Article ID: CBB169346859

The Past as a Work in Progress (2018)

unapi

Originating as a presidential address during the seventieth birthday celebrations of the British Society for the History of Science, this essay reiterates the society's long-standing commitment to academic autonomy and international cooperation. Drawing examples from my own research into female scientists and doctors during the First World War, I explore how narratives written by historians are related to their own lives, both past and present. In particular, I consider the influences on me of my childhood reading, my experiences as a physics graduate who deliberately left the world of science, and my involvement in programmes to improve the position of women in science. In my opinion, being a historian implies being socially engaged: the BSHS and its members have a responsibility towards the future as well as the past. "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." - Søren Kierkegaard, Journals and Papers, 1843

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Authors & Contributors
Fangerau, Heiner
Elke Böthin
Heng, Wen
Walker, Mark
Voskuhl, Adelheid Clara
Sleigh, Charlotte
Concepts
Professional autonomy
World War I
International cooperation
Science and war; science and the military
Science and politics
Professions and professionalization
Time Periods
20th century, early
19th century
21st century
20th century, late
20th century
18th century
Places
Germany
United States
Great Britain
Saudi Arabia
England
Spain
Institutions
Twitter (firm)
British Society for the History of Science
Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG)
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
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