Science in Russia and the Soviet Union: A Short History

by Loren R. Graham

Overview

Although by the 1980s the Soviet scientific establishment became the largest in the world, little is known about it in the West. Loren Graham presents the first concise, modern history of science in Russia, the Soviet Union, and the commonwealth of Independent States. Thoroughly up to date, the volume covers the Czarist period, the impact of the Russian Revolution, the relationship between science and Soviet society, the strengths of various scientific disciplines, and the effect of the fall of Communism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521287890
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/25/1994
Series:	Cambridge Studies in the History of Science
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.91(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; Illustrations; Introduction; Part I. The Tsarist Period: 1. Russian science before 1800; 2. Science in nineteenth-century Russia; 3. Russian intellectuals and Darwinism; Part II. Russian Science and a Marxist Revolution: 4. The Russian Revolution and the scientific community; 5. The role of dialectical materialism: the authentic phase; 6. Stalinist ideology and the Lysenko affair; Part III. Science and Soviet Society: 7. Soviet attitudes towards the social and historical society; 8. Knowledge and power in Russian and Soviet science; 9. The organizational features and Soviet science; Conclusion; Appendices; Notes; Bibliographical essay; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"...a splendid work, a breathtaking synthesis that is at once erudite and accessible, illuminating and a pleasure to read." Daniel J. Kevles

"Loren Graham's informative history...leaves one wondering how science could function at all....The remaining, very open, question is: How well will a newly freed Russian science survive the removal of the Soviet hand that nourished and battered it?" New York Times Book Review

"The premier historian of the subject here explores for the general reader how Russian politics, economics and society have shaped the nature and direction of Russian science....In spare and accessible form, Graham offers both a broad, insightful social and political history of Russia and science as well as much food for thought about the general consequences of the national context within which science grows." Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs

"...recommended to those who would like to know more about the world which nurtured scientists such as Mendeleev and Sakharov, but which also saw ideology used to suppress whole areas of scientific research." Robert Lewis, The Times Higher Education Supplement

"Writing on ideology and science, Graham provides a very good short summary of the principles of dialectical materialism relevant to science. He is also convincing when he argues that many good scientists took Marxism very seriously and used it in their work." Alexei Kojevnikov, Science

"An excellent, extremely readable introduction to the history of Russian and Soviet science and technology by an authority in the field." The New York Public Library

"Graham is one of our foremost students of the history of Russian science and this volume reflects a nearly unparalleled familiarity with all its aspects....It would be difficult to imagine a richer account of the subject in the space allotted. Often reviews declare that everyone in the field must read the given book; in this case it is the truth." Donald W. Treadgold, Slavic Review

"...well written, frequently insightful, and firmly grounded in the scholarly literature....This new social history will surely add much to an already complex and dramatic tale." Daniel P. Todes, American Historical Review

"...likely to remain an important scholarly landmark for years to come." Yakov Rabkin. Isis

"Written for the well-informed general reader, it contains much for the expert as well...Erudite in both Rissian and scientific history, Graham also writes gracefully. The book provides an easy and clear discussion of an intricate and complex subject. Whether you read one or many books about Russian science, this one is a must." Can Slavonic Papers

From the Publisher