Nationalism and science can’t stay together

Most people connect Nationalism to these ‘good’ things and therefore follow it:

*A sense of belonging and unity: Nationalism can create a strong sense of identity and belonging to a national community, fostering a feeling of shared purpose and values.

*Social cohesion and cooperation: A strong national identity can promote social cohesion and cooperation, making it easier for people to work together for the common good.

*Identity and cultural pride: Nationalism can contribute to the preservation and promotion of national culture, language, and traditions, fostering a sense of national pride.

*Development and welfare: A strong sense of national unity can also contribute to economic development and the provision of social welfare programs.

*A strong message to your ‘enemies’: Nationalist movements send a strong message to your enemies that you are united and therefore cannot be defeated easily.

Image source: Shutterstock

Some people try to control the minds of others by limiting them to this narrow mindedness.

However, this doesn’t show the whole picture and there can be some negative aspects to it too:

*Exclusion and discrimination: Nationalist sentiments can sometimes lead to exclusion and discrimination against minority groups or those perceived as outsiders.

*Conflict and aggression: Extreme nationalism can fuel conflict and aggression, both within a nation and with other countries.

*Blindness to internal problems: Nationalist fervor can sometimes lead individuals to overlook or deny problems within their own country.

*Sovereignty and self-determination: The pursuit of national sovereignty and self-determination can sometimes come at the expense of other nations or international cooperation.

*It is not limited: Nationalism will not be just limited to one’s country if you get into it. You will also get into, ‘ only my state, city, caste, religion, party, my family’ kind of things. Your mind becomes very narrow.

*Creating Pseudo-science to support what you call ‘yours’: When you feel proud about your culture and tradition you feel all that is right without any flaws and try to support the negativity using pseudo-science. We India love our culture and traditions so much, we take the help of science to authenticate it.

Image source: Shutterstock

The important difference between science and pseudo-science is a difference in approach. While pseudo-science is only set up to look for evidence that supports its claims, science also accepts challenges and looks for evidence that might prove it false.
If a scientific depiction of the world is wrong, the scientific outlook allows us to accept this and seek a different picture. The scientific position is aimed at locating and removing the false claims - something that doesn't happen in pseudo-sciences. Instead of starting with the facts and reaching a conclusion, the pseudo-science promoters first take a conclusion and try to cherry pick facts to support it. Of course, sometimes there will be no facts, so they have to 'invent' them. (1)

Image source: brainy quotes

Wars and war-like situations bring nationalism to the forefront.

Recently after the brief Indo-Pak war, one of my friends joined a Nationalist group that was created soon after the ceasefire was declared. I was asked to join it too.

Then I asked my friend, “Love for your country and its people is great. But why should love stop at the borders? Why shouldn’t it spread to the whole world? The Entire Universe?”

Science is universal in nature. When you are a genuine person of science, you cannot go back to narrow mindedness. You cannot blindly follow nationalism when some negativity is attached to it.

However, some scientists can be nationalists, and history provides examples of this. While science is often considered a global and universal endeavor, individual scientists can be influenced by their national identity and values, sometimes to the point of influencing their scientific work. This can manifest in various ways, including using science to justify national goals, promoting scientific nationalism, or even collaborating with nationalistic movements.

While science is often presented as a neutral and objective pursuit, it is not immune to the influence of nationalistic sentiments. Scientists, like all individuals, can be influenced by their national identity and values, and this can sometimes affect their work and perspectives.

Throughout history, there have been examples of scientists who were heavily influenced by nationalist ideologies. For instance, some scientists were motivated by nationalist aspirations during the colonial era, aiming to advance science and technology to benefit their nation.

This is very bad for science. Collaboration between scientists from different countries can be a powerful tool for advancing scientific knowledge. However, this collaboration can be hampered by nationalistic sentiments, as scientists may prioritize national interests over broader scientific goals.

Modern science cannot progress much without cooperation and collaboration.

"Scientific nationalism" is a phenomenon where science is used to promote nationalistic agendas. This can involve promoting certain scientific theories or dismissing others based on their association with a particular nation or culture.

While nationalism can sometimes inspire restricted scientific advancements, it can also have negative consequences, such as limiting scientific collaboration and hindering the objective pursuit of knowledge.

In some cases, the scientific method, which emphasizes objective inquiry and evidence-based reasoning, can conflict with nationalist ideologies that rely on emotion and intuition.

Moreover, I feel all humanity is one and equal. If I find a cure to a disease, I cannot say, only my countrymen can use it. It will be for everyone on this planet. If scientists become so selfish because of nationalistic sentiments, science and humanity cannot progress.

I, therefore, think it is much better to be a “universalist” rather than a “nationalist”. I refused to join the nationalist movement.

Because most scientists are universalists, we could use vaccines and medicines to control diseases, and various procedures to save lives without any hindrance. We could produce better food. We could predict disasters and manage them well. Most importantly we got access to technology that protects our lives and brings comfort to our living rooms.

That is what science teaches, universalism, not narrow nationalism.

Image Source: Brainy quotes

Let nationalism be limited to war technology. Don’t try to bring it to the other aspects of science.

Although nationalism looks good on paper and people might feel proud about it, it is a disaster to humanity as a whole and its progress.

In real world situations, universalism is the best way to follow. Universalism takes a broader perspective, emphasizing shared human values, rights, and responsibilities across all nations and cultures. It often promotes a global perspective, where individuals are viewed as part of a larger human community.

The core difference lies in the scope of loyalty and focus. A nationalist prioritizes their nation, while a universalist prioritizes humanity as a whole.

I love human beings, living beings, wherever they are. My love doesn’t stop at the borders.

Then my friend asked me, “Do you give your cure to terrorists too?”

What should be the answer of a universalist then?

We differentiate between ‘good and bad’ behaviour. We punish bad behaviour. To make people who follow it understand that this type of behaviour is causing harm to humanity. And that they should stop it.

Didn’t the Indian armed forces differentiate between common people of Pakistan and terrorists and tried to minimize collateral damage? They tried to hit only the terrorists and their bases.

We don’t hate the common people, even if they belong to another country. We only despise bad thinking and behaviour originated from it, not people.

Nationalism and science can’t stay together.

Footnotes:

1. Love Science, not its impostors!