Forty-three years ago Max Weber observed that “the belief in the value of scientific truth is not derived from nature but is a product of definite cultures.” We may now add: and this belief is readily transmuted into doubt or disbelief. The persistent development of science occurs only in societies of a certain order, subject to a peculiar complex of tacit presuppositions and institutional constraints. What is for us a normal phenomenon which demands no explanation and secures many ‘self-evident’ cultural (...) values, has been in other times and still is in many places abnormal and infrequent. The continuity of science requires the active participation of interested and capable persons in scientific pursuits. This support of science is assured only by appropriate cultural conditions. It is, then, important to examine those controls which motivate scientific careers, which select and give prestige to certain scientific disciplines and reject or blur others. It will become evident that changes in institutional structure may curtail, modify or possibly prevent the pursuit of science. (shrink)

Although the application of social science to practical problems of policy and action is still in its early stages, a large body of experience has been accumulated. Social science has been applied, in diverse spheres and with diverse results. The experience is there, but it has not been systematically reviewed and codified. Consequently, no one knows the present status of applied social science or, more importantly, its potentialities.

The spiritual and psychological insights of these essays were nurtured in a monastic milieu, but their issues are universally human. Merton lays a foundation for personal growth and transformation through fidelity to "our own truth and inner being." His main focus is our desire and need to attain "a fully human and personal identity." This classic is a newly restored and corrected edition and the inaugural volume of _Gethsemani Studies_, a series of books that explores, through the twin perspectives of (...) psychology and religion, the dynamics and depths of being fully human. (shrink)

Lorsque certaines conditions sont réunies, une théorie sociale peut naître à partir d’un résultat obtenu lors d’un travail de recherche. Cette idée fut exposée bien trop rapidement dans un précédent article dans les termes qui suivent : « une recherche empirique fructueuse ne se contente pas de vérifier des hypothèses issues d’une théorie, elle est également à l’origine de nouvelles hypothèses. On peut nommer cette composante du travail de recherche la “sérendipité”, c’est-à-dire la...