ABSTRACT
Traditionally, the scientist is expected to pursue truth in his researches with single-minded devotion, oblivious to the moral, philosophical, political, religious and economic considerations which tend to sway other men. To study science is to be progressively introduced to a set of paradigmatic problem-solutions, and to acquire the skill of redeploying them in faintly atypical situations. It is 'pure science', and must not be 'contaminated'; any connections between this activity and its social context remain invisible to the student. The common argument concerning the moral value of the study of science claims that the content of science has ethical implications. The necessity for a theoretical understanding is heightened by the rapidity of social change in modern society. The notions of morality are similarly inclined to the static. It seems that the idea of moral 'skill' is derived metaphorically from manual skills.
