Post-Normal Science. The Escape of Science: From Truth to Quality?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Modern society is characterized as post-normal. The attribute seems to relate to many aspects of social life: politics, religion, communication and finally to knowledge and science. Although the idea of post-normal science is not novel, S. Funtowicz and J. R. Ravetz proposed it almost 30 years ago, now it is reaching the peak of its popularity. Since post-normal science is the scientific model on how to deal with policy driven issues, e.g. global warming, it tries to bring together the world of academia and the realities of public policies. Consequently, the problem occurs of how to combine democratic mechanisms of negotiating consensus with the credibility of scientific cognition. Funtowicz and Ravetz try to overtake these conflicts by reformulating the aim of knowledge from the truth to the quality of the epistemic process. They suggest expanding the research community to extended peer communities. However, the attitude of Funtowicz and Ravetz can be compared to players who join an ongoing game and are convinced they established the rules of the game. As it stands, the socially relevant issues, are by no means determined only by scientists and the democratization of the cognitive process is also regulated by political rules of the game.