The Value of a Scientific Society

About this course:

In this course, we discuss if and how a scientific society is of value to people. The bulk of our discussion is based on Bertrand Russell’s 1953 book, The Impact of Science on Society (1953), which examines the changes in modern life brought about by science. We discuss Russell’s argument that science offers the world greater well-being than it has ever known on the condition that prosperity is dispersed, that power is diffused by means of a world government, that birth rates do not become too high, and that war is abolished. In addition to Russell, we read essays on the impact of science and society by Asimov, Einstein, and Carl Sagan.