ABSTRACT
In the history of US social-science, Project Camelot has come to occupy an exemplary status akin to "The Fall of Man" in Christian theology. Project Camelot is presented as the exemplum of the temptation against which ethical researchers must be on guard. The project was the focus of intense polemic—both domestically and overseas—but the atmosphere of the times was such that key issues in the ethics and politics of social research were not confronted. The latent complaints were that the State Department approved neither of Camelot specifically, nor of the sponsorship of Camelot by Defense, nor of such varieties of social research, generally, no matter by whom sponsored. The developing Project required an administrative location within Defense, and it seemed appropriate that this be the Special Operations Research Office of the Army; but this exposed the rival and incompatible goals of several different interest groups.
