians, sociolo- gists, policy makers, media analysts, and Ithaca, New York; Dorothy Nelkin, New others. In particular, it has positioned itself York University; Arie Rip, University of as the one journal “wholly or mainly de- Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands; and voted to” public understanding of science, John Ziman, Science Poiicy Support Group, as explained by the editor, John Durant, London. the museum’s assistant director and head Interested readers can order a free sample of science communication as well as visit- issue of the new quarterly journal by con- ing professor at Imperial College of Sci- tacting IOP Publishing, Techno House, ence, Technology and Medicine, London. 13 Redcliffe Way, Bristol BS 1 6NX, UK. Eu- I was pleased to learn that a number of ropean orders can be placed by phone colleagues and friends are among the asso- (0272-29748 1) or fax (0272-294318), The ciate editors and editorial advisory board. numbers for North America are 516-349- These include Subbiah Arunachalam, Cen- 7800, ext. 628, and 516-349-7669, respec- tral Electrochemical Research Institute, tively. Karaikudi, India, who also serves on the editorial board of Current Science; Sir ***** Walter Bodmer, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London; David Edge, University of My thanks to Eric Thurschweil and Al Edinburgh, Scotland; Bruno Latour, Ecole Wel~ams-Dorof for their help in the prepa- Nationale Sup&ieure des Mines, Paris; ration of this essay, Bruce Lewenstein, Cornell University, o ISI 1992 REFERENCES 1. Garneld E. Mel Kranzberg receives Bemal Prize as pioneering historian of technology. Currenr Conrenn ( 13):3-9,30 March 1992. 2------------ Robert K. Merton: among the giants. Essays of an information scientisr. Philadelphia: 1S1Press, 1980, Vol. 3, p. 176-8. 3------------ George SarLon: the father of the history of science. ParI 1. .%wton’searly life in Belgium. Part 2, Sarton shapes a new discipline. Ib,d., 1986, Vol. 8, p. 24 I-7; 248-53. 4, Holton G. Foreword. (Gartleld E.) Essays o~tm information scientisr: the awards of science and orher essays. Philadelphia: 1S1Press. 1985. Vol. 7. p. xiii-xxi. 5------------ The advancement of science, and its burdens: the Jefferson Lecture and other essays. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1986.351 p. 6. Gartleld E. The bicentennial of the US Constitution: the American Philoaophlcat .%ciety and the role of scholarship in the creation of the US republic. Op. cit., 1989. Vol. 10. p. 13I-7. 7. Holton G. Metaphors in science and education. (Taylor W, cd.) Metaphors of educaficm. London: Heineman, 1984. p. 91-113. (Reprinted in reference 5 above.) 8. Garfield E. The metaphor-science connection. Op. ci[., 1988. Vol. 9. p. 316-23. 9. Holton G. Thematic origim of scientific kmghr: Kep/er ro Einstein. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1973.495 p, (Revised edition, 1988.) 10. ----------- On the origins of Thematic origins. Citation Classic, Commentary on Thematic origins of ~cientijic dlought; Kep/er to Einswin. Current Conrenrs/Arts & Humanities 1I(9): 14, 24 April 1989; currmt ConrenO/ Engineering, Technology & Applied Sciences 20( 17): 14, 24 April 1989; Current Contents/Physical, Chemical & Earth Sciences 29( 17):14,24 April 1989; Current Contents/Social& Be/mviora[ Sciences21 ( 17):16,24 April 1989. 11. ----------- Aiben Einstein, historical and cultural perspectives. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1982.439 p. 12------------ How to think about the ‘anti-science’ phenomenon. Pub/it Understand. Sci. 1(I ):103-28, January 1992. 13. Durant J. Editorial. Public Understand. SCI. 1(1): I-5, January 1992, 174 How to Think About the ‘Anti-Science’ Phenomenon* By Gerald Holton Opposition to science as conventionally defined can take a great variety of forms, from interest in astrology to attacks on relativity theory, from false beliefs based on scientific illiteracy to support of Lysenkoism or Creationism.
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