Consensus, Civility, and Community: The Origins of "Minerva" and the Vision of Edward Shils

For over 50 years, Minerva has been one of the leading independent journals in the study of 'science, learning and policy'. Its pages have much to say about the origins and conduct of the 'intellectual Cold War', the defence of academic freedom, the emergence of modernization the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Minerva (London) 2016-09, Vol.54 (3), p.255-292
Main Author: MacLeod, Roy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Freedom
Civility
Cold wars
Communities
Development
Editing
Higher Education
History
Intelligence services
Modernization
Origins
Periodicals
Policy
Political ideologies
Science and Society
Science and Technology Studies
Social Change
Social Sciences
Sociology
Traditions
United States history
War
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Summary:For over 50 years, Minerva has been one of the leading independent journals in the study of 'science, learning and policy'. Its pages have much to say about the origins and conduct of the 'intellectual Cold War', the defence of academic freedom, the emergence of modernization theory, and pioneering strategies in the social studies of science. This paper revisits Minerva through the life and times of its founding Editor, Edward Shils, and traces his influence on its early years – from its association with the Congress for Cultural Freedom in the 1950s, to the higher reaches of research policy in the 1990s. At the close of his life, Minerva continued to espouse Shils' commitment to what he saw as the fundamental Enlightenment traditions of consensus, civility, and community. In the 21ˢᵗ century, with the achievements of science producing rapid change in every walk of life, his legacy so far retains an established place in the history of scholarship. Whether that legacy will endure – and if so, what role Minerva will play in its defence – remain key questions for the coming generation.
ISSN:0026-4695
1573-1871
DOI:10.1007/s11024-016-9305-x