Reductionism as an identity marker in popular science

Abstract

This paper takes a look at how reductionism is represented by popular science authors who have engaged in the disputes variously labelled the sociobiology, evolutionary psychology or Nature/Nurture debates. It shows how reductionism has become an identity marker through which authors on either side of the dispute signal adherence to a wider social identity, and that the philosophical content of what reductionism means gets reinterpreted according to which side of the debate the author stands on. This raises questions about the necessity to include insights from sociological theory when philosophical studies aim to include qualitative evidence on scientists’ thinking.