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EYE-OPENING ARTICLE

What Should The Government Do With Science? Maybe nothing...

What happened in ancient Ionia of the Agaean Sea, that made it a perfect greenhouse for science to flourish and prosper for the first time? And was the government a supporting factor? Was it ever? Find out in this eye-opener, in which Jeff Hall not only presents the subject beautifully, but also backs it up with ALL the relevant historical facts. A must read.

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SCIENCE AND FREEDOM

By Jeff Hall, Main Skeptic

Many thousands of years ago when people first wondered why they, and everything else existed, they were often bewildered. Most objects, and events in nature were often just benign, intriguing curiosities, such as the moon, sun, stars, planets, rain, snow, aurora's, meteor showers, and rare occurrences like eclipses, comets, or a green flash over the sun. There were also catastrophic events like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, bitter cold, and volcanic eruptions that were terrifying, and brought hardship to their lives. For most of our time on Earth, people were unable to understand what caused natural catastrophes, and other events in nature because they had no means of doing so. At the beginning of civilization, the only explanation of such destructive occurrences, and unknown phenomena was that a god, or gods created, and controlled everything that happened. For millennia, no one could make sense of the world they lived in.

People however are inquisitive, and often have vivid imaginations. Therefore, it may have been inevitable that people eventually overcame their fears, and began to understand the natural world which could be so violent, and destructive at times, but also so wonderful and bountiful at other times. As people began to make sense of the world around them, they also had an inherent desire to be free from the dominance of other people. Without individual freedom, the desire of each person to excel at what they do is discouraged, because without individual freedom, people lack the ability to improve their lives in the manner they choose, and are normally unhappy about. Simply put, no one likes to be told how he or she should live his or her life.

It was about 4,500 BC when civilization first began in Mesopotamia in an area known as the fertile crescent which was an arc shaped region along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Kuwait and Iraq stretching westward over to Syria and Israel. That was when the first language in writing was formed and is known as cuneiform writing.

Other regions such as Egypt, India, and China developed civilizations around a thousand years later. During this time, there were advancements in technology such as forging metal like iron and in the construction of houses, buildings, roads and monuments. Along with the advancement of civilization came societal organization, and the most powerful men set up governments to organize, and sometimes dictate other people's lives. Great cities were built in Babylon, Egypt, Crete, India and China, but overall progress towards advancing civilization, and the standard of living was slow.

Then between 600 BC and 400 BC on the Greek island of Samos, and other Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, people began to think critically about the world around them, and tossed aside any notions that Gods such as Marduk was the creator of earth. For the first time it was discovered that the cause of life, the earth, and the universe were knowable by means of observation, and experiment, as they believed that there was an internal order of events, objects, and occurrences that could be understood instead of feared.

It was in the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea known as Ionia, where science was first born. There were many seaports with sailors, traders, and merchants from all around the Mediterranean free from any central authority, or government oversight as they traded freely, and exchanged ideas freely. There was free thought and inquiry between everyone, and reading and writing became prevalent among the average man. They abandoned superstitious beliefs in favor of using a reasoned approach to understanding nature, and solving practical problems. Many of these educated men were also skilled with their hands, since they were the sons of men who made a living with their hands. Combined with unlimited individual freedoms there were many new inventions, and advancements in technology as the scientific method came about.

The first scientist was Thales who lived in Miletus along a narrow strait of water across from the island of Samos. He discovered how to measure the height of an object by measuring the length of the suns’ shadow, and the angle of the sun above the horizon. He also developed geometric theorems that were later used by Euclid, such as the angles at the base of an isosceles triangle are equal. From observation, he believed that the earth might have been formed by processes similar to the layers of silt deposited in the Nile river delta. His theory wasn't sufficient to explain the Earth's formation, but his approach to the problem was most important in that he didn't credit, or imagine that a god such as Marduk created the earth. Instead he favored logic and reason in attempting to understand the world around him. Even if Thales had thought that a god might have been responsible for initiating earth's creation, then that god would also have had to set up a process to create the earth, and heavens, and all laws of nature. Therefore, all Thales was doing like every scientist has done ever since, was just to try and understand a certain process, object, or event regardless of who, or what is responsible.

As for other Ionian scientists, one known as Democritus believed that all matter was made of very, very small particles, which he called atoms. He also came close to solving the problem of finding the volume of a cone that would have required differential and integral calculus.

Anaximander accurately determined the length of day and he speculated that life arose from more simple forms of life.

