In scientific research, as i guess in much of human interaction, Democracy and the democratic process are two quite distinct ideas; the former is not necessary for the latter, the latter is not sufficient for the former. I do hear your observational point, though.
On Jul 3, 4:34 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > Modern science has been regarded as both a model of democratic self- > governance and an activity requiring and facilitating democratic > practices in its supporting social context (Popper 1950, Bronowski > 1956). The only non-arbitrary way to defend judgments concerning > research agendas in the absence of absolute standards is through > democratic means of establishing collective preferences. Kitcher > (1993: 2001), thus, attempts to spell out procedures by which > decisions concerning what research directions to pursue can be made in > a democratic manner. The result, which he calls well-ordered science, > is a system in which the decisions actually made track the decisions > that would be a made by a suitably constituted representative body > collectively deliberating with the assistance of relevant information > (concerning, e.g., cost and feasibility) supplied by experts. > > I have never seen science as anything to do with democracy - democracy > is a form of government I despise and which I see as totally corrupt. > Democracy is based on presentation ahead of content and gives votes to > ignorance (originally race) and the means to glean votes to points of > control based on money. Any defenders of 'democracy' here? Other > than it just being better than worse forms of authoritarian control? > > Bronowski, Jacob. 1956. Science and Human Values. New York: Harper and > Bros. > Kitcher, Phillip. 1993. The Advancement of Science: Science Without > Legend, Objectivity Without Illusions.Oxford: Oxford University Press. > –––. 2001. Science, Truth, and Democracy. New York, NY: Oxford > University Press. > Popper, Karl. 1950. The Open Society and its enemies. Princeton, NJ: > Princeton University Press.
