Description
Manifesto for a Slow Science
Book Summary
Isabelle Stengers, starting from the specific case of researcher Barbara Van Dyck, presents her plea for a slow science. This brief and forceful manifesto denounces the cost of acceleration in the academic sphere, where the pressure to obtain rapid results clashes with industrial interests. The author proposes an alternative model of deceleration, advocating for scientists to take their time to research with integrity and without succumbing to the promotional goals of sponsors. A necessary debate on the implications of speed in contemporary science.
What is it about?
The book starts with the dismissal of researcher Barbara Van Dyck for participating in an action to decontaminate a field of genetically modified potatoes. This case serves as a vehicle for Isabelle Stengers to articulate a critique of the current relationship between universities and their industrial partners. The author denounces how the rush to achieve results causes research to succumb to commercial interests, and advocates for a deceleration of the sciences. She thus places herself at the center of the debate on the need to recover a time of one's own for scientific research, far removed from the demands of immediate productivity.
Main themes
- Critique of the acceleration of scientific production and its consequences.
- Denunciation of the influence of industrial interests on academic research.
- Defense of a slow science model based on deceleration and reflection.
- Analysis of the Van Dyck case as an example of conflict between scientific ethics and institutional pressure.
- Proposal for a time of one's own for research, far removed from the logic of rapid results.
Who is it recommended for?
This manifesto is aimed at researchers, academics, and students interested in the philosophy of science and the critique of the current university system. It is also of great interest to readers concerned about the relationship between science, industry, and ethics, as well as those looking for alternatives to the culture of productivity in the realm of knowledge.
What this book contributes
- A clear and well-documented reflection on the effects of acceleration in science.
- A critical analysis of the alliances between universities and companies.
- The defense of a slower, more reflective, and independent scientific practice.
- A concrete example of an ethical conflict that illustrates the tensions of the current system.
- A brief but forceful plea that invites us to rethink time in research.
Technical specifications
- Author: STENGERS, ISABELLE
- Publisher: NUEVOS EMPRENDIMIENTOS EDITORIALES S L
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
- Collection: HUELLAS Y SEÑALES
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: May 2022
- Number of pages: 64
- Weight: 92 g
Editorial review
A brief and necessary manifesto that places the debate on the deceleration of science in a real and urgent context. Isabelle Stengers manages to articulate a solid critique of the current academic system, without falling into simplifications, and offers a proposal that invites reflection. Her approach, focused on a specific case, gives strength and relevance to her plea, making this book a recommended read for those seeking to understand the tensions between science, ethics, and industry.