Science versus capitalism
By Jim McIlroy and Robyn Marshall
The ideologists of contemporary capitalism claim that the fall of communism was significantly contributed to by the west's superiority on the science and technology front. Star Wars military technology, they said, succeeded in "breaking" the Soviet Union under the impact of an accelerating technology gap.
The apparent miracle of recent scientific breakthroughs in a variety of fields, including genetics and related medical areas, is said to be living proof of the dynamic creativity of the "free market."
No one can doubt the immense potential represented by modern science and technology to solve a host of problems and dilemmas facing humanity today. However, contrary to appearances, science faces a growing crisis as the capitalist system enters its geriatric phase.
Late capitalism, faced with repeated market collapses and a long-term squeeze on profitability, can no longer so easily afford investments in "pure research", which do not produce a rapid return on capital.
Capitalism, which Marx and Engels praised 150 years ago for launching the modern scientific revolution, is today becoming a straitjacket on the further development of science and technology.
As Marx predicted then, "At a certain stage of their development, the material forces of production in society [including science and technology] come into conflict with the existing relations of production [private ownership of industry] ... From forms of development of the forces of production, these relations turn into their fetters."
Today, a social system based on private property increasingly contradicts the need of science and technology for more socialised and cooperative goals and methods of operation. And ironically, in the long run, the capitalists' attack on science undermines the economic and social viability of their own system!
In Australia, the crisis of science is becoming especially acute because of cutbacks imposed by the Howard government in its blind search for a balanced budget.
For example, the process of awarding research grants by the government's major funding body, the National Health and Medical Research Council, was thrown into chaos this year by federal cabinet's decision to sack half the members of the council to save money!
As well, the slashing of funding to higher education has decimated the resources available to employ research scientists. Researchers are told they must hunt for support from the private sector, yet internationally Australia is sixth last in the dollars business allocates to research and development. While Australia has a relatively small population, Finland, for instance, has almost double the R&D investment that Australia does!
Research scientists have to scramble desperately for grants, preparing numerous applications, most with great potential, but often unsuccessful due to funding shortages. hey may have to spend a substantial proportion of their time, while pursuing one project, preparing submissions for their next grant, because funding periods may only last a year or two.
Funding scientific research according to the whims of the market is an irrational waste of resources. It leads to a loss of skills and human effort, especially young would-be scientists who are discouraged from entering or continuing in science. According to the current priorities of the system, they are better off studying business management or law.
Recently, the University of Queensland dissolved its School of Physics and Department of Electrical Engineering into broader areas. Apparently, these fundamental disciplines are no longer essential to a scientific education system.
In short, long-term scientific progress and capitalism are no longer compatible. This is one more reason why we need a fundamental change: to a socialist system, in which science, conducted under socially progressive guidelines and aiming to explore every sphere of the human and natural world, would be accorded a top priority.
Only when the commercial shackles are lifted off modern science and technology will the critical problems and questions of our time be able to be solved by the freest application of cooperative human creativity.