Science and ideology: The case of physics in Nazi Germany

Authors

  • Philip Ball Science writer and author (London, UK).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.7.7665

Keywords:

Nazism, German physics, science and politics, Peter Debye

Abstract

Science is not «above» politics and ethics: it is intrinsically political, and constantly raises ethical dilemmas. The consequences of evading such issues were made particularly clear in the actions of scientists working in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 40s. The accusation in 2006 that Dutch physicist Peter Debye was an opportunist who colluded with the Nazis reopened the debate about the conduct of physicists at that time. Here I consider what those events can tell us about the relationship of science and politics today. I argue that an insistence that science is an abstract, apolitical inquiry into nature is a myth that can leave it morally compromised and vulnerable to political manipulation.

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Author Biography

Philip Ball, Science writer and author (London, UK).

Science writer and author (London, UK). He previously worked as an editor at Nature , and his many books on science and its interactions with the broader culture include Serving the Reich: The struggle for the soul of physics under Hitler (2014).

References

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Hoffmann, D., & Walker, M. (March 2006). Peter Debye: A typical scientist in an untypical time. Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. Retrieved from www.dpg-physik.de/dpg/gliederung/fv/gp/debye_en.html

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US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. (2007). Political interference with climate change science under the Bush Administration. Retrieved from www.cfr.org/climate-change/political-interference-climate-change-science-under-bush-administration-december-2007/p15079

Van Ginkel, G. (2006). Prof. Peter J. W. Debye (1884-1966) in 1935-1945: An investigation of historical sources. The Netherlands: RIPCN.

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Published

2017-06-20

How to Cite

Ball, P. (2017). Science and ideology: The case of physics in Nazi Germany. Metode Science Studies Journal, (7), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.7.7665
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Issue

Unravelling science: Pulling the thread of knowledge (2017)

Section

Interference. The troubled relationship between science and ideology

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