Time, Science and the Critique of Technological Reason

This festschrift commemorates the legacy of UK-based Portuguese sociologist Hermínio Martins (1934-2015). It introduces Martins' wide-ranging contributions to the social sciences, encompassing seminal works in the fields of philosophy and social theory, historical and political sociology, studies of science and technology, and Luso-Brazilian studies, among others. The book features an in-depth interview with Martins, short memoirs, and twelve chapters addressing topics that were central to his intellectual and political interests. Among those that stand out are his critique of Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions, his work on the significance of time in social theory and the interweaving of techno-scientific developments and socio-cultural transformations, including the impact of communication and digital technologies, and of market-led eugenics. Other themes covered are Martins' work on patrimonialism and social development in Portugal and Brazil, and his analysis of the state of the social sciences in Portugal, which reflects his highly critical appraisal of the ongoing marketization andneoliberalization of academic life and institutions worldwide.

Autorentext

José Esteban Castro is Principal Researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina, and Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Newcastle University, UK.

Bridget Fowler is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Glasgow, UK.

Luís Gomes is University Lecturer in Portuguese Studies at the University of Glasgow, UK.

Inhalt

1. Introduction; Bridget Fowler .- Section 1: In Celebration of the Writings of Hermínio Martins .- 2. Hermínio Martins and the State of the Social Sciences; Helena Jerónimo .- 3. Memoirs of his Widow; Margaret Martins .- 4. Hermínio Martins: Memoir of a Colleague; Roland Robertson .- 5. Alternatives to Physicalism: Memoirs of a Friend; Peter Ells .- 6. Hermínio Martins at Leeds: A Personal Memoir; Leslie Sklair .- Section 2: Thomas Kuhn and the Theory of Scientific Revolutions .- 7. Kuhn and Social Science; William Outhwaite .- 8. Revolutions in the Science and Art: Martins, Bourdieu and the Case of Photography; Bridget Fowler .- Section 3: Patrimonialism and Social Development in Portugal .- 9. Cultural Identity of the Non-Spain: A Case Study of the Cultural Policies of the Portuguese Estado Novo ('New State'); Luís Gomes .- Section 4: Social Structures and the Techn-Scientific Ethos: The Approach From Sociological Theory .- 10. Hermínio Martins' Philosophical Sociology of Technology: A Short Introduction; José Luís Garcia .- 11. Time and Tide in Sociology; Charles Turner .- 12. Transhumanism's Fabian Backstory: A Companion to Martins' Later Work; Steve Fuller .- 13. Liminal Contexts and Critical Insights: The Cases of McLuhan and Debray; Peter McMylor .- 14. Karl Marx: New Perspectives; Richard Kilminster .- 15. The 'Modelling of Speech' in America and Britain; Stephen Mennell .- 16. The '68 Disobedient Generation' and the Rise of ChiVirLa; Mike Gane .- 17. The Information Revolution and its Implications for Democracy; Laurence Whitehead .- 18. Thinking About Think Tanks: Politics by Techno-Scientific Means; Stephen Turner.