

“Science and democracy have always been twins.” - jdnier
http://nytimes.com/2009/01/27/science/27essa.html?ref=science

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yters
So that's why a democratic Athens killed Socrates?

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Socrates>

There's a good reason the USA isn't a democracy.

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olavk
Socrates wasn't a scientist. We don't really know what he was, but presumably
he was a political philosopher and metaphysician.

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jdnier
An interesting essay, excited by President Obama's pledge to “restore science
to its rightful place,” that considers the relationship between science and
democracy and how the health of one influences strongly the other.

“If there is anything democracy requires and thrives on, it is the willingness
to embrace debate and respect one another and the freedom to shun received
wisdom. Science and democracy have always been twins.”

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nazgulnarsil
this is democracy blatantly taking credit for capitalism.

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nazgulnarsil
democracy is social constructivism. this is diametrically opposed to science.
it doesn't matter how many people disagree with you if you're right.

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known
Democracy = Wisdom of Crowds

Science = Meritocracy

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point
This is the most stupid essay I have read in my life. Most scientific advances
have not been made in democratic governments - The old Islamic Discoveries,
the old Chinese Discoveries, the old European Discoveries were all made under
King-like dynasties. A huge number of inventions were made under Fascist
Germany.

Democracy is in fact really bad for science, because in a democratic society,
you need to convince many people you are right. In a fascist or monarchist
society, you just need to convince the king.

And then stupidly equating this with china - china is where it is right now
because of a very strong central government with tight control. Without this
government, the chinese people would have collapsed into civil war and split
up - it would not have been at the level it is at now at all.

Old men with limited experience should not go meddling with systems they do
not understand and that seem to be working, based on their ideology. The
alternative could mean the death of millions - look what happened when they
thought to bring 'democracy' to Iraq.

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yters
That is not a good model either. Sure, you get a lot of problems solved, but
they are all very immediate and pragmatic. Plus, America would have been
defeated by China, USSR, Nazi Germany, etc. if this were true.

The best way is to decouple science from politics as much as possible.

