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Journal of Controversial Ideas

(ISSN: 2694-5991) Open Access Journal
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Controversial Ideas 2023, 3(1), 1; doi: 10.35995/jci03010001

In Defense of Merit in Science

D. Abbot 1 , A. Bikfalvi 2 , A.L. Bleske-Rechek 3 , W. Bodmer 4 , P. Boghossian 5 , C.M. Carvalho 6 , J. Ciccolini 7 , J.A. Coyne 1 , J. Gauss 8 , P.M.W. Gill 9 , S. Jitomirskaya 10 , L. Jussim 11 , A.I. Krylov 12, * , G.C. Loury 13 , L. Maroja 14 , J.H. McWhorter 15 , S. Moosavi 16 , P. Nayna Schwerdtle 17 , J. Pearl 18 , M.A. Quintanilla-Tornel 19 , H.F. Schaefer III 20 , P.R. Schreiner 21 , P. Schwerdtfeger 22 , D. Shechtman 23 , M. Shifman 24 , J. Tanzman 25 , B.L. Trout 26 , A. Warshel 12 , J.D. West 27
* Corresponding author: ; for a full list of author affiliations, see the end of this article
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 26 Sep 2022 / Revised: 14 Feb 2023 / Accepted: 16 Feb 2023 / Published: 28 Apr 2023
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Abstract

Merit is a central pillar of liberal epistemology, humanism, and democracy. The scientific enterprise, built on merit, has proven effective in generating scientific and technological advances, reducing suffering, narrowing social gaps, and improving the quality of life globally. This perspective documents the ongoing attempts to undermine the core principles of liberal epistemology and to replace merit with non-scientific, politically motivated criteria. We explain the philosophical origins of this conflict, document the intrusion of ideology into our scientific institutions, discuss the perils of abandoning merit, and offer an alternative, human-centered approach to address existing social inequalities.
Keywords: STEM; Enlightenment; meritocracy; critical social justice; postmodernism; identity politics; Mertonian norms
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. (CC BY 4.0).
CITE
Abbot, D.; Bikfalvi, A.; Bleske-Rechek, A.; Bodmer, W.; Boghossian, P.; Carvalho, C.; Ciccolini, J.; Coyne, J.; Gauss, J.; Gill, P.; Jitomirskaya, S.; Jussim, L.; Krylov, A.; Loury, G.; Maroja, L.; McWhorter, J.; Moosavi, S.; Schwerdtle, P.N.; Pearl, J.; Quintanilla-Tornel, M.; III, H.S.; Schreiner, P.; Schwerdtfeger, P.; Shechtman, D.; Shifman, M.; Tanzman, J.; Trout, B.; Warshel, A.; West, J. In Defense of Merit in Science. Controversial_Ideas 2023, 3, 1.
Abbot D, Bikfalvi A, Bleske-Rechek A, Bodmer W, Boghossian P, Carvalho C, Ciccolini J, Coyne J, Gauss J, Gill P, Jitomirskaya S, Jussim L, Krylov A, Loury G, Maroja L, McWhorter J, Moosavi S, Schwerdtle PN, Pearl J, Quintanilla-Tornel M, III HS, Schreiner P, Schwerdtfeger P, Shechtman D, Shifman M, Tanzman J, Trout B, Warshel A, West J. In Defense of Merit in Science. Journal of Controversial Ideas. 2023; 3(1):1.
Abbot, D.; Bikfalvi, A.; Bleske-Rechek, A.L.; Bodmer, W.; Boghossian, P.; Carvalho, C.M.; Ciccolini, J.; Coyne, J.A.; Gauss, J.; Gill, P.M.W.; Jitomirskaya, S.; Jussim, L.; Krylov, A.I.; Loury, G.C.; Maroja, L.; McWhorter, J.H.; Moosavi, S.; Schwerdtle, P. Nayna; Pearl, J.; Quintanilla-Tornel, M.A.; III, H.F. Schaefer; Schreiner, P.R.; Schwerdtfeger, P.; Shechtman, D.; Shifman, M.; Tanzman, J.; Trout, B.L.; Warshel, A.; West, J.D. 2023. "In Defense of Merit in Science." Controversial_Ideas 3, no. 1: 1.
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