Towards an ideology-free science: Why we need to take baby steps now

 

Towards an ideology-free science: Why we need to take baby steps now

Sujay Rao Mandavilli

 

What is an ideology?

The word “Ideology” owes its existence to the French word “ideologie” which was coined at the time of the French Revolution, when it was introduced by a philosopher, A.-L.-C. Destutt de Tracy, as a short name for what he called his “science of ideas”. Crudely, explained, it may be referred to a collection of beliefs that are usually not fully tested or lack universal applicability. David W. Minar describes six different ways in which the word "ideology" has been used in different periods in time, these being: 1. As a collection of ideas with rigid content, usually normative, prescriptive and non-changing; 2. As the form or internal logical structure that ideas have within a set and may not be compatible with external principles; 3. By the role in which ideas play in human-social interaction; 4. By the role that ideas play in the structure of an organization without currency outside the organization; 5. As meaning, whose purpose is persuasion; and 6. As the locus of social interaction.

According to Willard A. Mullins an ideology is composed of four basic characteristics: 1. It must have power over cognition and must seek to control or influence individuals 2. It must be capable of guiding and altering one's evaluations and patterns of thinking 3. It must provide guidance towards action or goad people towards committing actions; and 4. It must be comprised of logically coherent beliefs that hold within an entity. Terry Eagleton provides some further definitions of ideology as follows: 1. A body of ideas characteristic of a particular social group or class; 2. Ideas which help to legitimate a dominant political power; 3. False ideas which help to legitimate a dominant political power; 4. Systematically distorted communication; 5. That which offers a position for a subject; 6. Forms of thought motivated by social interests; 7. Identity thinking; 8. Socially necessary illusion; 9. The conjuncture of discourse and power; 10. The medium in which conscious social actors make sense of their world; 11. Action-oriented sets of beliefs; 12. The confusion of linguistic and phenomenal reality; 13. Semiotic closure; 14. The indispensable medium in which individuals live out their relations to a social structure; 15. The process whereby social life is converted to a natural reality.

There are many different kinds of ideologies, and these may include ideologies such as political, religious, economic, social, cultural,  epistemological, and ethical ideologies. The belief in an ideology can range from passive acceptance of an ideology up to a rabid and a fervent advocacy of an ideology. People may also be opposed to ideologies, and the level or quantum of opposition can vary greatly as well. We also then have political ideologies such as anarchism, authoritarianism, communitarianism etc. left-wing ideologies and right-wing ideologies also constitute true ideologies to the extent to which their practitioners do not promote or subscribe to a mutually beneficial dialogue, or a healthy exchange of ideas.  

Ideologies are prevalent in science too. For example, Canguilhem defines "scientific ideology" as “the discourse that precedes a science in the process of foundation that itself relies on an existing science whose methodology and suppositions it emulates”. We also have the doctrine of “Scientific idealism” which is a philosophical theory that encompasses the belief that science can answer all questions and solve all problems. Scientism too represents an unquestioning belief in the power of science, and this approach is unhealthy. We the have other ideologies such as Eurocentrism, Indocentrism, Sinocentrism, Afrocentrism, Hinduvta, Marxism, Dravidian nationalism etc. From our  perspective, an ideology is an ideology if it is inimical or detrimental to the healthy progress of science; that would represent some form of an acid test. That is why Marxist historiography is also undesirable because it is highly limited and one-sided. In order to thwart misuse of science, we need “objectivity in mindset”. We had written extensively about this in the past. We also need dialectical approaches, and a healthy, meaningful, productive, and beneficial exchange of ideas. We have written extensively about various ideologies in science over the past twenty years or so. Readers may refer to those papers wherever necessary. We have of course a long way to go, and this may even require a generational change. It is however, never too late to make a beginning. We must take our baby steps now. Indian scholars and scholars from other developing countries too can take the lead.