The past as a work in progress

British Journal for the History of Science 51 (1):1-15 (2018)
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Abstract

Originating as a presidential address during the seventieth birthday celebrations of the British Society for the History of Science, this essay reiterates the society's long-standing commitment to academic autonomy and international cooperation. Drawing examples from my own research into female scientists and doctors during the First World War, I explore how narratives written by historians are related to their own lives, both past and present. In particular, I consider the influences on me of my childhood reading, my experiences as a physics graduate who deliberately left the world of science, and my involvement in programmes to improve the position of women in science. In my opinion, being a historian implies being socially engaged: the BSHS and its members have a responsibility towards the future as well as the past.Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.Søren Kierkegaard,Journals and Papers, 1843.

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10.1017/s0007087417001042

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References found in this work

Presidential address.Geoffrey Cantor - 1997 - British Journal for the History of Science 30 (1):5-23.
The role of the history of science.Charles Singer - 1997 - British Journal for the History of Science 30 (1):71-73.

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