The creation of the Brazilian Society for the History of Science: research present developments

Abstract

This work aims to understand and reflect on aspects of the Brazilian scientific context through the genesis of the Brazilian Society for the Science History. To do so, a contextualized critical look was used on the perception of the importance of a scientific society focused on the study and development of the history of science, and a community of historians of science; together with the construction of a locus that contributes and encourages the (re)construction of broad scientific perspectives over time in Brazil. For this, the study included interviews with scientists, who relate to the construction of the Brazilian history of science and with the Brazilian Society for the Science History (SBHC). The work, in addition to having a moment of reflection, rescues the identity and characterizes what a scientific society is, as well as its importance within a historical context. The historical reconstruction by the interviewees guarantees a living memory of the path through which the history of science was institutionalized, and the analysis of the articles published in the SBHC magazine enable a reflection on the development of the field over time. In this way, it is interesting to think about how influences on political, economic, and social issues can affect the institutionalization of science. Within this context, the vision of the scientific societies progress, namely the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, the Brazilian Society for the Science Progress, until the arrival of the Brazilian Society for the Science History, reveals a depth regarding the perspective of multiple areas of research. know, traversing the modern scientific history development in Brazil