Science and the “scientific method” is defined as:
“The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.”
How many times have we seen a leftist politician, professor or “journalist” declare that we must “follow the science?” Given the definition above, a quick and interesting experiment would be to ask those who demand that we “follow the science” to first explain the scientific method, or even simpler, the basic laws of logic.
Of course, the same politicians who demand that we follow the science are often quick to abandon such desires when they don’t suit their purpose. For example, science is pretty clear when it comes to conception being the moment when human life begins, but that doesn’t stop the left from describing a baby in the womb as a mere “clump of cells.” The significant biological differences between men and women are also easily ignored in favor of political expediency.
One minute they will advocate for economic and educational programs for women, and the next argue that gender is nothing more than a social construct. When it comes to the environment, how many times have we been told that the latest projection model has predicted that the world is about to end, only to find out that the model was horribly wrong? During the COVID-19 pandemic, Democrats have claimed that churchgoers “don’t care if people die,” and also that refusing to attend a massive street protest is proof that you don’t care about marginalized people. Time after time, the left refuse to change their policy approach based on scientific counter evidence, and instead seek out new models and theories to confirm their positions.
Ironically, beyond the issue of scientific hypocrisy, many of the same people demanding a strict adherence to science also often embrace the postmodernist notion that there is no such thing as “absolute truth,” or that the laws of logic are nothing more than “western” constructs. Given that it’s pretty difficult to utilize the scientific method without the laws of logic, if truth is purely subjective, then where does using the scientific method get us? After all, logic, reason and the scientific process were meant to help guide us to rational conclusions.
Ultimately, the scientific method has a good track record in helping us come to logical conclusions about observable reality. One of the most common observable realities is that politicians will manipulate or abandon science the moment it doesn’t help them advance their preferred policies. As the saying goes, “intent is prior to content.” Instead of following science, the political left prefers to either drag science around by the throat as a tool, or move the goalposts entirely when convenient. Perhaps the most recent admission of this came from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who proudly stated that “I think that there’s a lot of people more concerned about being precisely, factually, and semantically correct than about being morally right.” Such a position should really make us all skeptical of her approach to both science and morality.
The 20th century witnessed numerous leftist regimes which promised to reorder every level of society with a “scientific” approach to policy. Socialist and communist dictators were going to solve poverty and inequality through forced redistribution, collectivization, and the abolition of private property. The result was famine, displacement, and oppression. They continued these policies for decades at the cost of millions of lives in pursuit of “scientific socialism”. When they failed to deliver, those controlling the “science” simply demanded more power and more control to conduct more “experiments”. In leftist regimes throughout history, “science” is whatever the state says it is, and the same is becoming true for many politicians in modern day America, where one’s definition of science is largely determined by one’s motives.
If you are motivated by a belief in the inherent value of human beings — and therefore their right to pursue happiness, knowledge and meaning — you must also support the freedom of inquiry that allows science to thrive, and reject its political manipulation and abuse.
We must be aware that, for those who believe that government exists to “perfect us,” science is nothing other than an effective tool. Not for helping us understand observable reality, but rather in providing superficial justification for the further accumulation of power.
Nick Freitas is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and a Green Beret combat veteran.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.