Robert N. Proctor

Robert N. Proctor is an American historian of science and Professor of the History of Science at Stanford University. His work primarily focuses on the history of cancer, tobacco, and the Nazi regime's public health policies. He is also known for his concept of "agnotology," a term he coined to describe the cultural production of ignorance.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Robert N. Proctor was born in Texas, United States. He completed his undergraduate studies at Indiana University, where he majored in Biology. He later pursued his Ph.D. in the History of Science from Harvard University.

Career[edit | edit source]

Proctor has been a faculty member at Stanford University since 1994. His research interests include the history of epidemiology, environmental health, and the effects of tobacco smoking on public health. He has written extensively on the manipulation of scientific knowledge by the tobacco industry.

Agnotology[edit | edit source]

Proctor is perhaps best known for his concept of "agnotology," which he defines as the study of culturally induced ignorance or doubt. He argues that certain industries, such as the tobacco industry, have deliberately produced ignorance in order to obscure the harmful effects of their products.

Publications[edit | edit source]

Proctor has authored several books, including "Cancer Wars: How Politics Shapes What We Know and Don't Know About Cancer," "The Nazi War on Cancer," and "Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition."

Awards and Recognition[edit | edit source]

Proctor's work has earned him numerous awards and recognition. He is a recipient of the J. Worth Estes Prize for the History of Pharmacology and the Rachel Carson Prize for his work on environmental history.