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Fan Slants, v. 1, issue 1, September 1943
Page 16
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16.................................................................FAN SLANTS ology generally. The technocrats with whom I have talked personally seem to be a group of semi-literate graph-worshippers, and are not blessed with a scientific viewpoint. Propagandists pure and simple, they are as incapable of openminded and intelligent discussion as nay hard-shell Baptist. The scientific viewpoint is a hard thing to pin down in words, as difficult to define as any other attitude or way of looking at life. One phase is manifested in a strict impartiality. The true scientist has no pre-conceived idea of the truth; he attempts merely to find out [underlined] what the truth may be. He collects all possible data on the problem with which he is working, collates them, and attempts to deduce broad general truths from the experimentally proved facts before him. He is NOT looking for facts which will prove his theories; he is instead seeking theories which will best explain his known facts. Another im-portant point to consider is [underlined] controlled experimentation. In order to make a valid solution of a problem, each experiment must be so arranged that all factors bearing on the matter are fixed and static except for the one variable actually being studied. For example, if we were to attempt to find out the effect of synthetic foods on human beings, we would obtain two equally sized groups whose mental ratings and physical condition and training were as near alike as possible. We would keep them in identical environments---humidity, temperature, physical sur-roundings, activities, sleep--everything the same, except that we would feed one group a standard balanced diet of actual foods, and give the others the synthetics. Repeating the same test over and over with dif-ferent groups, and averaging the results would give us a quite accurate picture of just what effects synthetics would have on the race general-ly. An experiment without controls in worthless, for in that case we would not know [underlined] what caused our results. It may not be too obvious just how the scientific outlook could be applied to government, but a little thought will show about how it would work. Instead of debate in some legislative group of a flat or-der from some executive, each governmental problem (and I include every phase of human life as a governmental problem) would be solved by ex-perts, brain-trusters if you like, working in a scientific manner. In most cases, years and generations of careful study and experimentation would be necessary to give a final answer to any one problem; and it is obvious that the slowness of this method would necessitate temporary e-diots which would have to serve until definite information had been obtained. Nevertheless, existing knowledged would make it possible to frame a fairly satisfactory code of laws and regulations, which could be amended and revised, from time to time as new discoveries were made. A world dictatorship of force would be necessary to set such a sys-tem into motion. As mankind evolved, governmental control could grad-ually be relaxed, but with the present low level of general intelli-gence, and the vast body of misinformation and ignorance what passes for erudition with most people, the world government would have to have complete power for several generations to come. It is easy to see that we would have to suppress all prejudices and reactionary elements; all churches and religions, caplitalists, labor unions, farm blocs, politi-cal parties, and even such semi-religious lodges as the masons, knights of columbus and similar organizations. Then, if we were ever to pass control of things back to the people, we would have to develop a super race, and aristocracy of brains. We breed chickens for various traits (egg laying, meat production); why not apply principles of artificial selection to humanity? What I have in view is not forced matings; the person about to be married would be
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16.................................................................FAN SLANTS ology generally. The technocrats with whom I have talked personally seem to be a group of semi-literate graph-worshippers, and are not blessed with a scientific viewpoint. Propagandists pure and simple, they are as incapable of openminded and intelligent discussion as nay hard-shell Baptist. The scientific viewpoint is a hard thing to pin down in words, as difficult to define as any other attitude or way of looking at life. One phase is manifested in a strict impartiality. The true scientist has no pre-conceived idea of the truth; he attempts merely to find out [underlined] what the truth may be. He collects all possible data on the problem with which he is working, collates them, and attempts to deduce broad general truths from the experimentally proved facts before him. He is NOT looking for facts which will prove his theories; he is instead seeking theories which will best explain his known facts. Another im-portant point to consider is [underlined] controlled experimentation. In order to make a valid solution of a problem, each experiment must be so arranged that all factors bearing on the matter are fixed and static except for the one variable actually being studied. For example, if we were to attempt to find out the effect of synthetic foods on human beings, we would obtain two equally sized groups whose mental ratings and physical condition and training were as near alike as possible. We would keep them in identical environments---humidity, temperature, physical sur-roundings, activities, sleep--everything the same, except that we would feed one group a standard balanced diet of actual foods, and give the others the synthetics. Repeating the same test over and over with dif-ferent groups, and averaging the results would give us a quite accurate picture of just what effects synthetics would have on the race general-ly. An experiment without controls in worthless, for in that case we would not know [underlined] what caused our results. It may not be too obvious just how the scientific outlook could be applied to government, but a little thought will show about how it would work. Instead of debate in some legislative group of a flat or-der from some executive, each governmental problem (and I include every phase of human life as a governmental problem) would be solved by ex-perts, brain-trusters if you like, working in a scientific manner. In most cases, years and generations of careful study and experimentation would be necessary to give a final answer to any one problem; and it is obvious that the slowness of this method would necessitate temporary e-diots which would have to serve until definite information had been obtained. Nevertheless, existing knowledged would make it possible to frame a fairly satisfactory code of laws and regulations, which could be amended and revised, from time to time as new discoveries were made. A world dictatorship of force would be necessary to set such a sys-tem into motion. As mankind evolved, governmental control could grad-ually be relaxed, but with the present low level of general intelli-gence, and the vast body of misinformation and ignorance what passes for erudition with most people, the world government would have to have complete power for several generations to come. It is easy to see that we would have to suppress all prejudices and reactionary elements; all churches and religions, caplitalists, labor unions, farm blocs, politi-cal parties, and even such semi-religious lodges as the masons, knights of columbus and similar organizations. Then, if we were ever to pass control of things back to the people, we would have to develop a super race, and aristocracy of brains. We breed chickens for various traits (egg laying, meat production); why not apply principles of artificial selection to humanity? What I have in view is not forced matings; the person about to be married would be
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