1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910810169503321

Autore

Taverne Dick

Titolo

The march of unreason : science, democracy, and the new fundamentalism / / Dick Taverne

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Oxford, [England] ; ; New York : , : Oxford University Press, , 2005

©2005

ISBN

1-280-75300-5

9786610753000

0-19-153951-1

1-4237-6771-3

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (435 p.)

Disciplina

303.48/3

Soggetti

Science - Social aspects

Democracy and science

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Cover Page; Dedication; Title Page; Copyright Page; Contents; Acknowledgements; Prologue; 1. From Optimism to Pessimism; 2. Medicine and Magic; 3. The Myth of Organic Farming; 4. The Case for GM Crops; 5. The Case against GM Crops; 6. The Rise of Eco-fundamentalism; 7. The Perils of Precaution; 8. The Attack on Science; 9. Multinational Companies and Globalization; 10. Reason and Democracy; Epilogue; Sources; Index

Sommario/riassunto

Our daily news bulletins bring us tales of the wonder of science, from Mars rovers and intelligent robots to developments in cancer treatment, and yet often the emphasis is on the potential threats posed by science. It appears that irrationality is on the rise in western society, and public opinion is increasingly dominated by unreflecting prejudice and unwillingness to engage with factual evidence. From genetically modified crops and food, organic farming, the MMR vaccine, environmentalism, the precautionary principle and the new anti-capitalist and anti-globalisation movements, the rejection