Lysenkoism
1
9.9
- noun
- /lɪˈzɛŋkoʊˌɪzəm/
- Imposition of political faith on how science can be conducted has happened before; e.g., Lysenkoism, eugenics, etc.
Examples
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The scientific community struggled against Lysenkoism, which prioritized ideology over empirical research.
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Lysenkoism took the pose of a new freedom in science, a blow for progress in the face of outdated traditionalism, but the historical reality was different indeed.
Academic text (1990) -
Maybe we should start calling it Climate Lysenkoism.
Blog text (23) -
Two prominent twentieth-century examples are Lysenkoism and the racist theories of Nazi Germany.
Academic text (2010) -
It is not for nothing that the Russian Academy of Sciences has drawn parallels between Lysenkoism and the political hothouse of climate science.
Blog text (20) -
Historians frequently cite Lysenkoism as a cautionary tale about the dangers of politicizing science.
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Under Lysenkoism, many capable scientists faced persecution for questioning the state-enforced dogma.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Lysenkoism = Lysenko (semi-transparent) = Lysenko + ism
The morphological formation as an eponymic '-ism' is clear, but the political/practical connotations require historical knowledge beyond the base name.
Etymology
Lysenkoism is named after the Soviet scientist Trofim Lysenko and the -ism part means 'a belief or system', like in Buddhism or capitalism. Because his ideas were pushed by the state and used to punish or silence other scientists, Lysenkoism can also mean a political policy that stops independent scientific research.