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

Chapter 9: The Thought Experiment
115 / 2002-08-06 - Prof. Peter WEINGART, Universität, Fachbereich 11. Bielefeld.
CD-ROM 1.1 (Copy No.: 65)
Extract:
“Dear Professor Weingart
We have learned from a contribution by Christoph Albrecht on “Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft: Umklammerung”
[Science and Society: Embracement] (FAZ, 12.6.02) of the interesting title of your book “Verhältnis der Wissenschaft
zu Politik, Wirtschaft und Medien in der Wissensgesellschaft” [The Relationship of Science to Politics, Business
and the Media in the Knowledge Society], and the viewpoints expressed in your book, as reported by Albrecht,
have moved us to draw your attention to our above-mentioned documentation, in which we give proof of the
abolition of scientific freedom in the field of theoretical physics in Germany, since approx. 1922.
Nothing in this situation has altered since the coming into force of the German Constitution, in which the
freedom to research and to teaching is anchored as a basic right, though for the field of theoretical physics this
exists solely on paper.”
116 / 2002-08-06 - Prof. Barbara ZEHNPFENNIG c/o Universität Passau, Professor for Political Theory. Passau.
CD-ROM 1.1 (Copy No.: 66)
Extract:
“Dear Professor Zehnpfennig
We have read with interest your committed contribution “Krämer im Tempel der Wissenschaft” [Dealers in the
Temple of Science] (FAZ, 22.5.02). You protest against capitalism as the ruler in matters of science and education,
you criticize the combinations of the most varied subjects as caricatures of the former “studium generale” [interfaculty
courses on general subjects], and the endless splitting and specialization of the subjects. On this last point
we would additionally like to draw attention to the consequence that, in connection with the superficiality of the
content of the courses of study criticized by you, the specialization leads to a situation in which the specialist fields
can no longer be mutually understood or controlled, and even happily refrain from casting a glance at the other
specialist fields, when they in turn can also remain uncontrolled and can behave and rule as they choose.
This constellation can readily lead to a completely uncontrolled particularism, which can have serious
consequences, as we show in the above-mentioned documentation. In the field of theoretical physics, cut off from
all external scrutiny through the supposed special difficulty of the subject matter, the freedom of science has been
done away with in Germany since 1922. Nor has anything changed in this situation since the coming into force of
the German Constitution, in which the freedom to research and to teach is anchored as a basic right, that for
theoretical physics, however, only exists on paper. [...]
We respectfully request that you convince yourself of the soundness of our documentation and, should the
occasion arise, that you discuss the question as to the freedom of science, in the field indicated, in the context of
your research. Perhaps you will be able to discover the motives behind the general unwillingness to recognize the
criticism, which contrasts so notably with an otherwise super-critical society and should be an exciting topic for
sociologists and science historians.”
117 / 2002-08-06 - Dieter E. ZIMMER c/o DIE ZEIT - Weekly Newspaper for Politics, Economics and
Culture. Hamburg. CD-ROM 1.1 (Copy No.: 67)
118 / 2002-08-22 - THE GUARDIAN, Science Editor. London.
CD-ROM 1.1 (Copy No.: 83)
119 / 2002-08-22 - THE OBSERVER, Editorial Office. London.
CD-ROM 1.1 (Copy No.: 85)
120 / 2002-08-25 - WIDENER LIBRARY, Acquisitions Department, Harvard University. Cambridge, Mass. USA.
CD-ROM 1.1 (Copy No.: 88)
121 / 2002-08-25 - Prof. Harry COLLINS c/o Cardiff University School of Social Sciences. Cardiff, UK.
CD-ROM 1.1 (Copy No.: 102)
Extract:
“Dear professor Collins,
we herewith send you a numbered copy of our privately produced CDROM with the text of our documentation
about the criticism of the special theory of relativity in the field of theoretical physics.
The documentation is written in German and has been generated and produced in the Federal Republic of
Germany. The purpose of our research project is to start a free and public international discussion on the special
theory of relativity. Since the persons and publications critical of the theory in the Western countries have been
suppressed and calumniated since 1922 as stupid or antisemitic by academic physics until today we prefer to
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G. O. Mueller: STR 2012