If the same were only true in certain other fields of human activity...

A quote to ponder from Albert Einstein:

"... Since the purpose is to understand the world as it really is, and not to persuade anybody of anything in particular, there is no place in science for deception, especially unconscious self-deception.  The scientist cannot get away with fooling himself.  Because all that will happen at the end of the process if you fail to detect your errors is that your aeroplane will not fly.  The laws of nature, you see, cannot be deceived.  So there is a strong underlying ethical principle woven into the very fabric of the scientific process - something which is all too often overlooked.  Would it not be wonderful if the same were true in certain other fields of human activity?

As quoted in M. Strong's The Habit of Thought, chapter 2: Intellectual Integrity.

Comments

[John]

Great post Ben. I wonder how this quote would apply to the scientific community as it relates to Global Warming. With many scientists claiming the unquestionable ties of CO2 and the burning of fossil fuels to Global Warming. I wonder how much longer it will take for the "laws of nature" to prove them wrong or prove them right beyond all doubt? My opinion is that misaligned incentives and a lack of Principle 1 (Integrity) have caused many scientists to ignore the laws of nature only to deceive the general public in order to maintain their funding. I'm certain the next 10 to 20 years will provide clarity.

[Nathan]

I also immediately thought about the science of Climate Change. I am worried that 10 to 20 years will not be enough as there are predictions of temperature increases centuries away. With a plane, you know if you correctly interpreted the laws of nature within the first flight, I wonder if the same "strong underlying ethical principle" is still automatic when results cannot be directly observed for many lifetimes. I hope so, as the scientific method is to come up with a theory and then try to disprove it through a type of challenge process. What I am worried about with Climate Change is that we may come up with a theory and then through nonscientific (political, financial, intimidation, etc.) means shutdown any debate about it. I am also worried that we may have already past this point.