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Whigs, prigs and historians of science

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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