The common vulgate, both in many scientists and in common-sense, is that science proceeds by facts and experimentally tested hypotheses. The scientific knowledge would derive, therefore, from repeated experiments that would confirm them. On the contrary, such hypotheses would decline. Unlike, social studies of science (several decades ago) have documented how experiments do not have the main role in the affirmation of certain hypotheses (and theories). Other factors (political, cultural, economic, etc.) have a more prominent role. In addition and complementarily, facts are professionally constructed. However, social studies of science argue that it would be too simplistic not to take into consideration the role of experiments in scientific controversies. Yet, not always. The Wakefield case (a British gastroenterologist and former medical researcher, struck off the UK medical register for supposed unethical behavior and other supposed misconduct, surrounding his supposed fraudulent 1998 research article) shows how today, even in the Western and democratic world, scientific hypotheses can be eliminated not by means of experiments or counter-arguments, but by political actions and journalistic inquiries, (which later proved to be ungrounded).
The intricate relation between science, economy and politics: the MMR vaccine case / G. Gobo - In: Kleines Al(e)phabet des Kommunikativen Konstruktivismus : Fundus Omnium Communicativum - Hubert Knoblauch zum 60 : Geburtstag / [a cura di] B. Schnettler, R. Tuma, D. vom Lehn, B. Traue, T.S. Eberle. - Prima edizione. - Wiesbaden : Springer VS, 2019 Mar. - ISBN 9783658249571. - pp. 393-400
The intricate relation between science, economy and politics: the MMR vaccine case
G. Gobo
2019
Abstract
The common vulgate, both in many scientists and in common-sense, is that science proceeds by facts and experimentally tested hypotheses. The scientific knowledge would derive, therefore, from repeated experiments that would confirm them. On the contrary, such hypotheses would decline. Unlike, social studies of science (several decades ago) have documented how experiments do not have the main role in the affirmation of certain hypotheses (and theories). Other factors (political, cultural, economic, etc.) have a more prominent role. In addition and complementarily, facts are professionally constructed. However, social studies of science argue that it would be too simplistic not to take into consideration the role of experiments in scientific controversies. Yet, not always. The Wakefield case (a British gastroenterologist and former medical researcher, struck off the UK medical register for supposed unethical behavior and other supposed misconduct, surrounding his supposed fraudulent 1998 research article) shows how today, even in the Western and democratic world, scientific hypotheses can be eliminated not by means of experiments or counter-arguments, but by political actions and journalistic inquiries, (which later proved to be ungrounded).File | Dimensione | Formato | |
---|---|---|---|
Hubert_wakefield_2019.pdf
accesso riservato
Tipologia:
Post-print, accepted manuscript ecc. (versione accettata dall'editore)
Dimensione
144.52 kB
Formato
Adobe PDF
|
144.52 kB | Adobe PDF | Visualizza/Apri Richiedi una copia |
Gobo 2019 Science.pdf
accesso riservato
Tipologia:
Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione
472.65 kB
Formato
Adobe PDF
|
472.65 kB | Adobe PDF | Visualizza/Apri Richiedi una copia |
Pubblicazioni consigliate
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.