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Book Review: Scientific Freedom

Debate about scientific freedom is not new; each epoch has its own concerns about what such freedom entails or ought to entail. Arguably, after the Nuremberg trials, human rights considerations gained greater prominence in scientific research and, since then, science and the conduct of scientists have faced increased scrutiny. Consequently, any opportunity today to reignite a constructive debate about scientific freedom is apt. Is there, or should there be, a right to scientific freedom? If so, what would such a right entail? Should there be constraints imposed on such a right and are there good reasons for doing so? Should this right be constitutionally guaranteed, and what might the absence of such guarantees mean for scientific freedom? What interests are at stake and how might these be fairly balanced? These are some of the critical and, in some cases, contradictory questions that are addressed by the contributors to Scientific Freedom. The book is divided into three distinct yet interrelated parts. Part 1 deals with the understanding of science and technology. It examines the values and nature of scientific inquiry and how knowledge and understanding of science can be contextualised. Part 2 examines science and society with a specific focus on law and regulation, while Part 3 addresses the issues of ethics and the politics of scientific research. Each part is subdivided into five chapters and followed by a short conclusion on the inspiration behind Scientific Freedom. In Chapter 1, Carl Djerassi, a multi-talented academic and scientist, asks, Can Science be Forbidden? He points to the call from some quarters in Europe and the United States for a ban on certain types of research, for example, stem cell research, cloning and genetic engineering. He alludes to the distinction between basic research per se (the pursuit of new knowledge) and technology (the application of that knowledge). Djerassi argues that while technology undeniably has a direct impact on human development, sometimes it is the ‘social changes that create the demand for new technologies