Re: Science and Censorship

From: Harnad, Stevan (harnad@soton.ac.uk)
Date: Wed Mar 15 1995 - 11:40:06 GMT


> From: "Robert Droy" <DROY92@psy.soton.ac.uk>
> Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 15:39:36 GMT
>
> I believe that great care needs to be taken when controversial
> research is suppressed.

This issue is itself controversial. There are of course strong reasons
why one would argue that no research undertaking or result should be
suppressed (except, of course, abusive research, such as the Nazi
medical experiments).

But there is also the other side: Some research has a much greater
likelihood of being misused. Putative race differences in IQ, for
example: if the differences do exist, unless they are paired with ways
to remedy them, what good can that information possibly do? The harm
they can do is quite apparent.

So let's say that this this subtopic too ("should all/any research be
done/reported?") is well suited to the "Debates" format. There are
definitely two sides to the question.



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