A POSTCAPITALIST PARADIGM: THE COMMON GOOD OF ...

ham’s pioneering work on science in China has added to the already
known historical work that confirms that scientific and mathematical abstraction
was also well dispersed over the globe; in India, Arabia and
China. Earliest accounts of astronomy and mathematics come from
India, and Al-gebra was formulated in Arabia.
It is essential to remember these facts in order to get away from the
stereotype that science emerged in the 17 th century in Europe, and all
the problems on Earth can be traced to the European Enlightenment, of
the 18 th century. This is not to say that the 16 th century European colonialism
combined with the 18 th century industrial revolution did not contribute
to dividing the World into the rich and exploited categories, the
point is that it is not as if science originated in the 18 th century. Science,
in rudimentary to somewhat sophisticated forms, as empirical and increasingly
abstract knowledge existed wherever humans were, in particular,
in the ancient river valley civilizations, which were made possible
through a better understanding of nature’s functioning’s in those times.
It is the combination of science with the political category called colonialism
that began dividing the world into more and more rich and poor
nations, and with the advent of the industrial revolution, it is science
combined with capitalism that transformed the World into rich and poor
nations; a transformation that persists under the particular form of capitalism
of today, namely, neoliberalism. Science therefore was harnessed
first to colonialism, later to capitalism and is now at the cutting edge of
neoliberalism.
For a new vision, the question is: can science be harnessed to some
other political category other than capitalism that may lead to the common
good of humanity?
Science and Progress
The October Revolution and the emergence of Soviet Union as a socialist
republic was the first instance of science being harnessed to a political
form other than capitalism, and the expectations were very high;
that science for the common good of humanity would emerge from
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