CommieBastard
2nd January 2005, 01:50
okay, I don't know a lot about the sciences, though I do know a bit about philosophy, which essentially underlies science, along with every other body of human thought.
The scientific method is the method used to advance the sciences (this much i know :P)
i had a bit of a read on wikipedia, and considered copying that stuff here. But frankly, i might as well link it, its good stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method
I wonder what people's opinions are on the scientific method itself. Do you see any flaws in it?
Also, it is pretty obvious to me that the scientific method is undermined by a capitalist society (as it stands). If we could convince more scientists of this, they might consider our position more seriously.
If we look at studies and scientific projects in capitalist societies, especially america, we can see that they more often than not produce results that protect the safety of the profits of their benefactors. Is there some way we can get data on this, and prove it?
How heavilly, and by what mechanisms, is the scientific method undermined?
Can we show that there is an alternative way of motivating science, and that this alternative will work better?
What safeguards might a socialist/communist/anarchist society have in place to protect the integrity of our sciences, and prevent other motivating factors from impeding it?
Wouldn't an authoritarian communist state just swap the motivation to please one's benefactors, to that of wanting to please one's governmental/party superiors?
Would science end up proving what the state (for its own political ends) wanted it to prove, and not what is actually the case? Or rather, how do we ensure that the political ends of the state are in fact the discovery of the truth?
The scientific method is the method used to advance the sciences (this much i know :P)
i had a bit of a read on wikipedia, and considered copying that stuff here. But frankly, i might as well link it, its good stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method
I wonder what people's opinions are on the scientific method itself. Do you see any flaws in it?
Also, it is pretty obvious to me that the scientific method is undermined by a capitalist society (as it stands). If we could convince more scientists of this, they might consider our position more seriously.
If we look at studies and scientific projects in capitalist societies, especially america, we can see that they more often than not produce results that protect the safety of the profits of their benefactors. Is there some way we can get data on this, and prove it?
How heavilly, and by what mechanisms, is the scientific method undermined?
Can we show that there is an alternative way of motivating science, and that this alternative will work better?
What safeguards might a socialist/communist/anarchist society have in place to protect the integrity of our sciences, and prevent other motivating factors from impeding it?
Wouldn't an authoritarian communist state just swap the motivation to please one's benefactors, to that of wanting to please one's governmental/party superiors?
Would science end up proving what the state (for its own political ends) wanted it to prove, and not what is actually the case? Or rather, how do we ensure that the political ends of the state are in fact the discovery of the truth?