Demythologizing Science: Reijer Hooykaas on Hero Worship as “Undesirable” and “Disdaining”

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Abstract

For historians of science, the question of how to write about ‘heroes’ in science is related to other methodological questions: What is science? What is ‘good’ science and therefore a ‘good’ scientist? What phenomena are worthy of study? What is the relationship between an individual and his or her context? The issue of ‘heroes’ specifically occasioned a watershed between many early twentieth-century historians of science and earlier generations of (lay) historians. Reijer Hooykaas (1906-1994) was among this new generation of historians. I describe and explain the changing ways in which, broadly speaking, twentieth-century historians of science have conceived of ‘heroes’ in science. I use Hooykaas as a looking glass through which to describe the broader historiographical developments.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationNobel Genius
Subtitle of host publicationPrizes, Prestige and Scientific Practice
EditorsNils Hansson, Ad Maas
PublisherLeiden University Press
Chapter6
Pages115-140
Number of pages26
ISBN (Electronic)9789400604582
ISBN (Print)9789087284138
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • Reijer Hooykaas
  • history of science

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