The Social Process of Science

The Social Process of Science "Being well-informed about science is not the same thing as understanding science." Therewith, James Bryant Conant discounted the popular interest in science roused by the thunderclap that ended World War II. Now as then, in a world transformed by the application of scientific knowledge, people put that knowledge in the same category with what they know by revelation or other received authority. What needs to be understood is how, scientifically, …

…it begets. During the past four centuries science has been liberating increasing numbers, now nearly one-third, of mankind from toil and want and even from submission to received authority. No national constitution written in this century has failed to hold out the promise, at least, of political and economic democracy. The people of the world--if nations can keep the peace--may see this revolution in the condition of man fulfill its promise in the next century.