The lost science of man

This book is composed of two essays. The first was originally written as a biographical contribution to a sociological reference work. Though commissioned by the editors, it was rejected after Becker submitted it. The second essay was delivered at a professional meeting of anthropologists. The significance of these essays, and especially Becker’s decision to publish them under the title, The Lost Science of Man, is that they signal Becker’s awareness and acceptance of the fact that his hoped for program of a unified moral and social science would not be accepted in his lifetime. These essays track Becker’s attempts to understand this rejection based on the histories of academic sociology and anthropology.