Merton Thesis Research Articles

Brooke on the Merton Thesis: A Direct Replication of John Hedley Brooke’s Chapter on Scientific and Religious Reform

Awareness of the need for replication studies is growing in multiple disciplines. Replication in history and the humanities, however, is close to nonexistent. This article presents the results of a direct replication of John Hedley Brooke’s study into the role of Puritanism in increasing the legitimacy of (practical or applied) science. The study serves as a pilot for the possibility and feasibility of replication in history. We give an overview of both what replication studies are and Brooke’s original study. We subsequently revisit Brooke’s study. For this purpose, we reconstruct Brooke’s research protocol, revisit his sources, and include some new sources. We note minor points of divergence with the interpretation of sources on the dominance of Puritans in applied sciences. We conclude that the pilot study shows the importance of replication for history and that replication in history raises new challenges for replication studies.

Империя цитирования. Наше время: цитата как картина и как портал

The scientometric pressure and defining features of the contemporary culture of reference exchange are viewed under the sign of the objectification and alienation of the scientists creative abilities and the consequences produced by their application. Based on the identification of subject- and resource-oriented types of citations, the principle of unity of historical and logical and R. Merton's thesis about the dual purpose of standard methodological operations such moments of modern academic citation as the prevalence of indirect forms, functional reduction of quotation to reference, monetization, presumption of preformity and the cult of originality of the author's text are revealed. It is shown that the last two arise from the mutual overlapping of the mental codes of postmodern subjectless passéisme and scientific subjective futurism. The previously expressed statement about the domination of resource-oriented citation at the present stage is confirmed and specified. The richness of the publication with references is inversely proportional to the content of the borrowings, which are almost entirely compressed in the metadata. The direct cognitive functionality of such citations is insignificant, but thanks to them an academic text on the rhizome-network model turns into a labyrinth of portals to other texts.The historical alternation of the leading role of types of citation is fixed. The assumption of the future transition of leadership to subject-oriented citation is formulated.

Империя цитирования. Философско-исторический этюд. часть I. методология исследования. архаика и античность

Subject-oriented and resource-oriented types of citation are highlighted. Based on the principle of unity of historical and logical and R. Merton's thesis about the standard methodological operations dual purpose, the historical body of philosophical and scientific literature is analyzed. It is shown that under the influence of legal and political discourse in Greek philosophical dialectics subject-oriented quotation emerged, and closer to the end of antiquity resource-oriented citation appeared in the works of commentators and some other fields.

Империя цитирования. Философско-исторический этюд. часть II. средние века и возрождение

Based on the identification of subject- and resource-oriented types of citations, the principle of unity of historical and logical and R. Merton's thesis about the dual purpose of standard methodological operations, the analysis of the historical array of philosophical and scientific literature was carried out. In the Middle Ages resource borrowing from high-status sources flourished and a culture of referencing began to take shape. At the same time the structures of citation lie at a deeper semantic level than that at which the text can be parsed into discrete argumentative constructions. In the Renaissance there is no stable orientation to a particular model of citation.

Империя цитирования. Философско-исторический этюд. часть IV. новое время (середина XVIII - середина XX века)

Based on the identification of subject- and resource-oriented types of citation, the principle of unity of the historical and logical and R. Merton's thesis about the dual purpose of standard methodological operations, the analysis of the historical array of philosophical and scientific literature has been carried out. It is shown that in modern philosophy and science the design of citations and their support by references took place but did not play a decisive role, and the ideas about the stylistics of academic writing left room for the individual manner of the author and the consideration of the tasks facing him.

Империя цитирования. Философско-исторический этюд. часть III. новое время (до середины XVIII века)

Based on the identification of subject- and resource-oriented types of citations, the principle of unity of historical and logical and R. Merton's thesis about the dual purpose of standard methodological operations, the analysis of the historical array of philosophical and scientific literature was carried out. It is shown that the dominance of subject-oriented citation was established in modern science and philosophy. Due to the transformation of science into a social institution citation also had the function of legitimizing the contributions of predecessor researchers.

Religion, Magic, and Science in Early Modern Europe and America (Allison P. Coudert)

<i>Religion, Magic, and Science in Early Modern Europe and America</i> (Allison P. Coudert)

The Three Merton Theses

In this article I examine the historical background to Merton's formulation of the scientific ethos, especially in relation to his dissertation, published in 1938 as Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth-Century England. Here Merton outlined the so-called `Merton thesis', and I emphasize how both the content and the context of the monograph is related to his formulation of an `ethos of science' — introduced for the first time in 1938 in `Science and the Social Order'. Three different readings can, however, highlight different aspects of Merton's monograph, thus the article attempts to enrich the understanding both of the ethos of science and of Merton as a politically engaged social scientist by discussing `The Three Merton Theses'.

