Dive Summary:
- Marshall Sahlins, a prominent anthropologist at the University of Chicago, resigned Friday from the National Academy of Sciences in protest of its military partnerships and the election of Napoleon Chagnon, a controversial anthropologist and critic of Sahlins' work, as a member.
- Public resignations to the NAS are rare, as membership in the organization is highly prestigious, and Sahlins' resignation highlights debates about the appropriate relationship between anthropologists and the military and hard science's role in the discipline.
- Chagnon told InsideHigherEd that Sahlins' departure was surprising before commenting on the former NAS member's supposed "antiscientific" ideals.
From the article:
The eminent University of Chicago anthropologist Marshall Sahlins resigned from the National Academy of Sciences on Friday, citing his objections to its military partnerships and to its electing as a member Napoleon Chagnon, a long-controversial anthropologist who is back in the news thanks to the publication of his new book, Noble Savages. ...