Summarised by Centrist
Pharmaceutical industry corruption researcher, Dr Toby Rogers, writing on the “fraught relationship” between science and power notes:
“The biggest breakthroughs in the history of science usually come from the outsiders, rebels, and iconoclasts. So there’s a paradox here in that proper science often dies when it makes an unholy alliance with the state.”
Rogers argues that science, aimed at understanding the world, has always been intertwined with the ruling elite who leverage scientific authority to maintain control. He outlines how throughout history, ruling powers have aligned with scientific fields to bolster their control.
Ancient Egyptians and Mesoamerican civilizations partnered with astronomers, the Roman Empire with engineers, and the British and US empires with shipbuilders and chemists. Today, the alliance has shifted to genetics and virology, with implications for global power dynamics.
Rogers writes that it’s a recurring paradox: while the ruling class’s “official science” often becomes dogma, true scientific breakthroughs typically emerge from outsiders and rebels.
He suggests that the institutionalisation of science can stifle innovation, as insiders are more likely to defend the status quo. Rogers observes the current state of “The Science,” critiquing how biowarfare and pharmaceutical interests have overtaken state functions, as seen during the COVID pandemic.
This merger has led to a form of “totalitarian science” that prioritises profit over genuine scientific inquiry.
