Biology As Ideology
R. C. Lewontin's Biology As Ideology: The Doctrine of DNA is a short book, written for a general audience. This has its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it is very clearly written and organized, with lots of concrete examples. This makes it an ideal introduction for a reader who is not familiar with science studies. Lewontin presents science not as the objective, universal field we are taught as children to revere, but as a practical field that is inextricably tied to social and economic development.
On the other hand, however, if you have already been introduced to this way of thinking about science, have already been given the tools with which to question the assumption that science is non-ideological, then this book will not really add anything new to the discussion.
On the other hand, however, if you have already been introduced to this way of thinking about science, have already been given the tools with which to question the assumption that science is non-ideological, then this book will not really add anything new to the discussion.