This view of science: Stephen Jay Gould as historian of science and scientific historian, popular scientist and scientific popularizer

This view of science: Stephen Jay Gould as historian of science and scientific historian, popular scientist and scientific popularizer
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DOI:
10.1177/030631202128967244
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发表时间:
2002-08-01
影响因子:
3
通讯作者:
Shermer, MB
Shermer, MB
中科院分区:
法学2区
文献类型:
--
作者:
Shermer, MB

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科学史学家罗纳德·数字曾评价说,20世纪最有影响力的两位科学史学家是托马斯·库恩和斯蒂芬·杰伊·古尔德。所有历史学家都非常熟悉库恩的著作和影响,并且大多数人都知道古尔德通过他的专业和通俗著作对进化论产生了显着影响。但很少有人关注古尔德作为科学历史学家和哲学家的角色的深度、范围和重要性,以及他利用科普阐述来强化旧知识并产生新知识的方式。本文介绍了对古尔德的 22 本书、101 篇书评、479 篇科学论文和 300 篇自然历史论文的广泛定量内容分析的结果,包括主题(进化论、科学史和科学哲学、自然历史、古生物学/地质学、社会科学/评论)和主题二分法(理论-数据、时间箭头-时间循环、适应主义-不适应主义、标点主义-渐进主义、偶然性-必然性)。特别强调主题和主题之间的相互作用,古尔德如何利用科学史来强化他的进化论(反之亦然),以及他的科学哲学如何影响他的进化论和史学。这种哲学可以用古尔德经常引用的查尔斯·达尔文的一句话来最好地概括:“所有观察如果要有任何作用,就必须支持或反对某种观点”。古尔德在他的整个职业生涯中都遵循达尔文的建议,包括他关于科学史和科学哲学的大量著作。
Science historian Ronald Numbers once remarked that the two most influential historians of science of the 20th century were Thomas Kuhn and Stephen Jay Gould. All historians are deeply familiar with Kuhn's work and influence, and most know of the remarkable impact Gould has had on evolutionary theory through both his professional and popular works. But little attention has been paid to the depth, scope, and importance of Gould's role as historian and philosopher of science, and his use of popular science exposition to reinforce old knowledge and generate new. This paper presents the results of an extensive quantitative content analysis of Gould's 22 books, 101 book reviews, 479 scientific papers, and 300 Natural History essays, in terms of their subject matter (Evolutionary Theory, History and Philosophy of Science, Natural History, Paleontology/Geology, Social Science/Commentary), and thematic dichotomies (Theory-Data, Time's Arrow-Time's Cycle, Adaptationism-Nonadaptationism, Punctuationism-Gradualism, Contingency-Necessity). Special emphasis is placed on the interaction between the subjects and themata, how Gould has used the history of science to reinforce his evolutionary theory (and vice versa), and how his philosophy of science has influenced both his evolutionary theory and his historiography. That philosophy can best be summed up in a quotation from Charles Darwin, frequently cited by Gould: 'All observation must be for or against some view if it is to be of any service'. Gould followed Darwin's advice throughout his career, including his extensive writings on the history and philosophy of science.