You DARE to Criticize SCIENCE?!

1998 William Beaty

Science is extremely important. ALso, it is a very fragile structure, and mankind always remains a few steps away from another dark age. Science is so easily destroyed, that we must expend enormous and valiant efforts to defend it from the attacks being launched by the ignorant and superstitious hoards which surround us on all sides. Anti-science sentiments are at an all-time high in modern society, and therefor we must fight fiercely against all who criticize science. We are engaged in a sort of war. In war, the propaganda of the enemy must be suppressed. In war, critical examination of 'our side' must be controlled, lest we give the enemy an opportunity to damage us in the eyes of the public.

How many of us are Good Scientists? How many really take the above sentiments to heart? There are words for this sort of thing:

SUPPRESSION OF CRITICAL THINKING
STIFLING OF INTELLECTUAL DISSENT
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF CORRECTIVE SELF-EXAMINATION
SELF-AGGRANDIZING PROPAGANDA
XENOPHOBIC PARANOIA

IIt has been my experience that whenever any person or group suppresses outside criticism, we provide a safe haven where unexamined error can take root. If people suppress self-criticism as well, then we open ourselves to all sorts of pathological conceits and self-congratulatory narcissism. Humility goes out the window, and soon, without our even noticing it, an attitude of arrogance and unexamined superiority can take hold and become the norm within our group. Along with insecurity and denial will come our subconsciously-motivated attacks made upon anyone who dares to puncture our self-importance and to expose our flaws. It’s a kind of evil mental illness, and any group, even Science, can become its victim.

I see that the cure for the illness is simple. Science should always maintain a cycle of brutally honest self-examination and constructive self-criticism, then follow this with major efforts at self-improvement. We must pursue the truth about ourselves, even if it's something we prefer not to know. There should be no need for any outsiders to point out the flaws in science. We should already be finding them ourselves. If we don’t search out and confront our chronic flaws, then we’ll surely fall into denial, and we'll exhibit defensiveness and explosions of rage whenever outsiders begin to discuss the obvious flaws which we so desperately deny.

If supporters of Science and Reason refuse to search out and confront the flaws in modern science, then we run the risk of ending up as insecure neurotics who angrily deny the existence of our every error, while simultaneously perceiving enemies on all sides who threaten to penetrate our thin, dishonest facade. I believe that too many supporters of science would readily agree with the first paragraph of this article already. This is a symptom which indicates a group having a mental illness.

Science is not strengthened by attempts to silence its critics. Science is not strengthened by our attempts to hide it's embarrassing limitations. Real strength comes through fighting humiliation with humility, by treating criticism like pieces of gold, and by using the attacks of our 'vile enemies' as a base for critical self examination and necessary future improvements.

We should neither defend science too vigorously, nor spare it from our own criticism. Rather we must do the opposite: seek out the problems in science and honestly display them for all to see. Suppress our natural defensiveness, confer with our so-called enemies, and make efforts to view ourselves from their viewpoint. All humans are plagued with a dishonest tendency to hide personal flaws. Scientists should fight against this tendency, and should strive to avoid those twisted and self-serving mindgames that it brings. Rather than courting dishonesty in order to avoid embarassment, we should court embarassment in our pursuit of stark, painful, critical, self-honesty. We should admit to the failings of science, search out its denied flaws, and examine its most embarrassing blunders in excruciating detail. AND THEN FIX IT SO THESE THINGS OCCUR LESS OFTEN!

Created and maintained by Bill Beaty. Mail me at: billb@eskimo.com.
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