Dear Editor:
It’s time to remind people that science is not equally favored among all forms of government. Democracies like Rome, Athens, and the United States have been celebrated as economic and technological wonders of the world because of their heavy focus on science.
Early democracies placed science personnel in high places in the government, but in monarchies, all knowledge and wisdom came from the king.
In many unfortunate places and times, the people are happy to be lifeless pawns in aristocracies, oligarchies, and monarchies. However, when a badly oppressed people become aware of science, they begin to assert power over their lives and look for a better form of government.
Historical science reaches a high state of development and importance in a democracy. A monarchy could care less for it. Dynasties of kings keep records of the propaganda achievements and wars they have fought, but they make little effort to improve the knowledge base by unleashing the memory or creativity of the common folk. An aspiring group of ordinary people want to know about other people in the past who have become independent, and how they did it, so they go looking for those stories.
They also look about for a political philosophy that supports the view that they can take care of themselves. Science supports the equality of humankind and becomes their friend.
Kimball Shinkoskey
