Pseudoscience: A Very Short Introduction

Pseudoscience is something that appears to be scientific but is false, misleading, or unproven. It is difficult to define, but understanding antithetical doctrines can help us understand how science operated in the past and how it operates today. Pseudoscience differs from scientific fraud and raises questions about the authority to make pronouncements, political or cultural contexts, and how pseudoscience differs from science.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 27 April 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Pseudoscience is a term commonly used to describe something that appears to be scientific but is, in fact, false, misleading, or unproven. While many people can agree on a list of things that fall under its umbrella, such as astrology, phrenology, UFOlogy, creationism, and eugenics, defining what makes these fields "pseudo" is a complex issue. It has proven impossible to develop a simple criterion that distinguishes pseudoscience from genuine science.

Given the virulence of contemporary disputes over the denial of climate change and anti-vaccination movements, which both display allegations of "pseudoscience" on all sides, there is a clear need to better understand issues of scientific demarcation.

Pseudoscience: A Very Short Introduction explores the philosophical and historical attempts to address this problem of demarcation. This book argues that by understanding doctrines that are often seen as antithetical to science, we can learn a great deal about how science operated in the past and does today. This exploration raises several questions: How does a doctrine become demonized as pseudoscientific? Who has the authority to make these pronouncements? How is the status of science shaped by political or cultural contexts? How does pseudoscience differ from scientific fraud?

Michael D. Gordin both answers these questions and guides readers through a bewildering array of marginalized doctrines, looking at parapsychology (ESP), Lysenkoism, scientific racism, and alchemy, among others, to better understand the struggle to define what science is and is not, and how the controversies have shifted over the centuries. Pseudoscience: A Very Short Introduction provides a historical tour through many of these fringe fields.

Astrology, phrenology, UFOlogy, creationism, and eugenics are just a few examples of the fields that have been labeled as pseudoscience. These fields often claim to be scientific but lack scientific evidence to support their claims. For example, astrology is based on the belief that the positions of celestial bodies can predict events in the future, but there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. Similarly, phrenology is based on the belief that the shape of the skull can reveal a person's personality traits, but there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

Pseudoscience can have serious consequences, as it can lead to misinformation and misguided beliefs. For example, people who believe in astrology may make decisions based on their horoscopes that are not in their best interests, or people who believe in creationism may reject scientific evidence in favor of their religious beliefs.

In conclusion, pseudoscience is a complex issue that requires careful consideration. By understanding the doctrines that are often seen as antithetical to science, we can learn a great deal about how science operated in the past and does today. However, it is important to recognize that pseudoscience can have serious consequences and that it is essential to distinguish between pseudoscience and genuine science.

Weight: 124g
Dimension: 173 x 112 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190944421