Suchergebnisse

Science is facing a multi-faceted crisis: in terms of quality, of public value, of political legitimacy. To a signi¡cant degree, these problems ¡nd their origin in the widely held belief that unfettered scientif¡c curiosity provides the best starting point or departure for solving bothscientif¡c and social problems. In this article I show how this belief has contributed to a scientif¡c enterprise whose exponentially growing productivity is increasingly decoupled from meeting the standards of high quality or the needs of society. I contrast the ideals of unfetteredscientif¡c inquiry with real stories of how science, innovation, and problem solving came together in the institutional arrangements of the "military-industrial complex" after World War II. Through an array of contemporary and historical examples stronger links, I show how stronger links between the context of knowledge creation, and the context of problem solving, provides the pathway along which science can recover both its integrity and its commitment to society. ; La ciencia enfrenta una crisis multifacética –de calidad, valor público y legitimidad política– cuyo origen es, en gran medida, la creencia de que la simple curiosidad científica ayuda a resolver problemas científicos y sociales. Este artículo muestra que esa creencia afecta cada vez más la capacidad de la empresa científica para satisfacer los estándares de alta calidad y las necesidades de la sociedad, a pesar de su creciente productividad. Contrasta el ideal de la libre investigación con episodios reales de interrelación entre ciencia, innovación y solución de problemas después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Y, con ejemplos actuales e históricos, muestra que es necesario vincular más estrechamente la creación de conocimiento a la solución de problemas para que la ciencia recupere su integridad y cumpla sus promesas y su responsabilidad con la sociedad.

The book Science, Truth, and Democracy, by Philip Kitcher, is reviewed.

An incisive argument for fostering stronger links between the interests of society and progress in science.

To promote innovation through scientific and technological advance is also to promote social change—often radical social change.