Empedicles discovered air as a substance that exerted pressure, and believed it was so finely divided that it was invisible.

Then there was the engineer Theodorus who is credited by the Greeks for inventing the lathe, carpenters square, the level, the ruler, the key, bronze casting, and central heating. There were other scientists as well, and it wasn't long before science spread to Greece, Egypt, and throughout the world around the Mediterranean Sea.

Why did science first begin in Ionia? How come it didn't begin in the cities of Greece, Egypt, Babylon and China? Ionia is comprised of many towns scattered about on many islands, points, inlets and straits, and as a result of such geography there was no centralization of government authority in the region. There were no restrictions on how the people plied their trades. No government to impede their activities in pursuit of creating a better life for themselves, and their families.

In the empires, and cities of Persia and Egypt, where governments were set up to rule over everyone, progress was thwarted as people were taxed, and sometimes forced into slavery. Centralized authority wasn't possible in Ionia because towns were small and dispersed among many islands and a mainland broken up by many points and inlets.

As a result, the people in Ionia flourished because they were allowed to freely exercise their thoughts, skills and ambitions to create a better life for themselves without the authority from some ruler who determines how people should live their life. Individual liberty was their key to success.

Eventually by around 400 B.C. the Greek empire grew, and Ionia came under its control. Then from about the years 332 B.C. to 329 B.C., Alexander the Great expanded the Greek empire when he and his army conquered all of the known world around the Mediterranean Sea including North Africa, and as far east as the Indus River in western India. Afterwards, Ionia never regained its past glory, but science continued on in the Ionian tradition in Alexandria, Egypt where the greatest library and research center of the ancient world ever existed.

By the time Greece fell, science had spread around the Mediterranean to places such as Rome, which was becoming established as an important center of business and trade. Rome had developed a high standard of living for the time, and the people were free to live as they chose until an empire began to form. In 49 B.C. and afterwards, a growing empire under the Caesars expanded state powers, taxed its citizens, waged wars, and had slaves.

The empire lasted until about 400 A.D. when the citizens would no longer support it. Outlying regions of the empire didn't comply with a big government that created a society of people subservient to the state. The Roman Empire was also a large area with many different cultures from Gaul to Persia and north Africa, so keeping them all in line under one central authority was no easy task, and perhaps bound to fail anyhow. Once the government was gone, many people who were dependent upon it may have been lost without a clue how to take care of themselves.

Once government authority crumbled the mob took over. Even the library in Alexandria was pillaged as mobsters killed the last known Ionian scientist Hypatia when she was beaten and dragged around by a horse. Science had been under government authority for a long time, and many people including the Christians resented the Roman Empire, and anything associated with it such as science. Therefore, when the empire crumbled the advancement of science ceased since it was supported by the state.

Due to ignorance, and moral decadence in society, science and civilization suffered a huge setback as the dark ages then followed and held sway for 1000 years. That was a shame because so much knowledge was lost, and just a few pieces written on papyrus scrolls were ever salvaged from the library in Alexandria. For example, we know that Sophocles produced 128 stories and plays of which only seven were saved from destruction. One was Oedipus the King.

During the dark ages science was for the most part lost, but during the 1500's and 1600's in western Europe, science began to be rediscovered in part from what little knowledge was saved from a thousand of years before. Men such as Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton made many discoveries that are fundamental to understanding science and nature, and explorers like Columbus, Magellan, Weymouth and Vasco de Gama opened up a vast new world that was unknown.

The people of countries like Spain, Portugal, France, and England began to benefit as life improved, but the one place that flourished more than any other was Holland in the 1600's. After Holland broke free from the rule of Spain, it adopted a capitalist way of life, which allowed the freedom for people to pursue their ambitions without oversight. Science benefited as well because with little government oversight and taxation, scientists had free reign to do what they pleased. There were inventions such as the telescope, microscope, printing presses, mechanical clocks, improved compasses, maps and other navigational tools like the sextant.

With the invention of the telescope, Galileo of Italy discovered the four large moons of Jupiter, and Christian Huygens of Holland discovered the rings around Saturn, and measured the size of the planets. Huygens also invented the pendulum clock, and accurately calculated centrifugal force as well. Lewenhoeks invention of the microscope led to many discoveries in biology and medicine.

As the Dutch prospered, they also had many sailing ships that went all over the world for trade purposes. However, Dutch prosperity didn't last because the growing state feared that too much profit in the hands of individuals was bad, so the state took control of business. For example, the Dutch East India Company was state controlled.

