1. The Need of New Approaches - Kritische Stimmen zur ...

Chapter 9: The Thought Experiment
24 / 2002-03-07 - Prof. Hans Herbert VON ARNIM, c/o Forschungsinstitut für Öffentliche Verwaltung, Speyer.
Manuscript Print 2001 (Copy No.: 37)
Extract:
“The abolition of scientific freedom in the field of theoretical physics and the continuation of this state of affairs
over many decades, which has remained unnoticed by the public, really ought to attract great interest in a society
that actually occupies itself especially with scientific and political questions of a certain significance and even
pretends to address ethical standpoints in the natural sciences. Perhaps there are not-uninteresting conclusions to be
drawn from the ethics of the physicists over the last 80 years, as to the way in which scientists treat the public when
they feel themselves under no control.
Your well-known public commitment through criticism of certain questionable developments in our democracy,
even against the massive interests of those criticized, has prompted us to send you our documentation and to ask
you for journalistic help in the reintroduction of scientific freedom in the field of theoretical physics. Your book,
“Das System - Die Machenschaften der Macht” [The System - The Intrigues of Power], which appeared last year,
characterizes with its subtitle exactly the situation existing in academic theoretical physics since 1922, and the FAZ
review of your book added, to top it all, the title “Kartell des Schweigens” [Cartel of Silence]. It is precisely this, a
cartel of concealment and slander, that governs theoretical physics and prevents an open and free discussion of the
criticism of the special theory of relativity. At the same time this is also very much a matter of public-law concern,
since the field of theoretical physics in the Federal Republic of Germany is almost entirely maintained from
taxpayers’ money, which is used by the powers that be in physics to silence the critics and to bring any possible
related research to a standstill. This is a clear misuse of taxpayers’ money that was originally intended to serve the
purpose of research, which can only be conducted in a free environment and can only be advanced by criticism.
Where persons taking an active role are civil servants, they have taken an oath on the constitution and must at all
times stand up for the protection of basic rights, to which - not least - the freedom to research and to teach belongs.”
25 / 2002-03-07 - Prof. Ulrich BECK, c/o Inst. f. Soziologie der Universität München.
Manuscript Print 2001 (Copy No.: 38)
Extract:
“Your well-known journalistic commitment and the research field of “Wissenssoziologie” [Sociology of
Knowledge] of your institute have moved us to send you our documentation and to ask you for journalistic help in
the reintroduction of scientific freedom in the field of theoretical physics. This field is controlled by a cartel of
concealment and slander that prevents an open and free discussion of the criticism of the special theory of relativity.
At the same time this is also very much a matter of public-law concern, since the field of theoretical physics in the
Federal Republic of Germany is almost entirely maintained from taxpayers’ money, which is used by the powers
that be in physics to silence the critics and to bring any possible related research to a standstill. This is a clear
misuse of taxpayers’ money that was originally intended to serve the purpose of research, which can only be
conducted in a free environment and can only be advanced by criticism. Where the persons actively involved here
are civil servants, they have taken an oath on the constitution and must at all times stand up for the protection of
basic rights, to which - not least - the freedom to research and to teach belongs.”
2012
26 / 2002-03-07 - CORRIERE DELLA SERA, Editorial Office. Milano.
Manuscript Print 2001 (Copy No.: 48)
27 / 2002-03-07 - DEUTSCHES PATENT- UND MARKENAMT, Register of Copyrights. München.
Manuscript Print 2001 (Copy No.: 35)
28 / 2002-03-07 - UNIVERSITÄTSBIBLIOTHEK ERLANGEN-NÜRNBERG, Manuscript Section. Erlangen.
Manuscript Print 2001 (Copy No.: 50)
29 / 2002-03-07 - L’ESPRESSO [News Magazine], Editorial Office “Cultura”. Roma.
Manuscript Print 2001 (Copy No.: 49)
30 / 2002-03-07 - L’EXPRESS [News Magazine], Fields of: Culture, Investigation. Paris.
Manuscript Print 2001 (Copy No.: 45)
31 / 2002-03-07 - LE FIGARO, Directeur de la Rédaction. Paris.
Manuscript Print 2001 (Copy No.: 46)
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G. O. Mueller: STR