Ciencia, Democracia y Corrupción (en ese orden)

Abstract

In this article, the author addresses two topics: Science & Democracy, and Science & Totalitarianism. From a philosophical point of view, the first sections propose a functional schema of Science, Society and Corruption in scientific research as far as recent history and sociology of science are concerned. The next section outlines different case studies during the twentieth century: Lysenkoism, Aryan Physics, Uranium Club, and so on, until Francoism and the development of dam engineering on the Duero River on the border between Spain and Portugal. The author recalls the controversy about the analysis of the tensions of scientific progress under dictatorial states, and distinguishes multiple (positive and negative) effects of authoritarianism on science and technology. The last section discusses the validity of the intrinsic relationship between the ethos of science and democracy that Merton and Popper postulated during the Cold War, and also evokes several scientific corruptions related to present democratic regimes (pseudosciences and the rise of scientific fundamentalism).