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[The Lyssenko affair: the eclipse of reason].

Walter Gratzer1

  • 1Randall Division, King's College, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, Royaume-Uni. wbg@helios.rai.umds.ac.uk

Medecine Sciences : M/S
|February 5, 2005
PubMed
Summary

The Lysenko phenomenon demonstrates how ideology can corrupt science, leading to the suppression of genetics and persecution of scientists. This historical example warns against the dangers of uncritical acceptance of scientific theories influenced by political doctrine.

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Area of Science:

  • Biology
  • Genetics
  • History of Science

Background:

  • Trofim Lysenko's rise to power in Soviet biology during Stalin's era.
  • Lysenko's false promises to improve Soviet agriculture through non-Mendelian inheritance.
  • His denunciation of modern genetics as "bourgeois imposture" aligned with Marxist ideology.

Discussion:

  • Lysenko's suppression of scientific debate and persecution of geneticists.
  • The establishment of Lysenkoism as official doctrine in Eastern Bloc academies.
  • The international reception of Lysenko's theories among Communist intellectuals.

Key Insights:

  • The Lysenko phenomenon exemplifies the perversion of science by ideology.
  • Suppression of scientific inquiry and dissent under authoritarian regimes.
  • The role of the scientific community's acquiescence in such perversions.

Outlook:

  • The historical significance of the Lysenko affair as a cautionary tale.
  • The ongoing relevance of understanding the interplay between science and ideology.
  • The potential for similar ideological perversions of science in contemporary contexts.

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