A PARADIGMATIC EXAMPLE OF THE CONFLICTIVE RELATIONS BETWEEN SCIENCE AND IDEOLOGY: THE RESISTANCE TO BEHAVIORISM IN FRANCE

Abstract

Science and ideology have usually maintained conflicting relationships, characterized as interdependency and interbreeding (sometimes, intercontamination). Science is rich in examples of these different types of relationships. This century (XXI) offers a broad scenario of the vigorous polemics and controversies, such as the creationism versus Darwinism, or, what is the focus of this talk, the resistance, in France, to the adoption of a “new” paradigm in Psychology: Behaviorism. In the context of a historically dominant psychoanalytic approach, and with the support of anti-scientific positions engendered by the fear, uncertainty and helplessness in the face of the potent and effective current technologies in fields so distinct as the nuclear physics, the genetics or the embryology, Behaviorism inspires a strong rejection and produces a strong resistance to its adoption. This paper explores some aspects of the ideological oppositions to Behaviorism.Key words: science, ideology, behaviorism