Retorts

Scientists' Principles

John Burgess is to be complimented on his description of the Scientific Principle [Retorts, July 1999] and its application beyond science, to provide some understanding of the whys and whats of modern life.

He doesn't seem to realise that many scientists have themselves forsaken the Principle -- to the detriment of of science -- and that the greater problem is to get them back to embracing it.

Traditionally, science has been the search for truth, through the steps described by John. But, for instance, we have seen unashamed advocacy in at least one New Zealand university for the new fad of "constructivism" where the truth is not important -- any old argument can be constructed as long as some scientific method seems to have been used.

More recently, we are seeing the corrupted science of "public choice theory" and the common acceptance that individual scientists are free to act in their own interests. Gone is the expectation that they apply their training and their expertise in the public interest -- gone, too, is the control that used to ensure that they did.

In New Zealand, the change in politicians' science policies has been especially significant. In destroying the framework of the DSIR nearly a couple of decades ago, the politician said to the scientist: "we're not going to support you as in the past -- if you want to continue working as a scientist go out and find your own funds".

Scientists -- human beings with human frailties -- naturally seized every opportunity to organise their own funding. Is it any wonder that the several environmental farces flourish, without the true scientific methods of appraisal by permanent heads -- established, high-principled scientists, devoted to the national cause -- and despite the lack of justification for the mammoth expenditure on programmes prompted only by scaremongery?

Man's scientific understanding is perhaps his greatest achievement and it will be more important for our economic and intellectual future. But, in face of the increasing dependence on science, we see this sad decline in the standing of our scientists, mainly because the time-honoured definition of science as the search for truth has so often been lost.

Peter Toynbee, Wellington