Trust in Numbers - The Pursuit of Objectivity in Science and Public Life (Paperback, New edition)

A foundational work on historical and social studies of quantification What accounts for the prestige of quantitative methods? The usual answer is that quantification is desirable in social investigation as a result of its successes in science. Trust in Numbers questions whether such success in the study of stars, molecules, or cells should be an attractive model for research on human societies, and examines why the natural sciences are highly quantitative in the first place. Theodore Porter argues that a better understanding of the attractions of quantification in business, government, and social research brings a fresh perspective to its role in psychology, physics, and medicine. Quantitative rigor is not inherent in science but arises from political and social pressures, and objectivity derives its impetus from cultural contexts. In a new preface, the author sheds light on the current infatuation with quantitative methods, particularly at the intersection of science and bureaucracy.

General

Imprint:	Princeton University Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	August 2020
Authors:	Theodore M. Porter
Dimensions:	235 x 156 x 25mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	344
Edition:	New edition
ISBN-13:	978-0-691-20841-1
Categories:	Books > Science & Mathematics > Mathematics > Philosophy of mathematics Books > Science & Mathematics > Mathematics > History of mathematics Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > History of science
LSN:	0-691-20841-7
Barcode:	9780691208411

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