"Whig History" Concept in the New Historiography of the Scientific Revolution

Abstract

The concept of «whig history» had a powerful impact on Anglo-American historiography of science. Frequently it has been used as a tool for stigmatization of the «old views» represented in the so called «traditional» historiography of the Scientific Revolution. The article covers several debates, which occurred around the topic, and assumes, that historians of science cannot stop using the «classic» categories, which provide an important tool for understanding both the past and the present developments of science.