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Why Democracies Need Science

By Robert Evans and Harry Collins
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Why Democracies Need Science explores the crucial role of science in democratic societies, especially amid rising public distrust of experts and institutions. Authors Harry Collins and Robert Evans challenge the view that science must be subordinate to democratic control, arguing instead that democracies must learn to value science as a moral enterprise guided by shared values. The book introduces the concept of The Owls, a new institution designed to mediate between science and society, enhancing technological decision-making for the common good.
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Format: Hardback
$11999
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in the intersection of science, democracy, and public policy, including students and professionals in political science, science communication, and education. It will also appeal to those concerned with public trust in institutions and the ethical dimensions of scientific practice.

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We live in times of increasing public distrust of the main institutions of modern society. Experts, including scientists, are suspected of working to hidden agendas or serving vested interests.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

We live in times of increasing public distrust of the main institutions of modern society. Experts, including scientists, are suspected of working to hidden agendas or serving vested interests. The solution is usually seen as more public scrutiny and more control by democratic institutions – experts must be subservient to social and political life.

In Why Democracies Need Science, Harry Collins and Robert Evans take a radically different view. They argue that, rather than democracies needing to be protected from science, democratic societies need to learn how to value science in this new age of uncertainty.

By emphasising that science is a moral enterprise, guided by values that should matter to all, they show how science can support democracy without destroying it and propose a new institution – The Owls – that can mediate between science and society and improve technological decision-making for the benefit of all.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Barry Barish, Nobel laureate and LIGO director, calls the book "thought-provoking" and highlights how science underpins democratic ideals despite its complex relationship with political accountability. Mark Brown praises its challenge to free-market ideology with a call to embrace the moral values of modern science, describing it as "provocative and thoughtful." Reviews underscore the book's importance in addressing the balance between expert knowledge and democratic participation.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781509509607

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 24 February 2017

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Polity Press

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 142.0mm

Height: 218.0mm

Weight: 386g

Pages: 200

Collections

Education & Reference Harry Collins Non-Fiction Robert Evans

About the Author

Harry Collins is a Fellow of the British Academy, and Distinguished Research Professor in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University
Robert Evans is Reader in Sociology at Cardiff University

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