Problematizing Autonomous Experts Expertise undermines citizen rule. Because experts know better than others, their opinions must count for more? Expertise undermines the neutrality of the liberal state. The impartiality of the liberal state is lost as genuine, open and fair discussion is replaced by bias towards expert opinion. Dr. Strangelove Erlander & Gustafson

The Cold War Social Contract for Science Vision of science advice as ’Speaking Truth to Power’ fits well with Linear Model vision of technology as applied science Post-1945 Cold War vision of science and society relations understood the realm of pure basic science as equivalent to the goose that laid the golden egg As in the fable if you interfere with the goose you lose the eggs! Political autonomy of science in society seen as vital for technological performance and legitimate government alike.

Scientific and Religious Freedom in Liberal Society Compared Dome of Science & Innovation CERN Dome of the Rock Shrine, Jerusalem Scientific autonomy implies freedom of research and opinion Granting autonomous scientists cognitive authority harder for the liberal state to remain neutral Real risk for illiberal technocracy Religious freedom implies freedom to belong to any faith and follow its teachings But liberal state dedicated to remaining indifferent to religious authority apart from residual forms of ethical advice Lesser risk for illiberal theocracy

Sociologies of Experts   Sociologies of Experts Three different sociologies of expertise! Turner and Evans = apologists and defenders of expert power in society. Ahistorical classifications Classifying Type 1 to Type 5 experts (Turner) Rescuing Merton’s notion of cognitive authority Interactional versus contributory expertise (Evans) Combatting problem of over-extension of non-expert authority Miller/Rose – supporting a more critical perspective. Role of expertise in liberal democratic society in broader comparative historical perspective!

Turner – A Neo-Mertonian Sociology of Expertise?   Rescuing Merton’s notion of cognitive authority Physicists can be accepted as possessing god like vision and god-like powers. But then there are other types of experts who are less other-worldly and more ideological. More shady and dubious experts corrupted by power. Acceptance of expertise must remain a condition of genuine public discourse. It must remain conditional upon public proof. Public forums where expertise is made transparency vital for legitmacy Type 1 Expert Type 3 Expert

Turner’s Five Types of Experts Type 1 – Expert authority rests on efficacious knowledge and major achievements that we all recognize. Experts who have delivered the goods Type 2 - Expert authority recognized by a restricted audience. E.g. theologian. OK to have faith in this expertise. But problem when this expertise wedded to political reform movement Type 3 – The Enterprising Expert who create a public following for his/her knowledge. Self-help gurus Type 4 and 5 – Experts recruited into the service of bureaucratic sects which are not elected and not publicly accountable – Professional enclosures of expertise Type 1 Expert Type 5 Expert?

Evans – A Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK) Perspective   Brings all experts down to earth, physicists too with a bump! There are no views from nowhere. Experts are always coming from somewhere, some community of practice Even the knowledge producing practices of physicists can be studied as ordinary culture and practice, as work It is tacit social and cultural knowledge that is definitive of expertise. You have to have lived the life of an expert to be an expert. No one and no group of experts is infallible,

Miller & Rose – Expertise and Rationalities of Government   M&R support a larger comparative historical perspective on the role of experts in liberal democracy. For M&R, experts have always been central to liberal rule, but they have been incorporated differently during different periods. How do you rule through freedom? Expertise provides a general solution by promising to constrain freedom on reasonable grounds. The nature of power in liberal democratic societies has changed over time, in relation to different ’govern-mentalities’ where experts have always played vital but differing roles.