ABSTRACT

The text engages with contemporary diagnoses that perceive a crisis in the sciences in Brazil. Drawing on such diagnoses, it puts forward reflexive agenda to rethink the relationships and discontinuities between science and denialism. Challenging conventional scholarly wisdom, it argues that not all sciences are under attack, but rather those fields and disciplines most directly tied to public policies. Based on surveys, it also contends that there is no such thing as a “denialist movement” in the country an alleged result to an imaginary crisis of confidence in science. Furthermore, it posits that denialist attacks and groups are best understood through their investment in manufacturing false controversies. Finally, it argues that the public nature of the targeted domains (vaccines, universities, social policies, etc.) is where denialist and neoliberal discourses converge. Ultimately, these are all hypotheses.

KEYWORDS:
Sciences; Politics; Trust; Crisis; Denialism