Science and Civil Society

Abstract

In today’s capitalist society is commonly accepted that the role of science is to serve the social practice through its instrumental capabilities. By this way, science and technology become confused and technoscience is celebrated as an instrument to achieve social or material goals, determined by different factual social powers. However, this prevailing of technoscience makes science suspicious for the public and ambiguous at its social role. That’s why the scientific enterprise should be politically corrected to ensure that public get in contact with science in a context of really illuminating spirit. Science could play a major role struggling against technoscience, talking from the critic and the imagination of alternative scenarios, and providing a defense of the human values that must underlie our civilization. Its non instrumental role as an organ of civil society is a main element of the pluralistic democracy, and this vital function becomes possible thanks to traditional academic practices. The future relationship of science with society shouldn’t be constituted from the utilitarian technoscience, but from its liberty to play a non instrumental and critic role that supports and enriches the pluralistic democracy.