The Political Theory of Science

该项目研究了一系列与科学有关的政治思想：科学中中立主张的政治意义；与科学有关的决策和自由裁量权的性质；有意义的讨论的问题，特别是与民主程序有关的问题；科学家作为其他科学家和外部受众代表科学的行动的性质；以及代理问题，这在一定程度上是向科学资助者保证他们所资助的是有价值的问题。代理关系涉及作为他人代理人的人，在这种情况下，代理人的特殊知识和行为不容易被服务的买方判断。这项研究将确定和比较历史上关于决策权下放的备选方案，以及对科学的政治组织及其与用户，特别是国家的关系的一般限制。在中立性、代理权和代表权的标题下，将审查权威和制约的来源。总体目标是确定科学构建领域的政治手段，在该领域内，这些主张被认为是合法的。该奖项支持了这项研究的一个方面，即侧重于与中立和代表性有关的代理问题，即科学与社会之间的契约，包括国家在科学中作用的合理性问题，以及这种关系对科学的内部组织和科学自律的影响。该项目旨在根据后来对科学和科学技术研究文献的批评、科学史上的最新工作以及当前科学政治氛围的变化，出版一本更新科学政治理论的重要著作。

This project examines a series of political ideas that bear on science: the political meaning of the neutrality claim in science; the nature of decision-making and discretion with respect to science; the problem of meaningful discussion, especially in relation to democratic procedures; the nature of scientists' actions as representatives of science to other scientists and to external audiences; and the problem of agency, which is in part the problem of assuring the funders of science that what they are funding is valuable. Agency relationships involve persons acting as agents for others, where the special knowledge and conduct of the agent cannot be readily judged by the buyer of the services. The research will identify and compare historical alternatives with respect to the delegation of decision-making power, and the general constraints on the political organization of science and its relation to users, particularly the state. Sources of authority and constraint, under the headings of neutrality, agency, and representation, will be examined The overall goal is to identify the political means by which science constructs a domain within which these claims are recognized as legitimate. This award supports the aspect of that research focused on the problem of agency in relationship to neutrality and representation, that is to say the contract between science and society, including the problem of the justification of a state role in science and the implications of this relationship for the internal organization of science and the self discipline of science. The project is directed at the production of a major book that will update the political theory of science in the light of later criticisms of science and the literature of science and technology studies, recent work in the history of science, and current changes in the political atmosphere for science.