Reflection In The Risk Society, Science And Technology Value System

Facing diversified science and technology risks form which are caused by the development of science, technology and industry, the contemporary society is undergoing an ultimacy change. It not noly displays out with the form of realistic disasters, but changes entire society and its organization form. Thereupon, from the later stage of the 20th century, the operation logic of (classical) industrial society which was dominant by wealth is replaced by the operation logic of (industrial) risk society which is dominant by risk gradually. Under the background of global risk society, science and technology develops with insuperable contradictions. On the one part, science and technology has become the main maker of contemporary risk, on the other part, science and technology will still be regarded as important means for controling the risk and handling the problems.Therefore, science and technology which stay in the contemporary risk must face the change of theirselves'position and role .Science and technology can not be looked upon as the implement simply anymore.The value of science and technology(VST) that exists as a form of system must be known and got sufficient regard. In the contemporary society, the value system of science and technology (VSST) has already evolved and became a highly developed system and stayed in important position in the society. Under the global world risk background, through the analysis of reflexive change of the VSST, it will be of great significance not noly to the science and technology which seek the power and opportunity for theirselves'liberation, but to seek sustainable development between human being and the nature.Basing on Beck and Giddens' risk society theory and Marxian axiology principle, this thesis has analysed the changing pattens of the VSST from the (classical) industrial society to the (industrial) risk society. Using the method of logic being unifyed with history and comparative analysis, and from the crossing epistemology viewpoint of actualism and constuctralism, the historial pectination and characteristic analysis have been maken to the existence form of the VSST.The key research of the thesis is analysing the VSST's historical changing course from the (classical) industrial society to the (industrial) risk society. The basical characteristic of the contemporary VSST is its reflexivity. On the basis of integrating the Beck and Giddens' reflexivity concept, the thesis focuses on the reflexivity changing pattern of the VSST and the rebuilding power got from that reflexivity.First, the thesis has carried out examination on risk society theory, and defined detailedly the concept and connotation of the VSST for providing theory background and the concept basis (including the Introduction and the 1st chapter).The practice basis of the VST has stipulated the structure and characteristics of the VSST. The system composed of various science and technology's values is objective base of the whole VSST which includs inherent and social values of science and technology . Different science and technology values have formed based on those values which mainly incarnate the inherent norm and social norm of the science and technology which have the important direction function in the VSST. The realistic practice of the VST including the creation and realization of the VST is formed based on the foregoing factors. The VSST is an united entirety which is composed of the VST, science and technology values, realistic movement of the VST. It has obvious subjective and the social historical characteristic. The VSST has the obvious subjectivity and social historical character which evolves with the evolution of history based on its own rationality.Secondly, this thesis has analysed detailedly the existing form and the structure characteristic of the VSST in the (classical) industrial society which provides a contrast basis for its form changing (relating to the 2nd chapter).In the (classical) industrial society, the VSST mainly took on an existing form of one-side. This one-side characteristic embodied in three aspects: one-side development of the system composed of science and technology's values and the science and technology values; the disembedding of the VST's creation and the resulting one-side confiding relationship with expert system; the hiding of science and technology risk in the realization of the VST. The One-side VSST had its history rational. This was decided by the social historical characteristic of the VSST. First, the one-side VSST accorded with the fundamental need of the VST's subject at that time. Within limited science and technology risk range, it had showed great effect for driving and accumulating material wealth such as economy. Besides, based on meeting the subject development need and accommodating to the productive force development level, the one-side VSST could form a coherent unified chain in its inside key elements which took on a ensuing virtuous circle process, and so the one-side VSST had the history rationality. The break in modernization leads to the changing from the (classical) industrial society to the (industrial) risk right society. This made the rational base of the one-side VSST shake and futher advance the form changing of it from one-side to reflexivity.Finally, on the base of analysis of reflexivity theories in risk society, this thesis has clarified the reflexive changing of the VSST from the (classical) industrial society to the (industrial) risk society which include the changing of the characteristics, construction, function and run mechanism of the VSST (relating to the 3rd and the 4th chapter). The thesis also discussed the reconstruction of the contemporary VSST according to its reflexivity characteristic (the 5th chapter).Based on Beck and Giddens'reflexivity theories, the reflexivity of the VSST embodys maily in the following two stages: In the first stage, it embodys the self-confrotation of the VSST——the negative value born in the development process of the VSST's every elements resists conversely its own basis; In the second stage, it embodys the reflective application of the self-confrotation by the whole VSST——the VSST's self-reflection or self-examination and self-amend.At the fierst stage, the emergence of new science and technology risk in risk society is indicating the breakdown of the one-side VSST. This new risk not only advances the formation of the reflexive VSST but is the important manifestation of it. With the advancement of the contemporary science and technology risk, the VSST has started its self-confrotation change. This includes: the self-confrotation change of the system composed of science and technology's values; self-assault of the science and technology values; suspicions and challenges in the VST's creatation; contradiction in the realizing process of the VST. This self-confrotation is determinated by the contradiction development of the key elements in the VSST.This also opens the door for further self-reflection of the VSST in which new motivity and hope are hided.At the second stage, the reflexive VSST embodys cognition and rethought to the risk and "ignorance" produced by itself .Through this reflection, science and technology can change from"primary scientification"in (classical) industrial society period to "all-round scientification" in risk society period. Owing to this, the thesis has brought effort direction of the contemporary VSST's rebuilding: the unification of the system composed of obvious of science and technology's values; the self-reflection of the science and technology values; the democratizing management of the risk estimation of science and technology. The reflexive VSST requires that science and technology advances from closing to open, from autocracy to democratic.This process is a screw type rising course through the contradiction movement of its own inherent key elements.In short, the VSST's form changing from the (classical) industrial society to (industrial) risk society is the necessary logic of historic development and also embodys the development dialectics of science and technology itself. The reflexive VSST is the main existence form of the VST in this world risk society. And it is in the operation process of this reflexivity that contains the motivity and opportunity of the selfimproving and reconstructing of the VSST.