The Rule of Science: Ideology of the Open Society and the Future

Author: (English) Fuller, translated by Liu Dun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: How do the theories of sociology and political science view the role of science in society? Do scientists and other professional researchers have unlimited "rights to make mistakes"? What do capitalism and multiculturalism mean for the future of universities? This book offers a fresh examination of the growing governance role of science in contemporary society from the perspectives of sociology and political science. Science is often seen as the only institution capable of expressing the obscure democratic concept of an "open society." However, modern science is increasingly at odds with this ideal in maintaining the essential vitality of the concept: it demands public trust far more than public understanding, and even science itself becomes increasingly entangled with grand political and economic issues. In this book, the author neither adopts a liberal stance nor sympathizes with communist ideology when addressing this topic. Instead, he leans toward a research approach he calls "republicanism," focusing on the "rights to make mistakes" to build his theoretical framework. To this end, he demonstrates how the recent expansion of scientific activity has weakened republican thought. Another core theme of the book is the social history of the struggle that turned universities into "republics of science," with the author placing the focus of his discussion on the dual potential challenges of multiculturalism and capitalism. Finally, facing a reevaluation of U.S. science policy, the author proposes the need to "de-sacralize" science through a new social contract.