Description
Book SynopsisThe faith in science as an ally of political and economic progress, which Franklin and Jefferson made so firm a part of the American tradition, has been undermined by the very success of the scientific revolution. Has science become so powerful that it cannot be controlled by democratic processes? Is the scientific community acquiring a privileged role in government something like that of the ecclesiastical estate in the medieval world?Writing from first-hand experience in government administration and his service on three presidential advisory panels, as well as from extensive research, Don K. Price describes how science and technology have weakened the independence of private corporations and broken down some of the checks and balances on which we have relied for the protection of freedom. In this connection he recounts the recent attempts to set up a national program of oceanographic research, showing that the more advanced the scientific and technological programs are, the more dif
Trade ReviewAlways stimulating and never dull, this perceptive book by a distinguished social scientist gives hope that the ‘Two Cultures’ of C.P. Snow can interact for mutual benefit and not collide with mutual harm. It may well be the most important book in this area written to date. -- Harry Schwartz * The New York Times *
This book represents a crucial bench mark. It will serve as a starting basis for future scholarship in an area important to all citizens. -- Philip H. Abelson * The Washington Post *
Something of a triumph of subtlety and aspiration… This is a book about science that a humanist might be able to read; the only adequate word for it is ‘sophisticated.’ -- Eric Larrabee * Commentary *
The Scientific Estate is a book that is hard to praise highly enough; indeed I can think of no book in the general field of government that deserves to rank with it in all the copious literature of the last decade and more. -- Max Beloff * The Listener *
Don K. Price has written a superb statement of contemporary political philosophy… This book is filed with acute observation and some new, purely intellectual, insights that a reader will wish he had seen first. If books, rather than print-outs, are still read in future colleges, this one should stay on the list for political philosophy for a long time. It deals with fundamental questions of power and freedom and the uses of knowledge for human welfare. -- James L. McCamy * American Political Science Review *
[To the understanding of] the broad subject of science and public policy, Don K. Price’s book has made a major contribution. It may not be too soon to predict that
The Scientific Estate will become a classic. -- Brewster C. Denny * Public Administration Review *
Table of ContentsEscape to the Endless Frontier The Fusion of Economic and Political Power The Diffusion of Sovereignty The Established Dissenters The Spectrum from Truth to Power Constitutional Relativity Professionals and Politicians Science and Freedom Notes Index
