Science and the Social Good Nature, Culture, and Community, 1865-1965

Science and the Social Good examines the working world of natural scientists, explores how they used science to influence American life, and most importantly, illuminates the impact of natural science on American Culture. John Herron argues that natural scientists understood their work as a cultural activity contributing to social stability. That is, many natural scientists shared the conviction that their field was a powerful tool to enhance the quality of American life. Their common goal was the betterment of the nation. Within this context, nature was more than an object of analytical study: the physical world held answers that mattered to human society. Beginning with the conclusion of the Civil War and the creation of a recognizably modern America and continuing to the emergence of enviromentalism as a politcal force a century later, this book investigates the evolving internal paradigms and external cultural forces impacting the design and purpose of American natural science. Through an examination of the natural and the scientific as told through the lives of geologist Clarence King, forester Robert Marshall, and biologist Rachel Carson, Science and the Social Good traves the evolution of social beliefs about civic responsibility, individualism, and the ideal political order for the nation.

John P. Herron is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and an interviewer on the "Talking History" radio show.