The March of Unreason : Science, Democracy, and the New Fundamentalism

In The March of Unreason , Dick Taverne expresses his concern that irrationality is on the rise in Western society, and argues that public opinion is increasingly dominated by unreflecting prejudice and an unwillingness to engage with factual evidence. Discussing topics such as genetically modified crops and foods, organic farming, the MMR vaccine, environmentalism, the precautionary principle, and the new anti-capitalist and anti-globalization movements, he argues that the rejection of the evidence-based approach nurtures a culture of suspicion, distrust, and cynicism, and leads to dogmatic assertion and intolerance. Science, with all the benefits it brings, is an essential part of a civilized and democratic society: it offers the most hopeful future for humankind. Dick Taverne issues a stern warning in this bold and controversial book. He assesses the dangers of the irrational and fundamentalist forces that exert increasing control over decisions concerning our society and the environment.The second half of the last century saw growing disillusionment with the trust in scientific and technological progress as the way to ease the sufferings of humankind. This occurred even as the Green Revolution, for all its problems, allowed millions to be fed who would otherwise have starved. Postmodernism attempted to drag science from its pedestal of objective truth by declaring it to be purely a social construct. Extreme cultural relativists asserted that scientific truth was but a Western cultural invention, on a par with 'truths' discovered by other cultures. A simplistic, virulent hatred of globalization and capitalism, both complex and multifaceted phenomena, finds growing emotional expression. A new ecofundamentalism has emerged, hand in hand with a burgeoning of such practices as homeopathy and other complementary medicines. Instead of rational, evidence-based analysis of such issues as the potential risks of GM crops, extremist green lobbies whip up a hue and cry against the whole technology, presented, with the help of the media, as the democratic response of the people. Research involving private funding is perceived as automatically suspect, and the fashionable call for greater public control of sicence easily translates into more power for groups who claim to speak for the people but do not. In the ensuing climate of fear and mistrust, the 'precautionary principle' and fear of 'unknown unknowns' halts genuine possibilities of progress.These are dangerous trends. Not only do we hold back technologies which, applied and regulated responsibly, could dramatically improve the lives of many in impoverished areas of the world, we risk strangling scientific creativity and technological innovation. And the dangers run deeper still. Irrational practices, eco-fundamentalism and fundamentalist religion flourish and undermine the health of civilised society. Taverne shows the close links between free inquiry and democracy. Defend science and reason, he argues, and you defend democracy itself. Our daily news bulletins bring us tales of the wonder of science, from Mars rovers and intelligent robots to developments in cancer treatment, and yet often the emphasis is on the potential threats posed by science. It appears that irrationality is on the rise in western society, and public opinion is increasingly dominated by unreflecting prejudice and unwillingness to engage with factual evidence. From genetically modified crops and food, organic farming, the MMR vaccine, environmentalism, the precautionary principle and the new anti-capitalist and anti-globalisation movements, the rejection of the evidence-based approach nurtures a culture of suspicion, distrust, and cynicism, and leads to dogmatic assertion and intolerance. In this compelling and timely examination of science and society, Dick Taverne argues that science, with all the benefits it brings, is an essential part of civilised and democratic society: it offers the most hopeful future for mankind. Cover Title Dedication Title - complete Copyright Contents Aknowledgements Prologue 1. From optimism to pessimism 2. Medicine and magic 3. Organic farming 4. GM: the case for 5. GM: the case against 6. The rise of eco-fundamentalism 7. The perils of precaution 8. The attack on science 9. Multinational companies and globalization 10. Reason and democracy Epilogue Sources Index Dick Taverne examines the public reaction against science and its implications for democratic society. He shows the dangers of disregarding an evidence-based approach and the harm done by the 'Back-to-Nature' movement to medicine and agriculture, especially in the Third World