The Meeting Place between Science/Technology and Politics

Abstract

Politics is series of integrating activities which would mobilize various kinds of material and intellectual resources in society, e.g. religion, wealth, science/technology, in order to realize the collective goals. In the twenty-century science/technology have been thought by politicians and bureaucrats as vital factors of victory in war, as symbols of distinguished power individual political regime and of remarkable leadership of each politician. The most serious interest of politics in science/technology is illustrated typically by competitive developments of nuclear arms and space development projects between U.S.A. and U.S.S.R.. Since last year leaders of major countries have begun to be involved in environmental problems as a new, post-cold war agenda. In spite of "the end of cold war" politicians expect science/technology policy to become more important in relation to environmental problems and technohegemony in international competitions. But the more increasing technological control of human life is the more serious the problem becomes how to make democratic control of science/technology policy possible in the age of specialization. It would be possible on the condition that professionals provide informative, pluralistic forums for politicians and people which can analyze and evaluate public policy continuously. Today the collaborations between politics and science/technology are more or less unavoidable. What is to be avoided is the mystification of the collaboration.