December 8, 2014

Some "Law and" From the Biological Sciences

Hendrik Gommer, CIS Law, has published Integrating the Disciplines of Law and Biology: Dealing with Clashing Paradigms. Here is the abstract.

This article considers the difficulties that a researcher on the border of normative and explanatory sciences may encounter. The article begins with an introduction to the field at stake, namely the integration of law and biology. It appears that this kind of interdisciplinary research is not only a challenge for the researcher himself, but also for his readers. Concepts are not understood, assumptions differ, ‘peers’ are not really peers, and the new paradigm cannot be proven. Even though some scholars might enjoy loneliness, their academic isolation may actually hamper the spreading of their ideas. Science is not only about having the best ideas, but also about having peers. Without peers, achieving a breakthrough can prove to be very difficult. This is sad news for interdisciplinary researchers, but also seems dire news for science as a whole. Major scientific breakthroughs will be significantly delayed. On the other hand, cooperative communities need stability and cannot reward every innovative new idea that has the potential to become a new paradigm.
Download the paper from SSRN at the link.

A look at the "Law and" fields on the other side of the two cultures divide.  

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