Beyond Technocracy. Science, Politics and Citizens

Nuclear energy, stem cell technology, GMOs: the more science advances, the more society seems to resist. But are we really watching a death struggle between opposing forces, as so many would have it? Can today’s complex technical policy decisions coincide with the needs of a participatory democracy? Are the two sides even equipped to talk to each other? Beyond Technocracy: Science, Politics and Citizens answers these questions with clarity and vision. Drawing upon a broad range of data and events from the United States and Europe, and noting the blurring of the expert/lay divide in the knowledge base, the book argues that these conflicts should not be dismissed as episodic, or the outbursts of irrationality and ignorance, but recognized as a critical opportunity to discuss the future in which we want to live. Massimiano Bucchi’s analysis covers the complex realities of post-academic science as he: – explores the widely debated theme of science and democracy across a broad range of technological controversies; – overviews issues raised by the current relationship among scientists, policymakers, business interests, and the public; – dispels stereotypes of the detached scientific community versus the uninformed general public; – examines the role of the media in framing scientific debate; – addresses the question of how to move beyond technocracy to a more fruitful collaboration between scientists and citizens; – offers a bold vision for a future in which the scientific and public spheres regard each other as partners working toward a shared purpose. – Introduction: Science-Society as a ‘Clash of Civilizations?’; – Chapter One: The Technocratic Response: All Power to the Experts (with the Blessing of Well-Educated Citizens); – Chapter Two: Einstein has left the building: coming to terms with post-academic science; – Chapter Three: Citizens in the laboratory, Scientists in the Streets; – Chapter Four: Choosing the World We Want: Democracy in the Age of Technoscience. M.-M. V.