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The Mismeasure of Man” by Stephen Jay Gould

There is a myth in the sciences that science is “an objective enterprise done
properly only when scientists can shuck the constraints of their culture and view the world as it really is”. Stephen Gould, in his book, “The Mismeasure of Man”, demonstrates clearly the fallacy of “objective science”. Scientists have been influenced by certain political, cultural, and social conditions of their era, and the data is manipulated to support their conclusions which may have been derived in a bias manner. The corollary of “The Mismeasure of Man” is to discuss how research affects social policy and that research is not purely an academic matter.

Gould supports his arguments against objective science by giving an historical background beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, of scientists coming up with various ways to quantify intelligence. The research was necessary to rationalize why certain groups should be ranked higher in society than others. Gould attacks specifi...

Posted by: William Katz

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