Humanity's Mirror: 150 Years of Anatomy in Melbourne by Ross L. Jones

Ross L. Jones, Humanity's Mirror: 150 Years of Anatomy in Melbourne (Melbourne: Haddington Press, 2007). ISBN 06464 -7300-X.318pp. 174 BOOKREVIEWS Ross Jones's study on the history of anatomy at the University of Melbourne is interesting from the very beginning throughhis choice of the title, Humanitys Mirror. Looking upon a corpse, one captures a reflection on oneself and thoughts linger about what the eye has processed. The mirroris therefore a metaphor for the corpse; the harder and longer one looks, the more one learnsabout oneself. The book has a fundamentalaim to present an 'intellectual and social history of the [Anatomy] Department' (p. xviii). Jones adequately accomplishes this aim using closely related themes. These themes are Melbourne's social context during the past one hundred and fifty years and also the personalities which helped shape the Melbourne medical school over the years. By discussing both in detail, Jones takes his readers through time on an intriguingjourney which shows the humble beginnings of a medical school, which has now turned into a modern world-class teaching facility. Jones's exploration of nineteenth and twentieth century Melbourne sets out to discuss individuals from all sectors of society and their attitudes towards the medical school and, in particular,the subject of anatomy, which was by far the most importantmedical subject at the time. Anatomy was constantly surroundedby scandals and controversies as it had a lingering presence in the public imagination due to its subject matter,the corpse. The study of anatomy was admired and also feared. It was a gateway for future practitioners and a dreadful end for the soul of the individual which had been handed a corporate sentence. The intellectual aspect, although very much associated with the social aspect, is explored by concentrating on a number of prominent personalities from the Melbourne medical school. Jones discusses at length and in chronological order the roles played by anatomy's leading men in the struggle for recognition and respect of the medical school. Jones adds appeal and compels his audience by avoiding what could have been a dull and dry history through his inclusion of the fate of some of Australia's most infamous criminals. In addition, he details scandals such as the scarcity of human material for dissection Health& History • 9/2 • 2007 175 and shady procurement practices. Although this has been explored in works by other authors, it is nevertheless unique in this publication because it focuses primarily on Melbourne instead of Paris, London or the United States of America. Ross has clearly conducted extensive research to detail the struggle and rise of anatomy as the principal subject in the medical curriculum as well as the growth and expansion of the Melbourne medical school. This is apparent from the detailed bibliography consisting of primary and secondary sources. He has uncovered and incorporated a lot of archival material which would otherwise still be packed away and gathering dust in storage cabinets. Such a history would have otherwise been dry and laborious to read but Jones has avoided this by adopting a style so captivating that the reader is compelled to read further.He achieved success by writing in a clear, clever and chronological way, discussing episodes in a lively manner. The final chapter in the book has been deliberately left with many loose ends so this reader was left excited in anticipation for the next installment. INAS KANSOH UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY Harold J. Cook, Matters of Exchange: Commerce, Medicine, and Science in theDutch Golden Age (New Haven, CT/London: Yale University Press, 2007). ISBN 978-0-300-11796-7), 576 pp. Max Weber originally suggested that a positive link existed between the rise of both capitalism and science, but only as a mere consequence of the stimulative effect which the Protestant ethic had had on commerce. This hypothesis was developed furtherby the sociologist of science, Robert K. Merton, whose now eponymous 'Merton Thesis' established that English Puritanism encouraged the growth of early modern science. Although Merton's work involved a consideration of economic factors, the subsequent comment and criticism of the Thesis has focused almost entirely on the religious aspects of the work. Matters of Exchange: Commerce, Medicine, and Science in...

Science and Dissent

There are two classic theories of the relationship between science and religion in the modern West. The 'conflict thesis', first advanced in the late nineteenth century and most closely associated with the names Andrew Dickson White and John Draper, is no longer taken seriously by historians (although its hold on the popular imagination has proven more tenacious). The other classic narrative is the 'Merton thesis', named for the sociologist Robert K. Merton, who in a 1936 article adopted the theoretical work of R.H. Tawney and Max Weber, and proposed a positive historical association between Puritanism and the emergence of modern science. This thesis has attracted criticism from historians some of it focused on the question of what counts as 'Puritanism', some of it pointing to apparent counter examples in Catholic Europe. However, it retains considerable potency as an overarching narrative, partly owing to the more recent work of Charles Webster, who put beyond reasonable doubt the link between Puritan ideals and the promotion of science in seventeenth-century England. What both critics and advocates of the Merton thesis have tended to ignore, however, is the fact that Merton's interest was not so much in the origin of revolutionary ideas about the natural world, but rather in the emergence of an ethos that would promote what we call a 'scientific culture', in which the values of utilitarianism, empiricism, and rationalism are given primary place. In other words, the Merton thesis has implications that apply not only to the origins of modern science, but reach well beyond to the processes through which, over the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, science was to become a pervasive and distinctive

Science and Dissent in England, 1688–1945

Science and Dissent in England, 1688–1945. Edited by PAUL WOOD (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2004; pp. 288. £47.40). RARELY in the history of scholarly endeavour can there have been a more complex assignment! In 1936 R.K. Merton put forward the view that seventeenth-century Puritans were more interested than other types of believer in promoting what would now be called science. Sixty-five years later the University of Victoria held a conference at which speakers were asked to consider whether and how far the Merton thesis can be applied to the very different circumstances of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Simply tracing the interactions between science and religion over 230 years would have been complicated enough, given the very great changes that took place during that time, but on Vancouver Island the contributors were asked for something more precise and specific—i.e. to ‘correlate’ degrees of support for science with the many different sects and denominations that make up what in the British religious world is called Dissent or Nonconformity. Since the history of Dissent is itself a bewildering chronology of seceding, splintering, reuniting, and continuing, the variables are endless.

