Think like a Scientist, Act like a Doctor

Think like a scientist, act like a doctor. That’s how I try to approach politics and economics. It’s my standard, by which I measure the good and the true and which provides a point of reference for self-correction. Without ideals, there is no progress towards the good and the true. Of course, ideals are also a source of great harm and suffering, what with their affinity for the bad and the false. But, then, to truly think like a scientist counteracts the excesses of idealism.

The dark side of idealism is often the result of arrogance and certainty: I know what will fix the world. I have the answer. It’s self-evident. It’s obvious. Only fools and villains think otherwise.

In contrast, the spirit of science is that of humility. You don’t know for sure. You could be wrong.. What seems to be the case may not be the case at all. And yet the scientific project is predicated on hope: you can get closer to the truth through careful application of the Method: come up with testable hypotheses, make sure they’re falsifiable, and systematically test each one. Be transparent about your data and procedures, so others can critique your approach or try to replicate your findings.

Like scientists, medical doctors appreciate their own limitations. Yet they are tasked with making important decisions – possibly life-and-death decisions – despite not knowing for sure they’ve got it right.  Wait and see? Try something? Try something else?  All the while observing and thinking and investigating further. Doctors need to be willing to act boldly, willing to do nothing, and willing to change their minds. Because the health of the patient is what’s important – not a foolish consistency with past opinions.

So it should be when the body politic is the patient.