 The ambivalence of error: "scientific ideology" in the history of the life sciences and psychosomatic medicineMonica Greco Social Science & Medicine, 2004, vol. 58, issue 4, 687-696 Abstract: This paper discusses the concept of "scientific ideology" as it appears in the work of the historian and philosopher of medicine Georges Canguilhem, whose work is becoming increasingly well known and used amongst anglophone social scientists. Whilst addressing the problematic of legitimacy and illegitimacy in the history of science, the concept of "scientific ideology" does something different and more complex than either the opposition between science and false science, or the one between orthodoxy and heresy, allow for. On the one hand, it enables us to preserve a crucial acknowledgment of the specificity of science in general, and of medical science in particular. On the other hand, it also allows us to challenge the sharp contrast between science and non-science by setting that contrast in a diachronic perspective. Drawing also on the work of Isabelle Stengers, the last part of the paper discusses an application of the concept of scientific ideology in relation to the field of psychosomatic medicine and psychoneuroimmunology. Keywords: Canguilhem; History; of; science; Psychosomatic; medicine; Psychoneuroimmunology (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:58:y:2004:i:4:p:687-696 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from Access Statistics for this article Social Science & Medicine is currently edited by Ichiro (I.) Kawachi and S.V. (S.V.) Subramanian More articles in Social Science & Medicine from Elsevier |
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