This is a big topic and actually encompasses the relationship between science, politics, democracy and society. The topic-category was created during work on a series of articles that touch on this, often forgotten relationship.
Science is not apolitical. Starting from the fact that science often depends on politics for some projects, to the fact that scientists should be listened to when passing certain laws – on the environment, environmental protection, in vitro fertilization, abortion, energy, genetically modified organisms, agriculture, forestry – we see how science it simply cannot do without politics. But, in modern society, where democratic values are placed on a pedestal, even politics cannot do without science, as an ally and advisor, allegorically speaking.
Science is closely related to democracy. Science is a democratic value.
The field of natural sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics – STE(A)M (science, technology, arts, engineering & mathematics. STEAM as well as the field of humanities are values inherently associated with liberal democracies and share a lot in common with these political options.
Science strengthens liberal democracies, and liberal democracies provide enough space for scientific work, expression, protection from censorship and self-censorship of scientists and scientific thought, as well as economic preconditions for the development of science and technology.
A liberal democracy is characterized by elections between several different political parties, the division of power into different branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial), the rule of law in everyday life as part of an open society, a market economy with private property and equal protection of human rights, civil rights, civil freedom and political freedom for all people. Liberal democracies rely on a constitution, codified to delineate the powers of government and outline the social contract.
STEM/STEAM disciplines provide the basis for the development of liberal democracy by creating positive value. Of course, these disciplines also add value to societies that are not based on this type of management – we cannot, for example, just ban the use of scientific achievements in countries that are not guided by the principles of liberal democracies, knowledge and technology spill over beyond the borders of liberal democracies.
The concept of science literacy is also important here.
Science is a way of knowing the world. And the world we live in is very dependent on science and technology. In order to better navigate this world, we need to know something about basic scientific phenomena – how things work, how something happens and how our body functions.
Science literacy implies knowledge of the content, understanding of scientific practices and understanding of science as a social process
Science literacy encourages better understanding of the context of situations and better acceptance of scientific achievements, and makes citizens more immune to misinformation and pseudoscience.
Science literacy is important because it provides a context for solving social problems and because a scientifically literate population can better deal with many problems and make intelligent and informed decisions that will affect the quality of their lives and the lives of their children. Science literacy helps us understand the issues we encounter every day in the news and government debates, to understand how the natural laws of science affect our lives, and to gain insight into the intellectual climate of our time.
Another important goal of scientific literacy is a kind of “immunization” of citizens against pseudoscience, quackery, some dangerous (and often expensive) alternative treatment practices, and fake news from the health and science fields.
