SCIENCE AND POLITICS

Abstract

The article is devoted to a philosophical examination of the interrelationships and mutual influences between science and politics. The author states that science does not develop in isolation from society. Scientific research is influenced by social (or state) demands, and the directions and priorities of scientific development may be determined by state policy or, more broadly, by sociocultural or ideological interests. Science and politics may be united by the idea of service. Furthermore, the connection between politics and science is examined through the lens of ideology. An ideology plays a fundamental role in politics, serving as a kind of matrix that defines political relations, the foundations of state functioning, and the formulation of strategiesfor societal development. A unique conceptual framework for understanding ideology is its comparison with science, which highlights the contrast between their worldview foundations andindicates that these are distinct forms of social consciousness. Particular attention is devoted to examining the political dimension of science in the context of identifying how the regime of truth operates and how scientific discourse is formed and established in society. This approach draws on ideas about the social functioning of science and concepts that seek to define the boundaries of science. According to this approach, every form of knowledge can be interpreted as a distinct type of discourse. Scientific discourse is not self-sufficient–it is shaped by and constantly influenced by the characteristics of social, cultural, and political contexts.