The Sociology-Philosophy Connection

Most social scientists and philosophers claim that sociology and philosophy are disjoint fields of inquiry. Some have wondered how to trace the precise boundary between them. Mario Bunge argues that the two fields are so entangled with one another that no demarcation is possible or, indeed, desirable. In fact, sociological research has demonstrably philosophical pre-suppositions. In turn, some findings of sociology are bound to correct or enrich the philosophical theories that deal with the world, our knowledge of it, or the ways of acting upon it. While Bunge's thesis would hardly have shocked Mill, Marx, Durkheim, or Weber, it is alien to the current sociological mainstream and dominant philosophical schools. Bunge demonstrates that philosophical problematics arise in social science research. A fertile philosophy of social science unearths critical presuppositions, analyzes key concepts, refines effective research strategies, crafts coherent and realistic syntheses, and identifies important new problems. Bunge examines Marx's and Durkheim's thesis that social facts are as objective as physical facts; the so-called Thomas theorem that refutes the behaviorist thesis that social agents react to social stimuli rather than to the way we perceive them; and Merton's thesis on the ethos of basic science which shows that science and morality are intertwined. He considers selected philosophical problems raised by contemporary social studies and argues forcefully against tolerance of shabby work in academic social science and philosophy alike.

The merton thesis: Oetinger and German Pietism, a significant negative case

The Merton thesis identifies two movements — English Puritanism and German Pietism — as causally significant in the development of the scientific revolution of the 17th and 18th centuries. It attributes this connection to a strong compatibility between the values of ascetic Protestantism and those associated with modern science. This article questions Merton's conclusion regarding one of these movements, German Pietism, by arguing that the Pietist ethos stood in sharp conflict with what Merton has called the normative structure of science. One manifestation of this conflict involves Friedrich Oetinger's articulation of a contending “religious-mystical” conception of science, which assigned a central place to feeling, intuition, the role of the divine, and a qualitative approach to nature. This conception of science, it is argued, provides the clearest indication of the conceptual and valuative distance that tended to separate Pietists from the “new science” of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Puritanism and the Rise of Modern Science: The Merton Thesis. Edited by I. Bernard Cohen with K.E. Duffin and Stuart Strickland. Afterword by Robert K. Merton. Rutgers University Press, 1990. 360 pp. Cloth, $45.00; paper, $17.00

Puritanism and the Rise of Modern Science: The Merton Thesis. Edited by I. Bernard Cohen with K.E. Duffin and Stuart Strickland. Afterword by Robert K. Merton. Rutgers University Press, 1990. 360 pp. Cloth, $45.00; paper, $17.00

Puritanism and the Rise of Modern Science: The Merton Thesis.

Puritanism and the Rise of Modern Science: The Merton Thesis.

Puritanism and the rise of modern science: the Merton thesis

Puritanism and the rise of modern science: the Merton thesis

Puritanism and the Rise of Modern Science: The Merton Thesis, Edited and with an Introduction

Puritanism and the Rise of Modern Science: The Merton Thesis, Edited and with an Introduction

The Anatomy Lesson: A Note on the Merton Thesis

In the sociology of science, the historical analysis of the rise of seventeenth-century experimental science has been dominated by the research of Robert Merton, who argued that Protestant asceticism paved the way for scientific world-views. Merton was criticized by L.S. Feuer who claimed that science was in fact the outcome of hedonism not asceticism. This article supports the Merton thesis on the basis of a note on the historical development of anatomical dissections with special reference to public dissections in Holland m the seventeenth century. The principal difficulty for both Merton and Feuer is that scientific medicine in pre-modern societies was not differentiated from either religion or law. The anatomy lesson was in fact a juridical and moral drama.

The Other Merton Thesis

The ArgumentWritten as one book, Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth-Century England has become two. One book, treating Puritanism and science, has since become “The Merton Thesis.” The other, treating shifts of interest among the sciences and problem choice within the sciences, has been less consequential. This paper proposes that neglect of one part of the monograph has skewed readers' understanding of the whole. Society and culture contributed to institutionalization of science and the directions it took, neither one exclusively. Four aspects of the neglected chapters are examined: (1) their theoretical underpinnings, the conceptions providing foundations for this part specifically and for the monograph as a whole; (2) their comparative neglect, attributed partly to the absence of a cognitive constituency for their claims; (3) the problem of problem choice in science in Merton's work; and (4) the Merton monograph and later social constructionism:their differences and affinities.

Science in the Church

The ArgumentA brief review of the Merton thesis shows that its restriction to England is arbitrary. An example from the historiography of modern physics suggests the possible payoff of an ecumenical Merton thesis and the means to explore it. A summary of the careers of men who practiced science literally in the church – men who built meridian lines in Italian cathedrals – indicates the range of social support of astronomical studies by Catholic institutions in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.