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The Political Science of Science: An Inquiry into the Possible Reconciliation of Mastery and Freedom

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  • Lasswell, Harold D.

Abstract

My intention is to consider political science as a discipline and as a profession in relation to the impact of the physical and biological sciences and of engineering upon the life of man. I propose to inquire into the possible reconciliation of man's mastery over Nature with freedom, the overriding goal of policy in our body politic. In the interest of concreteness I shall have something to say about past and potential applications of science in three areas: armament, production, and evolution. It is trite to acknowledge that for years we have lived in the afterglow of a mushroom cloud and in the midst of an arms race of unprecedented gravity. Here I shall support a proposition that may at first evoke some incredulous exclamations. The proposition is that our intellectual tools have been sufficiently sharp to enable political scientists to make a largely correct appraisal of the consequences of unconventional weapons for world politics.

Suggested Citation

  • Lasswell, Harold D., 1956. "The Political Science of Science: An Inquiry into the Possible Reconciliation of Mastery and Freedom," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 50(4), pages 961-979, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:50:y:1956:i:04:p:961-979_06
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    Cited by:

    1. Christopher M. Weible & Daniel Nohrstedt & Paul Cairney & David P. Carter & Deserai A. Crow & Anna P. Durnová & Tanya Heikkila & Karin Ingold & Allan McConnell & Diane Stone, 2020. "COVID-19 and the policy sciences: initial reactions and perspectives," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 53(2), pages 225-241, June.
    2. Ronald Brunner, 2007. "The world revolution of our time: a review and update," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 40(3), pages 191-219, September.
    3. Ronald Brunner, 2008. "The policy scientist of democracy revisited," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 41(1), pages 3-19, March.
    4. Davide Giacomini & Mariafrancesca Sicilia & Ileana Steccolini, 2016. "Contextualizing politicians’ uses of accounting information: reassurance and ammunition," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(7), pages 483-490, November.
    5. Smeets, Niels, 2017. "Similar goals, divergent motives. The enabling and constraining factors of Russia's capacity-based renewable energy support scheme," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 138-149.
    6. James Farr & Jacob Hacker & Nicole Kazee, 2008. "Revisiting Lasswell," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 41(1), pages 21-32, March.
    7. Lihua Yang, 2018. "Collaborative knowledge-driven governance: Types and mechanisms of collaboration between science, social science, and local knowledge," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 45(1), pages 53-73.
    8. Omweri, F.S. & Motari, YO, 2024. "Policy Networks and Relationship between Multiple Streams Approach and Implementation of Road Safety Policy Measures in Kenyan Counties," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(4), pages 445-456, April.

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