SCOM1001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Vannevar Bush, Antiscience, Public Knowledge
28 May 2018
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Week 2: Lecture 1
What is Science?
(According to Wikipedia): Science, is a systematic enterprise that builds and
organises knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about
the universe.
Science is better defined as an intellectual movement, social phenomenon or idea
that was invented in Western Europe and North American colonies 1760-1848
Science carried cultural, ideological and Western baggage.
The ‘Inspiring Australia Report’ Refers to the Following:
The natural and physical sciences; biology, physics
The applied sciences; engineering, medicine
Newly engineering and interdisciplinary fields; environmental science
Mathematics, a field of study in its own right, as well as an essential tool of the
sciences
The social sciences and humanities, critical to the interface between science
and society
Science as...
Investigative method
Specific body of knowledge
Philosophical assumptions
Every field of formal study
Means to progress
Predictive utility
Skepticism
Cultural institution
Place of work and training
Truth
So what is it?
Philosophically: difficult to define, can be abstract or specific depending on what
we’re talking about
Culturally Diverse: it means different things to different people depending on who
they are
Ideologically Loaded: All kinds of moral assumptions about truth, good and bad
and right or wrong
Classic Paper by Gieryn 1983:
There is no fixed way to define science
Scientists and science promoters engage in boundary work to seperate science
from other things
“The boundaries of science are ambiguous, flexible, historically
changing, contextually variable, internally consistent, and sometimes disputed”
There is no true definition of science
A Historical Definition: Cunningham & Williams 1993:
The idea of science has a historical origin, just like everything else
People treat science as ahistorical and try to define it by universal traits
Institutionalism
Some roots in early modern Europe
Many formalised and many more eatsbliahed in 19C
Now self regulated around the world but more credible if follow Western models
Professionalism
17C, 18C; a few lucky individuals paid here and there to do ‘scientific’ type
research
19C growing number of paid professionals, formal science education, professional
standards
Now millions of science or science rated jobs worldwide but highly specialised
Secularism
Natura; philosophers we now consider as ‘earliest scientists’ were explicitly trying
to understand the universe as ‘Created by God’
Now science and religion are often pitted as entirely incompatible and with open
conflict
The Scientific Revolution
The Scientific Revision was a product of mid 20C historians’ way of seeing the
world, that
Science is a particular method
Science is good, progressive and liberators
Science is universal but Westerners do it best
Science in Context
Modern, western science should be seen in context- as one of the many forms
of knowledge-seeking in the world, NOT bad definition special or superior
What is the Best Way to Define Science?
Include the word ‘systematic’
Depending on cultural context and why you’re defining it
A modern knowledge-seeking invention
One way to look at the world
When Might the Meanings of Science be Relevant to SCI COM?
To avoid misunderstanding
Understanding that it has cultural baggage and enables you to work within
a different context
To clarify the aims or your communication
Understanding how ‘science’ became an ideology or associated with ideological
perspectives, whether good or bad
To act as a seed for critical self reflection
In knowing how to approach your communication partners
Hard to promote science if you don’t understand what the nature of science is
Historical Context
As we seperate ‘science; in generic sense (human truth seeking) from science in
specific sense (modern, western institution), so much we seperate
science communication in generic sense (any communication about science) from
science communication in specific sense,
(self consciously developed academic discipline and professional practice)
Science Policy
Formal origin 1940s or earlier
Massive science funding and era of science policy formally born from ‘Success
of Manhattan Project’
In 1945 USA, Vannevar Bush came up with the 'Manifesto for Science Policy'
in ‘science the Endless Frontier’
Expand wartime science program in peace-time
Document Summary
What is science? (according to wikipedia): science, is a systematic enterprise that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science is better de ned as an intellectual movement, social phenomenon or idea that was invented in western europe and north american colonies 1760-1848. The inspiring australia report" refers to the following: Mathematics, a eld of study in its own right, as well as an essential tool of the sciences. The social sciences and humanities, critical to the interface between science and society. Philosophically: di cult to de ne, can be abstract or speci c depending on what we"re talking about. Culturally diverse: it means di erent things to di erent people depending on who they are. Ideologically loaded: all kinds of moral assumptions about truth, good and bad and right or wrong. There is no xed way to de ne science.
