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Non-instrumental roles of science
1University of Bristol, 27 Little London Green, Oakley, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP18 9QL, United Kingdom. jmziman@aol.com
Science and Engineering Ethics
|March 21, 2003
Summary
Science is increasingly used for policy and profit, undermining its traditional social roles like fostering critical thinking and expert independence. Maintaining these vital non-instrumental functions is crucial for the future of scientific integrity.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Science
- Science and Technology Studies
Background:
- Modern science is often viewed as a tool for government and commercial interests.
- Traditionally, science served crucial non-instrumental social functions, including critical scenario development and fostering rational attitudes.
- The shift towards 'post-academic' science challenges these traditional roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of the transition from academic to post-academic science on the non-instrumental functions of science.
- To examine how entanglement with political and commercial interests affects expert objectivity.
- To propose strategies for preserving the non-instrumental roles of science in the contemporary era.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of the changing nature of scientific practice.
- Examination of the relationship between scientific knowledge production and external interests.
- Literature review on the social functions of science.
Main Results:
- The instrumentalization of science for policy and commerce conflicts with its traditional non-instrumental social functions.
- Expert objectivity is compromised by entanglements with political and commercial interests.
- The 'post-academic' science model poses a threat to the cultivation of critical thinking and independent expertise.
Conclusions:
- A return to the traditional academic science model is not feasible.
- There is a pressing need to develop new approaches to maintain the vital non-instrumental roles of science.
- Preserving scientific integrity requires addressing the challenges posed by instrumentalization and external interests.
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