Just follow the science? Science in democracy

June 27, 2022, 7:00 p.m. (CEST)

Stuttgart Science Festival 2022
With Wolfgang Schäuble, Korinna Hennig and André Bächtiger

Time: June 27, 2022, 7:00 p.m. (CEST)
Venue: Hospitalhof Stuttgart
Büchsenstraße 33
70173   Stuttgart
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The Corona pandemic showed that scientific expertise is controversial in democracy. On the one hand, political decision-makers must be able to rely on expert knowledge; on the other hand, scientists cannot assume responsibility for genuine political decisions. But how can a productive exchange between experts, politicians and the general public be achieved under such conditions? How can we avoid a development that ends in polarization, the denial of scientific findings, or expertocracy? The call to “follow science!” might sound simple, but it also raises questions.

Wolfgang Schäuble knows the engine rooms of power like no one else, in both the Bundestag and in the Chancellor's Office. But have the roles of experts changed? Is it true that in a complex society the voice of science is given more weight? Korinna Hennig, in turn, has made media history with the NDR Corona podcast: Throughout the German-speaking world, the "Coronavirus Update" became a permanent fixture, reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners and gaining over 135 million hits. André Bächtiger has long been researching the conditions required for a reasoned exchange of arguments to succeed. The correct handling of expertise is also a central part in deliberation processes. Looking ahead to more aggravated climate policy debates in the future, we aim to explore the question of how science and politics are related, how they could relate to each other, and how they should relate to each other in our time.

Moderation: PD Dr. Felix Heidenreich (IZKT)

This event is organized by the International Center for Cultural and Technological Studies (IZKT) at the University of Stuttgart, the Stiftung Bundespräsident-Theodor-Heuss-Haus and the Evang. Bildungszentrums Hospitalhof Stuttgart, as part of the Stuttgart Science Festival 2022.

Foto von Wolfgang Schäuble
Wolfgang Schäuble
[Picture: Deutscher Bundestag]
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