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Whigs, prigs and historians of science

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The whig interpretation of history, which evaluates the past in terms of the present, is derided by the new historians of science. But their own anti-whig interpretation is priggish and fails to appreciate the temporal depth of scientific research.

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Harrison, E. Whigs, prigs and historians of science. Nature 329, 213–214 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/329213a0

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