Abstracts
Abstract
This paper attempts to trace Franz Boas’ ethics in his anthropological fieldwork in the Arctic and on the Northwest Coast within the scientific context of that time. In the Arctic, Boas refrained from grave robbery but “exploited his membership in the white race” and applied pressure on “his Eskimos” to secure his scientific goals. On the Northwest Coast, Boas changed his attitude: far from any ethical reflection, he and his collaborators desecrated graves for scientific and financial purposes. In many ways Boas was influenced by Kant, but in his field research Kant’s ethical position remained eclipsed; Boas’ practice in the field did not respect humans as an end in itself. Rather, Boas subscribed to an ethical utilitarianism and sustained a strong separation of science and ethics.
Résumé
Cet article concerne la dimension éthique des recherches sur le terrain qu’a faites Franz Boas d’abord dans l’Arctique et ensuite sur la côte Nord-ouest de l’Amérique du Nord, ceci dans le contexte scientifique de l’époque. Dans l’Arctique, Boas s’est retenu de voler des tombes mais il a exploité «son appartenance à la race blanche» pour exercer des pressions sur «ses Esquimaux» afin de poursuivre ses buts scientifiques. Sur la côte Nord-ouest, il a changé d’attitude. Se passant de toute réflexion éthique, lui et ses collaborateurs ont profané des tombes à des fins scientifiques et financières. Il est vrai que Boas a été influencé dans plusieurs domaines par Kant, mais la position éthique de Kant restait en suspens quand Boas travaillait sur le terrain. Dans ses recherches sur le terrain, Boas n’a pas respecté l’être humain en tant que fin en soi. Il adhérait plutôt à un utilitarisme éthique et soutenait une forte distinction entre la science et l’éthique.
Appendices
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