The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-09-26

This cnodition of debility amongst
the bourgeois scientists contrasting
with the growth of science
across the Soviet border was wildly
brought out at recent Congress on
The History of Science and Tech
biology that was held In London In
June. For the first time, delega-
ton of scientists who use MARKHAM
dialectics met the intellectually free"
minds Of capitalism. The delegation
was headed by Bucharin. We will
let a. Cambridge professor, NBernal,
express the reaction of capitalism's
best.
What was impressive about the
discussion was not so much the anti
thesis Of the Importance Of the indi-
Y1dual and the mass-that we were
familiar enough Without the totally
different attitude displayed towards
the history of science. 1t was quite
apparent that on the English side
both the historians and the scientists
were, as far as the history of science
was concerned, essentially amateurs.
Primarily each pursued his own
branch, with occasional attempts at
correlating them. The Russians pro-
ceeded quite differently. The history
of science was plainly, vitality i'm
portart to them; it was not only an
academic study, but guide to action.
They proceeded integrally with the
social aspect dominant, in the past
as In the present. There could be
no effective argument. They had a
point of view, right or wrong; the
others had never thought it necessary
to acquire one"
The. professor proceeds: 1T will
take Some time to appreciate the eff
feet of this first contact between the
thought of the USSR and the west
ern world. In an immediate sense
it was a failure. The time was too
short, the gulf between the points
of view too great, for there to be
any real understanding. The Rus
slams came In a phalanx uniformly
armed with MARKHAM dialectic, but
they met no organized opposition, but
instead an indisciplined host, unpre-
pared and armed with ill-assorted in
dividua1 PHILOSOPHERS"
Mr. Bernal concludes: ''The more
intelligent of bourgeois scientists re-
alize the appalling inefdciency OF
Science at the present time, tied as
it isSto academic and impoverished
universities and to secretive and COM
petitive industries and national gov
ernIerts. This is not only in its ap-
plications which are fully effective
when ,noxious, but in its intellectual
processes themselves. They tolerate
this ineff1ciency because they see no
way out of it but slow spontaneous
organization, because it is taken as
the. price of dearly cherished indivi-
dual liberty of thought. In contrast
Ing relatively efficient mechanical
science.
There are $50 link research i1lsti-
tutes in the USSR, and 10000 re-
search workers. This forces on us
| two inSistent questions as to whether
our individualist methods In science
are not as obsolete and as effectively
doomed as was the craftsmanship
of the middle ages and whether after
all they are worth saving Is is bet
ter to be Intellectually free, but So
cially totally ineffective, or to become
a component part of system where
knowledge and action are joined for
one common purpose?"
These paragraphs explain them
selves. The bourgeois professor is
bewildered. He still thinks that ca
pitalism allows intellectual freedom
We recollect the professors who were
kicked out right here in America for
discussing Marx, or speaking against
war (only this year professor Miller
of Ohio state was given his walking
papers, for preaching pacifisln. But
he and the thousands whose thoughts
this represents are up against
a stone wall. The bourgeois econo-
mists foresaw eternal prosperity, or
ganized capitalism. collapse of the
economic plans of the Soviet Union.
They were shown up as amateurs.
The bourgeois scientists lived in the
clustered cells of universities or re-
search institutes attached to huge In
dustrial corporations. They brought
out inventions for war, for conpeti-
ton, for making of new millions by
their employers. They were turned out
by the overproduction they helped
create. They must orientate them
selves towards new life. Either OF
hope or disgust. The Soviet Union
intends inviting foreign scientists to
it's congresses, to participate in the
work of building Socialism. And In
the future Soviet Scientists will make
every effort to be present at foreign
congresses. Just as the honest peace
proposals Of the Soviet Union made
by Conrade Litvinov at the fake dis
armament conferences places in bold
relief the differences between two
civilizations so will the Soviet scien-
fists armed with Marxism hammer
down the remaining bikes OF CAPT.
talist knowledge.
IN THE LAND OF EQUALITY"