Dai-Wie Fu

National Taiwan University Press, Taipei, 2019

Reviewed by Akshay Bhambri (Ph.D. candidate University of Delhi, HYI Visiting Fellow)

Genealogy unfolds not as a straight path of lineage but as a sprawling web of tangled threads, each strand carrying stories of influence, divergence, and reunion. A Genealogical History of STS and Its Multiple Constructions by Dai-Wie Fu is an effort to weave such a tapestry, tracing the intricate origins and evolution of STS with depth and insight. Science, Technology, and Society, or Science and Technology Studies (commonly abbreviated as STS), has been struggling to establish itself as an independent discipline, beyond the shadows of sociology, anthropology, controversy studies, or even media studies. But much like its struggle to establish its stronghold in contemporary academia, its lineage is equally contested. It is often traced back to Thomas Kuhn, whose intellectual legacy is linked with the origins of SSK (Sociology of Scientific Knowledge). Although Kuhn himself approached science from an internalist perspective, focusing on the internal logic and development of science—his work has become a reference point for those incorporating sociological frameworks into the study of knowledge. However, Kuhn himself was critical of the sociological approach of SSK; he repeatedly contested SSK’s perceived (mis)interpretations of his ideas and looked to distance himself from the SSK. This relationship between SSK and Kuhn reveals a complexity often overlooked in oversimplified narratives—a contrast the author frames these narratives as ‘folk history’ and positioning his own work as a ‘genealogical history’ of STS. Therefore, one of the puzzles that is addressed by the author in this book is: “Why did early STS scholars often praise Kuhn, even as Kuhn himself remained critical and reserved toward SSK/STS over the years?” (31)

As the title “STS的緣起與多重建構: 橫看近代科學的一種編織與打造” suggests, this book examines the “origins” (緣起) of STS, exploring its evolution as an interdisciplinary field shaped by “diverse constructions” (多重建構) across philosophy, anthropology, and the history of science. Through the “weaving” (編織) and “shaping” (打造) of ideas, it provides a broad overview (橫看), revealing the intricate and interconnected history of STS’s evolution. It attains this by unfolding its narrative across seven chapters, each focusing on a distinct aspect of STS’s evolution. The book begins with the intellectual interplay between Thomas Kuhn and the rise of STS, then explores genealogical shifts in perspective, the philosophical underpinnings of SSK, and the anthropological roots of early STS. It further explores the intertwined growth of SSK and the history of science, the integration of social interests and politics in STS, and concludes with the field’s contemporary political practices and its contextualization in East Asia.

The author takes twofold tasks in hand through this book. Firstly, drawing upon theories, personal accounts, archives, interpretations, controversy, and the author’s personal experiences, it provides an extensive genealogical account of STS. Simultaneously, it provides a critique of superficial claims about Kuhn’s impact on SSK while offering new insights into long-standing theoretical debates. For instance, the author offers a fresh perspective on the influence of Wittgenstein’s philosophy and Polanyi’s tacit knowledge on Kuhn and SSK. He further delves into the foundational differences between Kuhn and SSK, despite their shared roots in Wittgenstein and Polanyi’s work. However, while tracing the genealogy of STS as a discipline, the book goes beyond Wittgenstein, Polanyi, and even Kuhn’s work, and explores the impact of three disciplines—philosophy, British social anthropology, and the history of science, that have directly influenced SSK and STS. The chapter titled “An Integrated Vision of Multiple Constructions: Social Interests, Gifts, and Politics,” proposes theoretical frameworks and mechanisms to elucidate the relationships between SSK, philosophy, social anthropology, and the history of science. This chapter is one of the highlights of the book, as the author expands Barry Barnes’ scholarship on social interest and Marcel Mauss’s work on gifts to understand the development and diversification of STS.

It would be an understatement to say that this book would have drawn much more attention and ignited more debates in the academic world if it was available to a larger audience in STS and related fields without the language barrier. However, as the author states its intention, he “chose to write this book in Chinese to enhance the Chinese-speaking world’s understanding of STS and to lay the groundwork for future STS theories with unique Taiwanese or East Asian characteristics” (4). However, like any other academic work, this book is not immune to shortcomings. The concluding chapter deals with STS in Taiwan from the author’s personal experience, despite its focus on enhancing East Asian STS discourse, the book stops short of offering a distinct Taiwanese perspective or significant East Asian intervention. The book also falls short in critically examining SSK or STS as disciplines, missing an opportunity to deeply interrogate their theoretical foundations, methodological approaches, or broader implications. Nonetheless, what the author promises to deliver is a genealogy of STS and its diverse construction sites, which he successfully accomplishes. Despite its limitations, the book offers a unique and insightful perspective on the roots of STS, paving the way for further contributions from East Asian perspectives.