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Science-Mart: Privatizing American Science
This trenchant study analyzes the rise and decline in the quality and format of science in America since World War II.
During the Cold War, the U.S. government amply funded basic research in science and medicine. Starting in the 1980s, however, this support began to decline and for-profit corporations became the largest funders of research. Philip Mirowski argues that a powerful neoliberal ideology promoted a radically different view of knowledge and discovery: the fruits of scientific investigation are not a public good that should be freely available to all, but are commodities that could be monetized.
Consequently, patent and intellectual property laws were greatly strengthened, universities demanded patents on the discoveries of their faculty, information sharing among researchers was impeded, and the line between universities and corporations began to blur. At the same time, corporations shed their in-house research laboratories, contracting with independent firms both in the States and abroad to supply new products. Among such firms were AT&T and IBM, whose outstanding research laboratories during much of the twentieth century produced Nobel Prize–winning work in chemistry and physics, ranging from the transistor to superconductivity.
Science-Mart offers a provocative, learned, and timely critique, of interest to anyone concerned that American science―once the envy of the world―must be more than just another way to make money.
During the Cold War, the U.S. government amply funded basic research in science and medicine. Starting in the 1980s, however, this support began to decline and for-profit corporations became the largest funders of research. Philip Mirowski argues that a powerful neoliberal ideology promoted a radically different view of knowledge and discovery: the fruits of scientific investigation are not a public good that should be freely available to all, but are commodities that could be monetized.
Consequently, patent and intellectual property laws were greatly strengthened, universities demanded patents on the discoveries of their faculty, information sharing among researchers was impeded, and the line between universities and corporations began to blur. At the same time, corporations shed their in-house research laboratories, contracting with independent firms both in the States and abroad to supply new products. Among such firms were AT&T and IBM, whose outstanding research laboratories during much of the twentieth century produced Nobel Prize–winning work in chemistry and physics, ranging from the transistor to superconductivity.
Science-Mart offers a provocative, learned, and timely critique, of interest to anyone concerned that American science―once the envy of the world―must be more than just another way to make money.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2011
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About the author
Philip Mirowski
29 books76 followersPhilip Mirowski (born 21 August 1951, Jackson, Michigan) is a historian and philosopher of economic thought at the University of Notre Dame (Carl E. Koch Professor of Economics and Policy Studies and the History and Philosophy of Science). He received a PhD in Economics from the University of Michigan in 1979, and is a Director of the Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 10, 2014
On the one hand, this is an unsparing look at the current (as of 2011) state of science in the age of commercialization. Although Mirowski's basic story of the increasing commercialization of science since the early 1980s is nothing new (either to him or in general), there is plenty here even for those who are familiar with the topic. Mirowski presents new research about the state of scientific publications, patents, and other intellectual property mainstays such as material transfer agreement. One of the more interesting aspects of his story here is the widening of commercialized science from the biotechnology sector to nearly ever other corner of science. His analysis links the commercialization of science to neoliberal ideologies and program, and he simultaneously demonstrates the errors, omissions, and deceptions of neoliberalism.
On the other hand, what I least like about Science-Mart, and this goes for Mirowski's writing in general, is his dismissive attitude towards much of STS, philosophy of science, and the economics of science. His approach often seems to carpet-bomb neoliberalism and anybody he sees as a collaborator, rather than to offer any substantive engagement. Similarly, his literary device of lecturing to Viridiana, his bewildered imaginary scientist, struck me as condescending rather than as an inviting way into the topic for the non-initiated.
Finally, I found his last chapter quite unsatisfying. It was his shortest chapter, both in length and in analysis. While I agree that the active promotion of ignorance, as studied by the emerging historical field of agnotology, is an important component of neoliberalism, his characterization of Hayek's and neoliberalism's views towards ignorance was highly unconvincing. I doubt Hayek or anyone would espouse the beliefs he attributes to them, even privately.
On the other hand, what I least like about Science-Mart, and this goes for Mirowski's writing in general, is his dismissive attitude towards much of STS, philosophy of science, and the economics of science. His approach often seems to carpet-bomb neoliberalism and anybody he sees as a collaborator, rather than to offer any substantive engagement. Similarly, his literary device of lecturing to Viridiana, his bewildered imaginary scientist, struck me as condescending rather than as an inviting way into the topic for the non-initiated.
Finally, I found his last chapter quite unsatisfying. It was his shortest chapter, both in length and in analysis. While I agree that the active promotion of ignorance, as studied by the emerging historical field of agnotology, is an important component of neoliberalism, his characterization of Hayek's and neoliberalism's views towards ignorance was highly unconvincing. I doubt Hayek or anyone would espouse the beliefs he attributes to them, even privately.
August 8, 2021
Provocative. A bit conspiratorial.
Well, more than a bit.
I don't really buy the argument and get a bit fatigued even thinking how I would go in and unbundle the argument.
Well, more than a bit.
I don't really buy the argument and get a bit fatigued even thinking how I would go in and unbundle the argument.
May 21, 2021
This book is excellent. Philip Mirowski provides a compelling history of the neoliberal corruption of knowledge, broadly, and the American scientific process in specific. The narrative loosely follows the life of Viridiana Jones, a fictional scientist befuddled by the changes in her discipline. Mirowski uses Viridiana as a way to examine a personalized more interesting walk through historical economic trends(chapter2-3), legal contracts(chapter 4), and pharmaceutical drug development(chapter 5).
Mirowski's work highlights the importance of the production of doubt for neoliberalism in chapters 6 & 7.
Within the context of Mirowski's other work, this serves as a good entry point for an interested reader who cares about science, social epistemology and knowledge production. Those more interested in markets and economics would be better served starting with Never Let A Serious Crisis Go to Waste from 2014.
Mirowski's work highlights the importance of the production of doubt for neoliberalism in chapters 6 & 7.
Within the context of Mirowski's other work, this serves as a good entry point for an interested reader who cares about science, social epistemology and knowledge production. Those more interested in markets and economics would be better served starting with Never Let A Serious Crisis Go to Waste from 2014.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews