Freedom and Restriction in Science and its Aspects in Society

203 Pages·1955·5.059 MB·English

by  H. Wagenvoort, G. E. Langemeijer, I. Samkalden (auth.)

FREEDOM AND RESTRICTION IN SCIENCE
AND ITS ASPECTS IN SOCIETY
CONGRESS PROMOTED BY THE
NETHERLANDS UNIVERSITY
FOR THE DISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECT
FREEDOM AND RESTRICTION
IN SCIENCE
AND ITS ASPECTS IN SOCIETY
THE HAGUE, 17 AND 18 SEPTEMBER 1954
THE HAGUE / MARTINUS NIJHOFF / 1955
Tbis congress was organized by the Board of "Rectores Magnifici"
(Vice Chancellors) of the Universities in the Netherlands.
Notable co-operation was received from the DeUt and National
Committee of "World University Service".
Copyright I955 by Martinus Nijhotl. The Hague. Netherlatfds
Softco~'er reprint ol/he hard{.'over Isl edition 1955
All rights reserved, including Ihe right to translah OT to
reproduce this book OT parts thereof in any form
ISBN 978-94-011-8396-3 ISBN 978-94-011-9099-2 (eBook)
00//0.1007/978-94-011-9099-2
Patroness
H.M. THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS
Honorary Chairman
H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF THE NETHERLANDS
Organizing Committee
PROF. H. WAGENVOORT, CHAIRMAN
PROF. J.P. SCHOUTEN,SECRETARY
Members
PROF. W. H. ARISZ
PROF. J. N. BAKHUIZEN V. D. BRINK
PROF. E. J. DIJKSTERHUIS
PROF. J. M. ROMEIN
PROF. CH. J. J. N. PETIT
PROF.T.H.THUNG
PROF. G. GONGGRIJP
PROF. A. L. DE BLOCK
PROF. H. DOOYEWEERD
Speakers
DR. J. M. BURGERS, professor of aero- and hydrodynamies at the
Technological University of Delft.
DR J. A. J. PETERS, C. SS. R, professor of metaphysics at the Roman
Catholic University of Nijmegen.
DR R. KRONIG, professor in theoretical physics at the Technological Uni
versity of Delft.
Pre-advisers
G. E. LANGEMEIJER, extraordinary professor 1) in the introduction to
the science of laws and philosophy of law at the State University
of Leyden.
DR W. F. WERTHEIM, professor of the history and sociology of Indonesia
at the Municipal University of Amsterdam.
DR H. W. JULIUS, professor of hygienics at the State University of Utrecht.
DR H. J. Pos, professor of theoretical philosophy and the history of
philosophy at the Municipal University of Amsterdam.
DR A. G. M. VAN MELSEN, professor in the introduction to philosophy,
logic, logistics and natural philosophy at the Roman Catholic University
ofNijmegen
Debaters
DR I. SAMKALDEN, professor in legal and political science at the
AgricuItural University of Wageningen.
DR P. J. BOUMAN, professor of sociology at the State University
of Groningen.
DR M. G. PLATTEL Ü.P., professor in philosophical normative
sociology at the Roman Catholic Economic University of Tilburg.
G. GONGGRIJP, professor in the oriental economics and the economic
history of Indonesia, at the Economic University of Rotterdam;
extraordinary professor 1) at the Municipal University of Amsterdam.
DR M. C. COLENBRANDER, professor in ophthalmology at the State Uni
versity of Leyden.
B. H. KAZEMIER, extraordinary professor 1) in methodology and
philosophy at the Economic University of Rotterdam.
DR D. WIERSMA, extraordinary professor 1) of forensie psychiatry at
the State University of Leyden.
DR C. J. DIPPEL, chemist in the employ of the "N.V. Philips' Gloeilampen
fabriek" at Eindhoven.
DR K. KUIJPERS, professor in theoretical philosophy and the
history of philosophy after the Middle Ages, at the State University of
Utrecht.
') Extraordinary professoriates exist in subjects which do not take a sufficiently
important place in the academic teaching system to warrant the appointment of
an "ordinary" (or fnIl) professor.
CONTENTS
H. Wagenvoort
INAUGURAL ADDRESS •
THE VALUE OF SCIENCE I.M. Burgers 5
ADDRESS OF WELCOME TO HER MAJESTY
QUEEN JULIANA . • H. Wagenvoort 22
THE LIMITS OF SCIENCE J.A.J. Peters 24
ON THE BOUNDARIES OF SCIENCE R. Kronig 41
PRE-ADVICES AND DISCUSSIONS
ASPECTS OF FREEDOM AND RESTRICTION
IN THE SCIENCES • • G.E. Langemeijer 61
DEBATE ABOUT PROF. G. E. LANGE
MEIJER'S PRE-ADVICE ON 'ASPECTS OF
FREEDOM AND RESTRICTION IN THE
SCIENCES' •••••••••..• I. Samkalden 80
PROF. LANGEMEIJER'S ANSWER TO PROF.
SAMKALDEN . 83
DEBATE ABOUT PROF. G. E. LANGE
MEIJER'S PRE-ADVICE ON 'ASPECTS OF
FREEDOM AND RESTRICTION IN THE
SCIENCES' . • • • • • • • • . . • P.J. Bouman 84
PROF. LANGEMEIJER'S ANSWER TO PROF.
BOUMAN. • • • • • • • • . . • • 88
ASPECTS OF FREEDOM AND RESTRICTION
IN SCIENCE • • ••••..•.• W.F. Wertheim 89
DEBATE ABOUT PROF. W. F. WERTHEIM'S
PRE-ADVICE ON 'ASPECTS OF FREEDOM
AND RESTRICTION lN SCIENCE' M.G. Plattel O.P. 106
PROF. WERTHEIM'S ANSWER TO PROF.
PLATTEL .•.• 108
x
CONTENTS
DEBATE ABOUT PROF. W. F. WERTHEIM'S
PRE-ADVICE ON 'ASPECTS OF FREEDOM
AND RESTRICTION IN SCIENCE' G. Gonggrijp 110
PROF. WERTHEIM'S ANSWER TO PROF.
GONGGRIJP • • • • • • • • 114
THE CONSEQUENCES OF FREEDOM,AND
RESTRICTION IN MEDICAL SCIENCE H.W. Julius 116
DEBATE ABOUT PROF. H. W. JULIUS' PRE
ADVICE ON 'THE CONSEQUENCES OF
FREEDOMAND RESTRICTION IN MEDI-
CAL SCIENCE'. • • • • . • • • • • M.C. Colenbrander 139
DEBATE ABOUT PROF. H. W. JULIUS' PRE
ADVICE ON 'THE CONSEQUENCES OF
FREEDOM AND RESTRICTION IN MEDI-
CAL SCIENCE' •••••• B.H. Kazemier 144
RESPONSIBILITY IN THE HUMANISTIC
SCIENCES •• H.]. POS 148
DEBATE ABOUT PROF. H. J. POS' PRE
ADVICE ON 'RESPONSIBILITY IN THE
HUMANISTIC SCIENCES' •••••• G. Gonggrijp 163
SUMMARY OF PROF. H. J. POS' ANSWER TO
PROF. G. GONGGRIJP. • 167
DEBATE ABOUT PROF. H. J. POS' PRE
ADVICE ON 'RESPONSIBILITY IN THE
HUMANISTIC SCIENCES' •.•.•.• K. Kuypers 168
SUMMARY OF PROF. H. J. POS' ANSWER TO
PROF. K. KUYPERS 173
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SCIENTIST A.G.M. van Melsen 174
SUMMARY OF THE DEBATE AB OUT PROF.
A. G. M. VAN MELSEN'S PRE-ADVICE
ABOUT 'THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
SCIENTIST' ••••.....••. D. Wiersma 186
CONTENTS XI
SUMMARY OF PROF. VAN MELSEN'S
ANSWER TO PROF. WIERSMA 187
SUMMARY OF THE DEBATE ABOUT PROF.
A. G. M. VAN MELSEN'S PRE-ADVICE
ABOUT 'THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
SCIENTIST' • C.J. Dippel 188
SUMMARY OF PROF. VAN MELSEN'S
ANSWER TO DR DIPPEL 189
CONCLUDING WORDS H. Wagenvoort 190
REMARKS, DR C. J. DIPPEL WOULD HAVE
WISHED TO MAKE AS A DEBATER WITH
REGARD TO THE PRE-ADVICE BY PROF.
W. F. WERTHEIM ON 'ASPECTS OF
FREEDOM AND RESTRICTION IN SCIEN
CE', IF THERE HAD BEEN TIME • . . 191
PROF. WERTHEIM'S WRITTEN ANSWER TO
DR DIPPEL'S REMARKS. . . • • • • 194
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
by H. WAGENVOORT
Your Excel1ency,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the commencement of our activities it falls to me to bid you
welcome on behalf of the Dutch Universities and on behalf of the
Organizing Committee.
We are greatly rejoiced that our appeal to consider questions
of fundamental importance for the development of Dutch
science 1) met with such wide response.
I particularly wish to address a few words of welcome to :
His Excellency the Minister of Statutory Trade Organization;
the Members of the Council of State and the High Court of
the N etherlands;
the Boards of Governors of the Universities;
the representatives of the national and regional societies and
organisations in the scientific field, amongst whom I may be
permitted to mention in particular:
the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences,
the Royal Dutch Institute of Engineers,
the Royal Dutch Society for the Furtherance of Medicine,
the Organization for the Research of Applied Physical
Science,
the Organization for Pure Scientific Research.
His Excellency the Ambassador of the United States to his and
our regret was prevented by official duties from accepting our
invitation to attend this congress.
His Exceilency the Minister of Education and the Govemor of
the Province of South Holland I rejoice to say, will be present
this afternoon.
We, as weil as he himself, regret that the Burgomaster of The
Hague had to excuse himself. We appreciate it the more that the
municipal authorities have been so kind as to offer us a reception
in the old townhall this afternoon, at which the deputy burgo
master has expressed himself willing to do the honours. We wish
to offer him our well-meant thanks.
1) "science" will be used to mean systematic and formulated knowledge.
2 H. WAGENVOORT
To you, gentlemen of the board of vice-chancellors, who are
really the chief personages to-day, I come last. For you after all
are our principals and you speak through USo
I should like to express the hope that our work will not fall too
far short of your expectations, and that at the elose you may be
able to look back on a successful enterprise.
The occasion giving rise to this congress will by now be general
ly known. The American University of Columbia in celebrating
its bi-centennial this year not only put the theme "Man's Right
to Knowledge and the free Use thereof" in the limeHght of its own
people, but it also induced the whole of the civilized world to
consider that theme and the questions it raised. For the Nether
lands this request reached the Senate of Leyden University, and
its vice-chancellor, Prof. Duyvendak, was warmly in favour of
the idea that in our country this and similar questions shouid be
discussed in a congress. He brought the matter before the board
of vice-chancellors and each vice-chancellor brought it before his
own s.enate. That the reactions were somewhat divergent was
especially the resuIt of the fear some feit that a congress held at
an American instigation would bear too Httle of areal Dutch
character, whilst besides this many were of opinion that the
subject needed elaboration. The theme Columbia had chosen
might easily lead one to think of knowledge only as the resuIt of
the pursuit of science, whilst the problems one is faced with are
inherent in its pursuance from the very beginning.
The board of vice-chancellors unanimously decided in favour
of organizing a congress, whilst taking the wishes that had been
expressed into account. It appointed an Organizing Committee
and it was only natural that Prof. Duyvendak was asked to be
chairman. Alas - so on after he started on the work, a serious
illness seized hirn, from which he was not to recover. Not only his
branch of science - the Chinese language and literature - thus
sustained a heavy loss, and not only Leyden University, but our
whole country and people. For on the one hand he was the
acknowledged authority in his field and a credit to Dutch science,
and on the other he was a most engaging personality. Now that
we have to miss hirn here to-day I should like to request you to
rise from your seats for a moment in order to devote your
thoughts to hirn in grateful remembrance.