Preface
Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1: Science as a Moral Choice
Part II: Elective Modernism
Chapter 2: Choosing Science
Chapter 3: The Birds: Elective Modernism, Democracy and Science
Part III: Academic Context
Chapter 4: Elective Modernism in Context
Chapter 5: Institutional Innovations
Part IV: Manifesto
Conclusion: Elective Modernism and Democracy
Notes
References Cited
Harry Collins is a Fellow of the British Academy, and
Distinguished Research Professor in the School of Social Sciences
at Cardiff University.
Robert Evans is Professor in Sociology at Cardiff
University.
"Scientific and technological advances have a huge impact on our
lives, yet science and society have an ambivalent relationship:
science needs democracy to flourish but its techniques are beyond
political accountability. In this thought-provoking book, Collins
and Evans assert that “science gives substance to the way of being
of democracy”. Consequently, science is a key to achieving and
safeguarding our democratic ideals."
—Barry Barish, Linde Professor of Physics, Emeritus, Caltech; PI
and Director of LIGO, 1994–2005
"Free-market ideology threatens both science and democracy. Collins
and Evans respond not with philosophical arguments but an appeal to
common sense. They ask us first to see that we face a basic moral
choice, and then to choose the values of modern science. A
provocative and thoughtful book."
—Mark Brown, Professor of Government, California State University,
Sacramento
"Should we only give credence to an expert in any given field,
thereby discounting the view of non-specialists? Doing so would
seem rather undemocratic. It would also appear to reduce the scope
for holding experts accountable. [... Collins and Evans'] theory
not only tries to explain how knowledge is acquired but also
legitimises the contribution which non-practitioners can make to
scientific practice."
—The Irish Times
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