Debating Contemporary Approaches to the History of Science

Download or read book Debating Contemporary Approaches to the History of Science written by Lukas M. Verburgt and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2024-02-08 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Debating New Approaches to the History of Science explores the big questions in the history of science and the main problems and challenges it is facing today. In each chapter, established and emerging scholars introduce new approaches to the history of science and revisit older perspectives which remain crucial, before providing a critical analysis of the perspective. The volume looks at topics such as the importance of the 'environmental turn' for the history of science and the possibilities for the field of moving beyond a focus on ideas and texts towards active engagement with materials and practices. It asks important questions such as 'what does it mean to study science's past in the Anthropocene?' and 'what are the prospects and limits of the 'material' and 'performative' turns?' Each chapter introduces and discusses new approaches to the history of science, and concludes with a critical commentary from another scholar in the field. With this innovative format, Debating New Approaches to the History of Science does not just provide a useful overview of the field, but it also offers insights into the process of historiography as it evolves. As such, it is essential reading for students and scholars studying contemporary developments in the history of science.