Cultural lag in science

pp. 119-131

in: Joseph Agassi, Science and society, Berlin, Springer, 1981

Abstract

The phenomena to be discussed below are two. First, the existence and extent of cultural lag within the scientific community. Second, the denial of this fact by the scientific establishment. The theoretical proposal that will be made below is to replace Kuhn's idea of distinguishing the scientific from the non-scientific fields of inquiry. He uses the qualitative distinctions between those which have a paradigm and those that do not. It is preferable to use a more, quantitative idea: of two fields of inquiry, that one is more progressive which has a smaller mean time lag between the appearance of an innovation and its public recognition. The proposal that will be made is of some institutional reforms within the commonwealth of learning, particularly such as to reduce the incentives for the Salieri effect and increase the incentive for talent scouting.