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1 results

  • 28 - The American Essay and (Social) Science

  • from Part III - Postwar Essays and Essayism (1945–2000)
  • Edited by Christy Wampole, Princeton University, New Jersey, Jason Childs
  • Book:
    The Cambridge History of the American Essay
    Published online:
    28 March 2024
    Print publication:
    14 December 2023, pp 477-489

  • Summary

    This chapter chronologically follows the development of the American science essay from the eighteenth century, through the foundation of government, corporate, and university research institutes, and ending with contemporary criticism of research practices. Throughout history, science essayists have brought knowledge of new discoveries to the general public by writing in accessible, unexpected, and lyrical prose. They fill a gap between the specialist’s research and the public’s hunger for science news. Beyond communicating research to a mass audience, the science essay offers a space for moral reflection and debate about the implications of scientific knowledge and technological advancements. Science essayists share the common goal of situating research within both a personal perspective and a broad worldview. The science essay acknowledges humanity’s place within nature, embracing scientific insight while questioning the instrumentalism from which it springs.