In the first three chapters, we have come to regard modern science as asystematic learning process through which we try to find rationalexplanations of and solutions to our problems. In this chapter, it is timeto take a closer look at what this rational learning process actuallyentails and how it can serve society.

If we examine the underlying concept of rationality, we find out that theconcept driving modern science was redefined over the last couple ofcenturies and has ended up being a much more confined understanding of what‘being rational’ entails. This much more restricted concept ofrationality has led to a society and knowledge system that may be veryefficient and most certainly has contributed to progress and prosperity, butin other respects can be said to be sub-optimal. In modern society, thereduced, instrumental version of the original rationality concept has cometo dominate to such an extent that the economic and technical interests seemto have taken over. This has resulted in a rather one-dimensionalrationalisation process that does not always produce the outcomes we wishand that also leads to unintended, unwelcome side effects.

This gives cause for a critical analysis of whether and how science actuallyserves society. In this analysis, the presentation of science as anobjective and neutral enterprise is scrutinised, however attractive thisimage may be for policymakers who prefer that their decisions be backed byseemingly ‘hard’ scientific evidence. In addition to pointingout the dangers of value-laden science and the cherry picking of data bypolicymakers and other stakeholders, we take some time to reflect on why itis that society often fails to absorb scientific knowledge. And we comparethe traditional modus operandi of science with newer types of science thatseem to hold more promise in this regard.

Having found out that some (if not most) of the ‘wicked’problems we are faced with are unintended, unwanted side effects ofwell-intended scientific solutions, we are forced to conclude that rationaldecisions are not by definition wise decisions. Since we are not content todismiss modernity's rationality process as a failureand regard it as a project that we had better abandon altogether, weinvestigate what we can do to bridge the existing gap between rational andwise decisions.