http://www.panix.com/~clays/Una/una3.html

THE MOTIVES OF SCIENTISTS
87. Science and technology provide the most important examples of surrogate activities. Some scientists claim that they are
motivated by "curiosity," that notion is simply absurd. Most scientists work on highly specialized problems that are not the
object of any normal curiosity. For example, is an astronomer, a mathematician or an entomologist curious about the
properties of isopropyltrimethylmethane? Of course not. Only a chemist is curious about such a thing, and he is curious about
it only because chemistry is his surrogate activity. Is the chemist curious about the appropriate classification of a new
species of beetle? No. That question is of interest only to the entomologist, and he is interested in it only because
entomology is his surrogate activity. If the chemist and the entomologist had to exert themselves seriously to obtain the
physical necessities, and if that effort exercised their abilities in an interesting way but in some nonscientific pursuit,
then they couldn't giver a damn about isopropyltrimethylmethane or the classification of beetles. Suppose that lack of funds
for postgraduate education had led the chemist to become an insurance broker instead of a chemist. In that case he would have
been very interested in insurance matters but would have cared nothing about isopropyltrimethylmethane. In any case it is not
normal to put into the satisfaction of mere curiosity the amount of time and effort that scientists put into their work. The
"curiosity" explanation for the scientists' motive just doesn't stand up.

88. The "benefit of humanity" explanation doesn't work any better. Some scientific work has no conceivable relation to the
welfare of the human race - most of archaeology or comparative linguistics for example. Some other areas of science present
obviously dangerous possibilities. Yet scientists in these areas are just as enthusiastic about their work as those who
develop vaccines or study air pollution. Consider the case of Dr. Edward Teller, who had an obvious emotional involvement in
promoting nuclear power plants. Did this involvement stem from a desire to benefit humanity? If so, then why didn't Dr.
Teller get emotional about other "humanitarian" causes? If he was such a humanitarian then why did he help to develop the
H-bomb? As with many other scientific achievements, it is very much open to question whether nuclear power plants actually do
benefit humanity. Does the cheap electricity outweigh the accumulating waste and risk of accidents? Dr. Teller saw only one
side of the question. Clearly his emotional involvement with nuclear power arose not from a desire to "benefit humanity" but
from a personal fulfillment he got from his work and from seeing it put to practical use.

89. The same is true of scientists generally. With possible rare exceptions, their motive is neither curiosity nor a desire
to benefit humanity but the need to go through the power process: to have a goal (a scientific problem to solve), to make an
effort (research) and to attain the goal (solution of the problem.) Science is a surrogate activity because scientists work
mainly for the fulfillment they get out of the work itself.

90. Of course, it's not that simple. Other motives do play a role for many scientists. Money and status for example. Some
scientists may be persons of the type who have an insatiable drive for status (see paragraph 79) and this may provide much of
the motivation for their work. No doubt the majority of scientists, like the majority of the general population, are more or
less susceptible to advertising and marketing techniques and need money to satisfy their craving for goods and services. Thus
science is not a PURE surrogate activity. But it is in large part a surrogate activity.

91. Also, science and technology constitute a mass power movement, and many scientists gratify their need for power through
identification with this mass movement (see paragraph 83).

92. Thus science marches on blindly, without regard to the real welfare of the human race or to any other standard, obedient
only to the psychological needs of the scientists and of the government officials and corporation executives who provide the
funds for research.


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"Endeavor to persevere"
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