Scientism and Values.pdf - Ludwig von Mises Institute

92 Scientism and Values
two important qualifiers: (1) the verb is thrown into a conditional
mode by the use of the auxiliary "would," and (2) the verb is not
the categorical "is," but the tentative "seem," with its suggestion
that one may be dealing only with appearances. This is followed
by "nothing more nor less," which is a purely rhetorical flourish,
evidently intended to make us feel that the author is going to be
definite, whereas he has just advised us' that he is not. What looks
like carefulness is mere evasiveness; this writer does not want to
assume the risk of saying what poverty is. Instances of such unwillingness
to make a firm declaratory statement are so numerous
that they almost constitute the style of a type of social science
writing. With the unwary reader, unfortunately, this style may
encourage confidence, whereas it should lead to challenge. 4
5. Appeals to Authority
In addition to a language simulating that of science, the
scientistic sociologists make use of an external means of persuasion
in the form of an appeal to authority. A common practice
with some of these writers when they are dealing with a
subject that is controversial or involved with value judgments is
to cite an impressive array of authorities. There is nothing improper
in itself, of course, about the invoking of authority. But
when we look at the method of certain of these authors, we are
likely to find that the authorities are other social scientists who
happen to share the particular view which is being presented.
What looks like an inductive survey of opinions may in fact be a
selection of ex parte pronouncements. Still, such marshalling of
authorities, often accompanied by a quotation from each to
heighten the sense of reality or conviction, can easily give the impression
that all authority is behind the view being advanced.
Thus many textbooks on social problems bristle with the names
of persons whose claims to authority may be quite unknown to
the reader, but whose solemn citation may be depended on to
exert a persuasive force. 5 One suspects that it is the appearance
rather than the real pertinence of the authority which is desired.
Along with this there is another, and a more subtle, kind of