Naslov
From The Epistemic Cacophony Towards The New Epistemic Consensus

Autori
Žažar, Krešimir

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Skup
LUHMANN CONFERENCE 2021 – “Risks and pathologies. Observed with social systems theory”

Mjesto i datum
Dubrovnik, Hrvatska, 14.09.2021. - 17.09.2021

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
post-normal science ; post-truth politics ; conspiracy theories ; confidence to science

Sažetak
Undoubtedly, science is one of the fundamental pillars, probably the axial constituent, of functionally differentiated modern societies. Albeit being target of diverse types of criticism in the second half of the 20th century, some recent analyses (Roth et al., 2017) clearly suggest that science, besides politics, was the most important function system in the mentioned time framework. However, the main thesis examined in the paper is that the dominant position of science has recently been seriously contested especially during the still ongoing coronavirus pandemic outbreak. Namely, in the context of the vastly uncertain situations, characterized by disputable values, high risks, and urgent demand for prompt proper decisions, such as the current pandemic apparently is, the Kuhn’s (1962) model of ‘normal science’ is suspended and ‘post-normal science’ (Funtowicz, Ravetz, 1993) takes its place instead. While the concept of ‘post-normal science’ could be normatively valuated in positive terms, the position of science during pandemic has undermined as it is being unable to deliver unambiguous answers on burning questions concerning dynamics of the virus spread, effects of epidemiologic measures, efficacy of vaccination etc. Erosion of public confidence to science opens the floor to various pseudo-scientific explanations, conspiracy theories and akin types of interpretations competing to use true/false code. These tendencies lead towards the emergence of ‘epistemologic anarchism’ (Feyerabend, 1975), or ‘epistemic cacophony’ (our own term) in the midst of which science lost its privileged role in the epistemic field. Such outcome is the product of several processes: 1) mediatization, 2) commodification, 3) politicization of science as symptoms of structural coupling of different functional subsystems (Boulanger, Saltelli, 2020), 4) ‘scientization’ of politics, but also terminal effects of several 5) ‘structural contradictions’ inherent to modern science (Ravetz, 2011). Of the latter, especially tension between ‘elitist’ and ‘democratic’ conceiving of knowledge production should be addressed, where owing to growing accessibility of technology and social media we witness widespread diffusion of knowledge production nowadays. Although such ‘participatory epistemic community’ at first sight might seem to contribute to general knowledge growth, it conceals severe jeopardies as on the other hand it opens the floor for conspiracy theories, fake news, manipulations, post-truth politics and re- evoking theses that were long time ago disapproved as being evidently false (like Flat-Earth thesis). In sum, we have been undergoing towards profound transformations of the epistemic fields within which science is seriously challenged to lose its dominant position. It would be most suitable to take a central position between ‘elitist’ and ‘democratic’ poles: on the one hand, in order to retain (or regain) a confidence to science, it should not allow itself to be instrumentalized for political legitimation purposes (of political elites) or serve as a tool in hands of big business and economic stakeholders, but rather aiming at fulfilling emancipatory promises to entire population ; on the other hand, one needs to nurture ‘epistemic democracy’ with indispensable attention since clear criteria with regards to what is true/false should be stipulated otherwise we can easily revert into pre-modern superstitious phantasmagorias.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Sociologija

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