scientocracy

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From science (Old French science, from Latin scientia (knowledge), from sciens, the present participle stem of scire (know)) + -cracy (Ancient Greek -κρατία (-kratía), from κράτος (krátos, power, rule)); first known use in 1887.

Noun[edit]

scientocracy (countable and uncountable, plural scientocracies)

  1. An elite community of scientists.
    • 1887, Florence Caddy, Through the fields with Linnaeus: a chapter in Swedish history, volume 1, page 294:
      His lesson in Hamburg had taught him that a novus homo must not be arrogant when he enters the society of the scientocracy, and that he must not run himself rashly against vested interests.
    • 1968, Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, Center occasional papers, volume 3, number 3, page 75:
      It could only appear through some dictatorial coup d'etat by a future scientocracy.
    • 2000, Charles Edgley with Dennis Brissett, A Nation of Meddlers, page 43:
      the roots of which lie in the curious marriage of the prohibitionist spirit and the new scientocracies that govern our lives.
  2. The practice of basing public policies on science. A government of the people, but informed by scientists.
    • 2009, Peter Ubel, Scientocracy: Policy making that reflects human nature.:
      When I talk about Scientocracy, then, I'm not talking about a world ruled by behavioral scientists, or any other kind of scientists. Instead, I am imagining a government of the people, but informed by scientists.

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