The next time there were unlimited freedoms was in the United States of America. It was no accident that the U.S. has prospered, and advanced civilization more than anyone else, anywhere, and ever. The freedom to pursue ones goals was what started the industrial revolution, since people were not taxed, and regulated for their doings. The result is that individual people living in America went on to inventing the internal combustion engine, refining oil, cars, airplanes, telephones, television, computers, modern rockets, submarines, and lots of other things making up a long list. Freedom of the people is why the U.S. is the most affluent civilization ever, and a great to place live.

Unfortunately the roots of socialism/Marxism crept into American life slowly and stealthily. In 1913 an income tax was imposed permanently upon the people, as well as other taxes afterwards to support an ever-expanding government. Taxes and regulations work in tandem to bring private enterprise under its control, and are a persistent drag on the economy. Along with increasing control over business, government also controls most scientific research since it subsidizes most of it.

Overall the American people still have more freedom than most other countries, but during the course of the last 100 years there were encroachments here and there, and over the years so many laws have accumulated that people need to be careful that they are not in violation of some law however minor and stupid the law might be. Taxes and regulations only serve to siphon off productivity among individual people and their families as they have less money after taxation, and also waste time, effort, and money when learning and complying with all the laws.

All these new laws cover nearly every aspect of civilization, except the Internet. However, greedy politicians hungry for tax revenues to spend on pet projects are looming on the horizon with an eye on imposing sales tax on Internet sales. The one last place still free from government control, and the government just can't help itself to not leave it alone. At least president Bush has extended the ban for another two years in an effort to stave off the tax hounds on the left.

In addition, biological and medical science may soon be restricted due to bans on cloning different types of human's cells, such as embryonic stem cells. If that happens, progress would most likely be retarded. It would be terrible for many people suffering from all types of chronic illness and injury if they are denied a chance of a cure, or at least some relief from their suffering.

Due to the freedom people have had in America, science has advanced far more than anywhere and anytime. Consequently, a lot of knowledge has been attained, and it is increasing faster to the point where we can see a logical way of curing many serious afflictions that people suffer from in the near future. It would benefit civilization greatly if the sick and disabled were cured, and thus reduce their numbers to the point where very few people are needed to take care of those who need help. No doctor-assisted suicides would be necessary, and thus a moot point if medical science were to cure most if not all diseases and injuries. It is all possible, but allowing government oversight gums up the works of people who are trying to find cures for the sick and injured.

Just look at how slow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is at approving drugs, and various medical procedures aimed at helping or curing people from their afflictions. Also, there is the time and effort scientists expend writing for government grants. Why not end most taxation so various corporations, involved in scientific research and development, can afford to hire many more scientists who only do scientific research and development, with no other obligations. With little or no taxes, individual scientists would have more freedom and money to work on their own. Some of them would probably make surprising discoveries that advance technology and our standard of living.

An example of the government dictating what scientists can, or cannot do, is cloning. Government, as well as president Bush feels the need to ban human cloning because it might destroy a potential human life. However, a lot, if not most cloning research only involves cloning cells of certain body parts such as organs, skin, blood, spinal cord and brain cells. Therefore, the government should just leave the scientists alone. That goes for other people as well.

In the U.S. and other countries, all that is needed for a government is for a national defense to protect the country from any foreign aggressors. Any issues dealing with social matters like health care, education, roads, etc. and the taxes and bureaucracy needed to pay for them should be left to local governments, if one exists.

The U.S. government, and all others should restrain themselves if they want the best for the people. However, that is unlikely to happen since the natural tendency of all governments is to grow, and ultimately seize absolute power over the people. Therefore the people, including scientists should oppose government growth in order to keep it in check, if not trounce it every now and then. History shows that when there are unlimited freedoms for all people, science proceeds quicker than when it is hindered by regulation, bureaucracy and a lack of money meted out by the government.

The standard of living also increases greatly due to many scientific discoveries. Therefore the people shouldn't allow the government to tax and regulate them very much, or not at all because people free from government are the source of wealth and ingenuity. Not the state, or government of any sort.

Jeff Hall is the owner of Main Skeptic where he presents his excellent educational articles on the subject of more freedom and less government. Jeff defines his website as follows:

A Skeptics Site for 
Individual Liberty and Little Government 
Tax Free ==>> State Free ==>> Individual Liberty

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