Kudos to CUDOS: Resurrecting Mertonian principles to remedy politicized science

Abstract

Science is the most effective system humans have developed to understand reality. Like all systems, it is flawed and subject to bias and error. Reforms such as the Open Science movement seek to address these issues by institutionalizing long-standing Mertonian norms (communalism, universalism, disinterestedness, organized skepticism), helping scientists escape their biases and discover truth. However, other actions within scientific institutions have introduced ideological and political values into the truth-seeking domain, including harm-based censorship, DEI policies, positionality statements, and endorsements of political candidates and positions. These developments can deprioritize epistemic quality and decrease public trust in science. Because the politicization of science arising within the academy has occurred primarily from the left wing, strategies to counteract this bias have prioritized ideological/political diversity in hiring or encouraging scientists to avoid weighing in on political issues altogether. These well-meaning solutions compound non-epistemic values in science, thereby risking further loss in public trust. Effort should be directed to restoring Mertonian norms, so that epistemic rigor can be improved and the issues of politicization can be solved without introducing more politics.