Table 1.
Two public epistemologies in Contemporary Italy
Science aversion | Science perversion | |
---|---|---|
The purpose of science is | Solving problems | Challenging dogmas |
The opposite of science is | Idiocy, arrogance | Ideology, conformity |
Falsehood persists because | New technologies are making us dumber | Powerful groups prevent truth from being told |
Falsehood is spread by | Arrogant and uneducated people | Mainstream experts and journalists |
Truth is revealed by | Accredited scientists | Informed activists |
Trust requires | The right credentials | Charisma |
Politics is | The struggle between reason and emotion | The struggle between the people and the elites |