Authority & Knowledge

“Great advances in knowledge always require rejection of authority.”

Great advances in knowledge can be found in natural and political sciences, as well as in philosophy. However, it is true that in history they are discontinued, mostly because breakthroughs in any area of science require a favorable environment. The importance of the ruling authority is one of the requirements for progress.

The relation between advances and authority is quite complicated and it seems a bit simple to assume that to progress, those who create knowledge should reject authority. It is certain that at the time of religious domination in Western Europe, Obscurantism, the development of scientific and philosophical knowledge suffered the strictness of the Catholic Church. Many great scientists were jailed or executed for their research and findings. In such case, a strong and unsuitable authority slows down great advances in knowledge. Therefore, in such a case, to be able to carry on their research and make progress, scientists may have to reject their ruling authority.

Yet, the greatest development sciences have known is during wars. For instance, scientific development made great advances during WWII. In Germany, the Nazi authorities were supporting scientific progress, authorizing and legitimizing experiments on human bodies. The decision of the ruling authority at that time was beneficial to scientific advances. Consequently, great advances in knowledge can be made under a strong authority too.

In the case of Europe, it is only after the XVIII century, with the Enlightenment and the development of non-religiously bound morales, values and authority that sciences made major developments leading to the Industrial Revolution. I would therefore tend to argue that rather than rejection of authority, it is a transformation of authority that may be beneficial to produce great advances in knowledge.

Mariana