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1 - The Scaffolds Humans Erect on Science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2024

C. Mantzavinos
C. Mantzavinos
Affiliation:
University of Athens, Greece
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Summary

Imagine that we are given the possibility of constructing a building on an island without a master plan and without a specific time horizon for its completion. Anyone of us may bring as many bricks as she can to construct the building. Some of us would start putting one or more bricks in this collective enterprise, and there would be discussions, agreements and disagreements on how to fit the bricks together so that the construction can stand on its own. For the building to take shape, scaffolds will be needed. And as the building gets taller and taller, the old scaffolds will have to get adjusted or entirely new scaffolds will have to be created using the materials of the old ones. Why are we constructing the building?

Keywords

Narrative about Science
Type
Chapter
Information
The Constitution of Science , pp. 2 - 3
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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