Evolution as a fact? A discourse analysis. (August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jean, Jason; Lu, Yixi
• Is Part Of: Social studies of science. Volume 48:Number 4(2018:Aug.)
• Page Start: 615
• Page End: 632
• Publication Date: 2018-08
• Subjects: cultural cartography -- discourse -- evolution -- fact -- public science; Science -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals; 303.483
• DOI: 10.1177/0306312718785773
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-3127

Abstract

Since the middle of the twentieth century, there has been a heated debate between evolutionists and antievolutionists regarding whether or not evolution is a 'fact'. The debate has spawned a number of court cases involving antievolutionists describing evolution as a 'theory, not a fact'. An analysis of the 'fact of biological evolution' discourse reveals several overarching agreements among its advocates, but also a contradictory morass of positions regarding how scientific theories, hypotheses and facts interrelate, how these terms are related to biological evolution, what a scientific fact is, and how science popularizers use the scientific and public vernaculars. The formation, structure and development of the discourse is assessed through a Foucauldian discourse analysis, as well as through the lens of Gieryn's conceptions of public science and cultural cartography.