1) GK Chesterton saw this too, in 1922: “The thing that really is trying to tyrannise through government is Science. The thing that really does use the secular arm is Science. And the creed that really is levying tithes and capturing schools, the creed that really is enforced by fine and imprisonment, the creed that really is proclaimed not in sermons but in statutes, and spread not by pilgrims but by policemen—that creed is the great but disputed system of thought which began with Evolution and has ended in Eugenics. Materialism is really our established Church; for the Government will really help it to persecute its heretics. Vaccination, in its hundred years of experiment, has been disputed almost as much as baptism in its approximate two thousand. But it seems quite natural to our politicians to enforce vaccination; and it would seem to them madness to enforce baptism.” (See: *Eugenics and Other Evils by G.K. Chesterton. Cassell and Company, Limited London, New York, Toronto & Melbourne, 1922 at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/25308/25308-h/25308-h.htm )
2) Except it is not really Science. It is pscience (as in pseudo, psychopathic, propagandized, plagiarized, psy-opic, etc.) which has corrupted honorable Science in man's obsessive pursuit and protection of power, gain, glory, and domination. Let's begin to spell science / pscience according to its motives and agendas.
Brilliant. I will read more of his thoughts. Thanks for the link
I love the "pscience" term. I'm going to start using that now.
To comment on what you said about the corruption of science:
Ted Kacynski wrote about something he coined the "power process" (having a goal, exerting effort towards goal, achieving goal) and how technoindustrial society deprives individuals from autonomously going through the power process over things that really matter (that are life and death) and require serious physical and mental exertion. So because we do not have to put out the energy to survive like we used to we have to use other avenues to fulfill our psychological needs to go through the power process (jobs, hobbies, etc). Kaczynski calls these "surrogate activities"; anything that does not directly relate to your survival. So he says the driving motivation for scientists is to satisfy their need to go through the power process. It is ultimately a selfish endeavor on one level and to satisfy the drive for personal power, gain, glory, and domination (referencing your statement) despite if it's also out of altruism and perceived benevolence. So from this perspective the corruption of science, scientists, and institutions of science seems like an inevitable conclusion from the start. Leading to pscience. Seems like quite a challenge to prevent this from occurring in modern society
I appreciate your insightful comment and reading my post!
Two observations:
1) GK Chesterton saw this too, in 1922: “The thing that really is trying to tyrannise through government is Science. The thing that really does use the secular arm is Science. And the creed that really is levying tithes and capturing schools, the creed that really is enforced by fine and imprisonment, the creed that really is proclaimed not in sermons but in statutes, and spread not by pilgrims but by policemen—that creed is the great but disputed system of thought which began with Evolution and has ended in Eugenics. Materialism is really our established Church; for the Government will really help it to persecute its heretics. Vaccination, in its hundred years of experiment, has been disputed almost as much as baptism in its approximate two thousand. But it seems quite natural to our politicians to enforce vaccination; and it would seem to them madness to enforce baptism.” (See: *Eugenics and Other Evils by G.K. Chesterton. Cassell and Company, Limited London, New York, Toronto & Melbourne, 1922 at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/25308/25308-h/25308-h.htm )
2) Except it is not really Science. It is pscience (as in pseudo, psychopathic, propagandized, plagiarized, psy-opic, etc.) which has corrupted honorable Science in man's obsessive pursuit and protection of power, gain, glory, and domination. Let's begin to spell science / pscience according to its motives and agendas.
Thank you for your excellent post. SMSmith
Brilliant. I will read more of his thoughts. Thanks for the link
I love the "pscience" term. I'm going to start using that now.
To comment on what you said about the corruption of science:
Ted Kacynski wrote about something he coined the "power process" (having a goal, exerting effort towards goal, achieving goal) and how technoindustrial society deprives individuals from autonomously going through the power process over things that really matter (that are life and death) and require serious physical and mental exertion. So because we do not have to put out the energy to survive like we used to we have to use other avenues to fulfill our psychological needs to go through the power process (jobs, hobbies, etc). Kaczynski calls these "surrogate activities"; anything that does not directly relate to your survival. So he says the driving motivation for scientists is to satisfy their need to go through the power process. It is ultimately a selfish endeavor on one level and to satisfy the drive for personal power, gain, glory, and domination (referencing your statement) despite if it's also out of altruism and perceived benevolence. So from this perspective the corruption of science, scientists, and institutions of science seems like an inevitable conclusion from the start. Leading to pscience. Seems like quite a challenge to prevent this from occurring in modern society
I appreciate your insightful comment and reading my post!