Anti-science erupted from the hallways of the academy.
Tom Workman, professor of political science at the University of New Brunswick’s Fredericton campus, is also the author of the following books: If you get in my way, I’ll walk: Assault on working people since 1970. (2009) and other books.
Workman’s public lecture on Oct. 24 was sponsored by UNB’s SCI Club, a student organization that provides members of the university community an opportunity to present research and discuss current scientific conclusions.
For him, the current so-called “woke” agenda “attacks progressive academics and intellectuals.” However, the intellectuals at the forefront of these attacks often use anti-scientific methods.
According to Workman, there are three main sources of anti-science discourse.
The religious aspects of this movement are reminiscent of the “Monkey Trials” (1925), which sought to ban the teaching of evolution in the deep south of the United States. Biblical truth is more important than science, Workman warned his audience. He said, “There are schools in New Brunswick that teach ‘creation science.'”
Attacks on science by corporations create “inconvenient truths” for industries such as extractive industries. Climate change has led to repeated attacks on scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci who inform the public about it and do this kind of research. This can take many forms, including attacking funding agencies, directly discrediting scientists, and funding new research centers and research.
For Workman, the strangest source of antiscience comes from within the Western academy. The secular nature of these largely arms-length institutions should give them some degree of autonomy. They have a certain commitment to Enlightenment rationalism, and the establishment of the academy parallels the development of science.
Still, “there is something to be said for any effort to reduce profit margins” by the fossil fuel industry, for example. “The ability to do this is enormous,” Workman declared. He is one of the main promoters of an anti-science agenda “when it suits him.” Workman calls this crackdown on scientific research an “unlawful assault” and believes these criticisms are now persistent.
Anti-science ideas have become a “wedge issue” in politics, based on the activities of demagogues who “offend” people and intensify the situation. These ideas divide people about important, but not necessarily essential, topics in life, such as critical race theory in the United States and discussions of his 2SPLGBTQIA+ issues in New Brunswick. This is a distracting technique as the government erodes other services such as healthcare and education.
According to Workman, the demagogue’s obsession is “channeling working class grievances into a means of seizing power.” New Brunswick is not exempt from these tactics. As a strategy, use anti-science rhetoric.
For Workman, social media doesn’t help solve the problem, but it’s not the cause of the problem. This belief is influenced by the common misconception that anyone can do research.
There is an agenda in American politics to “deregulate” everything, but there is also a backlash from industry against this anti-science agenda.
But the main thrust of anti-science comes from liberal arts and humanities departments, pushed by so-called “ineffective criticism” coming out of the academy. The main reason why it causes a stir within academia is that it can undermine sociological research that directly attacks socialism.
Workman says that when you “undermine the intellectual foundations,” the rest of it collapses as well. It is not enough to just “feel free to criticize capitalism;” we need to analyze capitalism more scientifically. The academy exists because this scientific criticism can exist.
However, “dissing science” in liberal arts departments is systematic. For example, the French social scientist Bruno Latour tried to establish the meaning of “fact.” He was exploring the relationship between words and reality. The field of philosophy of science has seen many conflicts over reality, truth, and language that call into question the legitimacy of the scientific field. These criticisms solidified, and anti-scientific sentiments formed within academic societies.
Workman said this type of controversy attempts to hide “an intellectual perspective that is critical of science.” In fact, the Western Academy is “here to ensure that general social relations are maintained.” It is anti-Marxism, and according to Workman, “Universities are dens of social rest.”
Universities often claim that they are radical and progressive, but in reality they embrace neoliberal ideas. Workman cited the example of how Sodexo employees were treated when the University of New Brunswick’s Fredericton campus changed food providers in 2023. Despite several outbursts of anger over the announcement, few faculty members attended the discussion.
Sophie M. Lavoie is a member of the editorial board of NB Media Co-op.
