THE DYNAMICS OF HERESY IN A PROFESSION

It has been suggested that the term 'heresy' be rehabilitated to descr ibe challenges to ideology in a profession. However, the term has been used in a variety of ways, impairing its descriptive utility. Using a variety of examples of potential heretical ideas in modern science an d medicine, this paper tries to carefully define heresy and distinguis h it from other forms of ideological challenge to a profession, such a s challenges to knowledge products and challenges to authority. A dram aturgical approach is then used to try and describe the stages of here tical conflict in a profession.