Robert P. Crease, a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Stony Brook University, argues that 21st-century politics shifts away from science-based policymaking in an article featured in The Daily Star. He states that today’s politicians tend to ignore scientific findings and instead make values the center of public-policy debates, which could be potentially disastrous.
“Today, acting against scientific evidence is politically expedient: it offers left-wing and right-wing politicians alike an opportunity to adopt an anti-elite, populist image and court a dissatisfied public,” he writes. “But this approach endangers public health and the planet, and some scientists are beginning to worry about the possibility of a new ‘dark age of political feudalism.’”
Crease acknowledges that science is far from perfect, but argues that scientists have struggled to institutionalize a process that involves extensive observation, experimentation and independent review. He fears today’s politicians, who are only interested in posturing as they proclaim noble goals that are based on intuition and cannot be achieved.
Click here to read the complete Daily Star article.
Professor Crease organized The Trust Institute at Stony Brook, which presents interdisciplinary programs about contemporary issues. He writes a monthly column for Physics World magazine called “Critical Point,” which focuses on the social dimensions of science. Crease has also documented many years of Brookhaven National Lab’s history.
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