Is anti-science not-science? The case of parapsychology

Pinch, T. J. and Collins, Harold Maurice ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2909-9035 1979. Is anti-science not-science? The case of parapsychology. Nowotny, H. and Rose, H., eds. Counter-Movements in the Sciences: The Sociology of the Alternatives to Big Science, Sociology of the Sciences Yearbook, Springer Netherlands, pp. 221-250. (10.1007/978-94-009-9421-8_11)

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Abstract

In this paper, we try to show that it is not possible to ascribe, unambiguously, the label ‘anti-scientific’ to a set of ideas. Anti-science is a description applicable to certain human activities; it is not a quality of certain ideas. We will illustrate this by looking at the case of parapsychological ideas (1). This approach implies that we do not endorse any positive definition of anti- science within this paper. The argument is intended to show the inappropriateness of definitions that would identify anti-science with sets of ideas as opposed to sets of historically specific actions. We will, however, look at some of the reasons that are given when ideas are so labelled, and we will put forward suggestions as to why actors should be interested in applying the label in this way to parapsychological ideas.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) Q Science > Q Science (General)
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
ISBN:	9789027709714
Last Modified:	17 Oct 2025 10:39
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/89943

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