Scientists are Good Citizens

Let me make it clear that I do not think the major function of any school is to produce scientists. The major function of our schools is to aid in the production of good citizens. It is true, I think, that scientists are usually very good citizens,— they mind their own business, they pay at least as much attention to civic duties as the average man does, they do not enrich themselves at others' expense, they and their families rarely become public charges, and the more violent crimes are practically unknown among them. You will remember that even on test material they show up as an unaggressive group, on the whole. (The scientists involved in espionage have been very few, indeed, and misguided as they may have been, they have acted on principle and not for personal gain.) But obviously scientists are not the only good citizens. The point that is important here, and much more important than the production of scientists, is that the things that make good scientists are also the things that make good citizens, in a democracy. This is true only for democratic forms of government. A democracy can only exist effectively if the citizens are able to participate freely and intelligently. If they are not free to think and to feel, they are not free. We give a good deal of lip service to the concept of an enlightened electorate. ire There is a good deal of evidence in the clinical literature that people, freed of neurotic needs and in a position to make a really conscious choice, will not choose asocially. We are more hampered by our own fear of ourselves, and of our nature than we are by anything else.

Notes:

As a whole, the majority behave morally and responsibly.

Folksonomies: science culture ethics morality

Taxonomies:
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Concepts:
Government (0.952687): dbpedia | freebase
Citizenship (0.825833): dbpedia | freebase
Debut albums (0.703995): dbpedia
Mind (0.675914): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Crime (0.618987): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Democracy (0.602208): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Psychology (0.571478): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Law (0.570972): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc

 The Making of a Scientist
Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book:  Roe, Anne (1974-02-04), The Making of a Scientist, Praeger, Retrieved on 2011-05-20
Folksonomies: psychology sociology studies