SOCI 395 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: John Stuart Mill, The Communist Manifesto, Scientific Progress
16 May 2018
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SOCI 495
January 15, 2018
Science and Technology
The Emergence of Modern Science
• Is a product of the Age of Enlightenment (Rousseau, Smith, John Stuart Mill, Hobbes) – what
all of these thinkers have in common is the ability for people to think rationally, understand the
world and improve the world
• Out of these piiples hae hat people refer to as the Modern Project and the Scientific
Revolution (18th Century)
• “ietifi pogess is a a to ake the old a ette plae ad to ake people happie –
through scientific investigation, you can show people how to control and understand first nature
and cultivate it to our needs and make a better world, and later on, society (this is the ground
for social sciences)
• “tatig i the th century around 1750, a lot of innovations that seem to support this hope
that we can control nature and get a better world
• Tehologial adaeet à The telesope, huge edial ipoeets, eletiit ad
electrical appliances, running water, and many huge advances in physics (principle of gravity,
astronomy, biological, evolution, chemistry)
• Thoughout the etuies, tehologial adaes that poide hope
• Idustial eolutio piail i the Weste old, ieasig daatiall the leel of
production, private property and creating more rich people and improving the standard of living
• Politial tasfoatio à Aeia eolutio, Bill of Rights, Feh Reolutio, lead outies
into significant changes and growth of democracy, human/civil rights, and all of these give
people hope, improving the world and leading people to a better place
Social Sciences
•This is hee soial siees oe ito pla à th century
• Psholog, soiolog, politial siee, ode eoois stat to go
• Muh like atual siees, soial siees stat at the age of Elighteet, e a use
science to improve the human condition
• The foudig sholas of the soial siees eogize that people ae’t alas atioal, ad
they understand that people are motivated by fear, habits, limitation, unconscious
passions/drives à Common theme for these scholars was that they believe that the solution for
these problems and rational behaviours lies within the social sciences, recognize that people
have problems and believe that we can solve through developing social sciences
• Theapists, eooists advising governments, model of social engineering
• Belief i soial egieeig à the sholas shae this appoah
- Durkheim à science is the main way for humans to progress and improve, social scientists are
the new priests and will guide others towards the right way and remove barriers for progress
- Marx à at first glance, revolution comes from the proletariat, but Marx does believe in the
rationality of people and the ability to reach their potential (perfectibility of man). But progress
and science are important and positive, but they are being held back by Bourgeoisie and
capitalism. Social science has an important role, to identify the problem and show people to
barrier to development, division of society into classes, the solution is within the social scientists
to show us the way (The communist manifesto). If we shed our false consciousness we can
march towards a better world .
- Comte à social scientists are the highest level of science, sociologists will lead to full potential
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SOCI 495
- Weber à Sciee ad pogess leads to disehatet. Does’t thik that the ouse of
history is deterministic, nothing promises that social science will make society better. Skeptical
aout teholog, atioalit, the io age. Does’t see it as a solutio, ut eliees that it’s
important as a goal in itself. Important for us to gather data and to analyze it, if not to make a
better society.
Science and Technology in the 20th Century
• Adaes ad ipoeets à health, tael, eooi goth, elfae sstems, electronic
appliances, computers, the internet
• Teholog has ought poles ad halleges, it’s ot a utopia
World War I
• Wa that eds uh of the optiis, suge i siee ae ith a lot of optiis to ake a
better world, and this shakes this opinion
• All tehologial adaeet up to that tie ad the ealth auulated i Euope ee
used to support the worst war up to date
• Ceated the Geat Depessio à politis ad the siee of eoois has a poles, the
industrial revolution and new technologies did not help to prevent the depression, just has all of
the economic advancements did not prevent the depression in 2008.
• Nulea eapos à e a desto ouseles ad plaet due to tehologial adaeets,
with the push of a button
• Theefoe, sietifi adaeet is ot alas soethig that is eefiial, e o hae the
potential to destroy the planet and humanity
• The Holoaust à pseudosietifi aial theoies justifiatios fo aial supeioit ee used
for terminating whole peoples, justify experiments on people, the use of the newest technology
in the most developed bureaucracies and used to exterminate more people efficiently
Eugenics
• Nazis ee ot the fist to eliee i egieeig hua soieties
• Pealet ad ell-taken in North America, many people support eugenics as the
improvement of the human race
• Negatie “eletio à peetig ufit people fo epoduig though astatio ad
sterilization
• Positie “eletio à eouagig fit people to reproduce more
• This ill e a good solutio fo a of the olds poles
• It as patied i the U“, Caada ad EU à thousads ee steilized iludig iigats,
criminals, prostitutes, mentally ill
• We a thak the Nazis fo taking to the extreme and people became disenchanted with the
idea of eugenics
• Idea is outdated ut e tehologial adaeets allos us to thik aout eugeis
Movie – Gattaca
• Ca this eall happe? Is it alead happeig?
• It’s alead here to some extent and it will be more sophisticated, being able to choose and
modify embryos based on genomes
• Ca e justif it? Ca e defed the ight of people to hoose the kid of hilde the ill
have? Liberal eugenics.
• Health isuaes ad increasing premiums based on the chance you will get sick
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Durkheim science is the main way for humans to progress and improve, social scientists are the new priests and will guide others towards the right way and remove barriers for progress. Marx at first glance, revolution comes from the proletariat, but marx does believe in the rationality of people and the ability to reach their potential (perfectibility of man). But progress and science are important and positive, but they are being held back by bourgeoisie and capitalism. Social science has an important role, to identify the problem and show people to barrier to development, division of society into classes, the solution is within the social scientists to show us the way (the communist manifesto). If we shed our false consciousness we can march towards a better world . Comte social scientists are the highest level of science, sociologists will lead to full potential.
