2014 Medals & Awards Mary C. Rabbitt History And
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2014 MEDALS & AWARDS MARY C. RABBITT followed traditional philosophy format, framing uniformitarianism as offering a previous of a model followed by use of drift as a test. paradigm. The history of geology is not the HISTORY AND Early on, Hank argued that Thomas Kuhn’s only bad fit for Kuhn. Historians of biology PHILOSOPHY OF account of scientific change failed to explain have trouble with it, and so do historians of the plate tectonics revolution. He argued that economic thought, who have to cope with GEOLOGY AWARD Irme Lakatos’ account fared better while Larry Marxism coexisting with classical theory and Laudan’s offered the best fit. then Keynesian economics. If Hank writes a Presented to Gradually, Hank found himself creating short book on the drift controversy, we think Henry Robert Frankel as well as gathering evidence he needed to he should return directly to philosophical write the history of drift. This led to detailed issues about scientific change and the plate studies of marine geology and arguments over tectonics revolution. seafloor spreading, paleomagnetism and their Hallam and Hoffman proclaim that role in drift controversy, and the development Hank’s books are the definitive work on of plate tectonics itself. He consulted archival the subject. It is true that other scholars collections and read their published papers. But are unlikely to redo all the interviews and he went beyond that to do extensive interviews undertake correspondence with the same with many of the characters in the story and to characters, many of whom are now deceased. correspond over many years with central figures But we see the books as a starting point. After to analyze and clarify what happened at crucial all, even Darwin’s Origin of Species was a junctures. And he continually mulled over what starting point, and like Darwin, Hank will be to do with this huge body of material to make it remembered for a long time to come for his available to future scholars. extraordinary accomplishment. The project culminated in Hank’s Here are some topics we think warrant magisterial 4-volume history of drift published investigation, mostly inspired by his fourth Henry Robert Frankel in 2012 by Cambridge University Press. The volume, Evolution into Plate Tectonics: University of Missouri - Kansas City books have already won awards including the 1. The application of plates to continents. journal Choice’s designation as an outstanding This is an exciting story. Hank ends academic title, the Friedman award of the his story with the development of plate Geological Society of London, and the tectonics and its initial application to Citation by Alan Leviton and Geoscience Information Society’s 2013 Best ocean floors. We need regional studies of Michele Aldrich Reference Book Award for his first volume. the reception and modification of plate Hanks’ books have been reviewed in tectonics to the continents. Henry Frankel received the Mary several places. All reviews are strongly positive. 2. More detailed studies are needed on the Rabbitt Award in recognition of his lifetime We mention four here, Anthony Hallam’s regional (i.e., Europe, South America, etc.) achievement in researching and writing about in Isis, David Miller’s in Contemporary reception of drift from the 1920s through the controversy over continental drift and its Physics, Robert Mayhew’s in Progress in the ‘50s. evolution into plate tectonics. He is the first Physical Geography, and Paul Hoffman’s philosopher of science to win it. in EOS. Hoffman’s is the most thorough 3. Permian glaciation. The story actually Hank received a BA in zoology from and informative; he summarizes what Hank begins in the mid-1860s. Hank has some Oberlin College and a PhD from Ohio State covers, and identifies Frankel’s most important materials on later works that need to be University in Philosophy, where he learned findings. Hallam chose to emphasize the pulled together and analyzed as a topic in to appreciate the history of philosophy from contrast between American and British itself to respond to such questions as How Robert Turnbull and was introduced to reception of drift. Hank builds much of his did pre-drift geologists handle it? What philosophy of science by Peter Machamer, story on regional differences in geological use did drifters make of it? How did anti- himself a philosopher and historian of research and thinking, but not as a way to say drifters deal with it? science. In 1971, Hank began teaching in the one is better than the other, as Hallam does. 4. Petroleum geologists’ reaction to plate Philosophy Department of the University Mayhew hopes that Frankel and Cambridge tectonics. We’ve heard anecdotes that of Missouri at Kansas City. The University University Press produce a single-volume work they were slow, but that may have been a strongly supported his research projects with on the controversy that is affordable to students. projection from the rejection in the 1930s. numerous grants. He also won support from We concur. Miller and Hallam imply that Hank 5. Drift and plate tectonics in college the National Science Foundation, American thinks the plate tectonics revolution fits Kuhn’s Philosophical Society, and the National textbooks. What did they say about drift? view of scientific growth and change. Were some specialties more receptive Endowment for the Humanities. However, we and Hank think that Kuhn’s For three decades, Hank presented papers than others? Are there differences among model does not work. Drift and classical nationalities? on the history of continental drift at scholarly geology coexisted as “paradigms” or mega- meetings, including the AGU, GSA, History theories for over fifty years. The only way 6. Drift and plate tectonics in college of Science Society, Philosophy of Science the history of geology fits Kuhn is if you classrooms. When, where, and how? Association, AAAS, and INHIGEO. view everything before plate tectonics as Hank’s papers document the growth and preparadigmatic and make plate tectonics the change of Frankel’s methods and conclusions first real paradigm. But Kuhn himself viewed across time. Initially, some of the papers THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014 MEDALS & AWARDS Response by Henry Frankel tectonics revolution. I’m a slow learner! of plate tectonics, I tried to figure out what What a grand opportunity for a philosopher happened during the drift controversy. I could I am greatly honored to receive the of science to test philosophical accounts of not have done so without the generous input 2014 Mary C. Rabbit History and Philosophy scientific change. It took no imagination to from major and minor participants in the Geology Award from the History of Geology see that here was a post-Kuhnian revolution revolution. A few not only wanted to help me Division of the Geological Society of America, ripe for philosophical and historical analysis. get their contributions right, but wanted me to especially because my own work has been After finding that Kuhn’s model did not fit, get the entire story right. Here I have in mind in philosophy and history of science, and while I. Lakatos’, and L. Laudan’s fared better, especially Edward Irving, Dan McKenzie, concentrated almost entirely on geology and I discovered to my surprise that I wanted to Robert Fisher, and Fred Vine. I also thank geophysics. Nonetheless, I’ve been an outsider know what happened during the controversy Nanette Biersmith, former Administrative to the community of historians of geology; quite independently of testing various accounts Assistant of the Philosophy Department at your honoring me with this award is a tribute of science change. I wanted to find out why UMKC. She edited all my works; her judicious to your broad-mindedness. An undergraduate various participants claimed what they did suggestions greatly improved them. Finally, zoology/chemistry major at Oberlin College, when they did. Epistemology was still central I’ve been so lucky that Paula, my spouse of 45 I studied philosophy of science at Ohio State to my task, but by 1985 I had become more a years, who has had only slight interest in the where I worked with Peter Machamer. Five historian than a philosopher of science. For the plate tectonics revolution, has put up with me, years after taking a position in the philosophy next thirty years, longer than the span between often telling me to quit complaining and get department at the University of Missouri – the rise of paleomagnetism and acceptance back to work. Kansas City (UMKC), I learned of the plate THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA.