On the Non-Neutrality of Science in Advanced Capitalism: Radical History and Philosophy of Science in 1970s Italy

This article reconstructs the development of radical history and philosophy of science in 1970s Italy, with a special focus on the magazine “Sapere” as a major forum where scientists and intellectuals elaborated a Marxist critique of the alleged neutrality of science. While part of a broader international movement that challenged the subordination of science to the interests of postwar capitalism, Italian radical scientists formulated a distinctive argument that reflected the broader political and social upheavals of the decade: the contemporary organisation of scientific research conformed to the structure of industrial production in advanced capitalism. Drawing on both historical inquiry and theoretical reflection, contributors to “Sapere” analysed the transformation of scientific activity into a form of productive labour subject to capitalist planning, standardisation, and control. Through this reframing of the relation between expert knowledge and power, scientific researchers and technicians came to be seen as potential political actors and key allies in the anti-capitalist struggles of industrial workers in the post-1968 era.