Policing the scientific lexicon: The new colonialism?
Rohan Pethiyagoda
Abstract
Several recent authors have called for the revision of the common and scientific names associated with taxa, as well as scientific terms, that may be construed as offensive (e.g., Hammer & Thiele, 2021; Cheng et al., 2023) or inappropriate (e.g., Gillman & Wright, 2020; Guedes et al., 2023). These proposals have been met with resistance, for example by Palma & Heath (2021—indigenous names), Mosyakin (2022—botany), Slabin (2023—philosophy of science) and all 26 commissioners of the International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature (Ceríaco et al., 2023).
Topics & Concepts
OffensiveCommissionLexiconNomenclatureIndigenousColonialismLawPhilosophyEnvironmental ethicsClassicsHistoryPolitical scienceLinguisticsEcologyMathematicsBiologyOperations researchTaxonomy (biology)Botanical Studies and ApplicationsSpecies Distribution and Climate ChangeInvertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology