“精英中心化”科研范式的特征及其面临的挑战

The properties of“Elite-centralized”science paradigm and its challenges

早期的科学研究通常属于个人的业余爱好.到了19世纪,科学研究主要表现为在大学进行的社会性活动.然而,科学研究在20世纪中叶转变成为一种国家主导的建制化活动.这种转变的主要推手是1945年美国科学研究发展局主任Bush提交给美国总统罗斯福的一份科技发展战略报告"Science,the Endless Frontier"(《科学:无尽的前沿》,以下简称"布什报告").2021年,中信出版集团出版了含有美国科学促进会前首席执行官Holt长篇导读的"布什报告"的中文译本[1].

The US science policy’s landmark report Science, the Endless Frontier, which was prepared by Vannevar Bush and published in 1945, is the blueprint for modern research architecture. The core of this research architecture is an "elitecentralized" science paradigm, in which all kinds of research are conducted around scientific elites. The main properties of the "elite-centralized" science paradigm are:(1) The professionalism of scientific research,(2) hierarchization of researchers, and(3) specialization of scientific communication.The professionalism of scientific research means that the researchers are professional and receive economic rewards from their work, which implies the utilitarian nature of research goals. Therefore, the behavior of professional researchers most likely follows that of well-represented scientists and selects the research goals that fit the mainstream of scientific communities. They also hope to become the well-represented scientists in the near future. On the other hand, no one is willing to study the topics that are not recognized by the scientific communities or are highly risky. People avoid becoming marginalized scientists, who are at the periphery of the scientific community with lower economic rewards.The hierarchization of researchers shows two aspects. First, every person in the scientific communities must have a professional title such as assistant professor or professor, implying that they are allocated at a particular level of the scientific professional system, with the corresponding economic and scientific rewards. Second, people in this hierarchic professional research system can move from one level to another. For example, in a so-called "tenure track" system, an assistant professor can be promoted to associated professor and then promoted to full professor. This kind of hierarchic professional research system with high utilitarian characteristics strongly enhances the "elite-centralized" science paradigm, by which the research resources are focused on the scientific elites and highly productive researchers.The specialization of scientific communication generated small professional communities, in which the specialists communicate with each other in technical terms and relying on prior knowledge. This kind of communication also strengthens the influence of the scientific elites. Furthermore, the specialization of scientific communication results in obstructing communication between the whole scientific community and the general public.The success of this "elite-centralized" science paradigm generated a well-developed world with a flourish of technologies;on the other hand, it is gradually evolving into a closed system with high "involution". Science is a product generated by fitting both sensual and rational requirements. An ideal science-structure must be a balance between physical and spiritual needs. However, the classical scientific enterprise based on the "elite-centralized" science paradigm outcomes has disrupted this balance by emphasizing the practical value of science. Now we need to rebuild an open, diverse and decentralized science paradigm. To reach this goal, the first step is to recover the balance between physical and spiritual needs in science.