This is essentially a riff on gnosticism. In a sense, there is a streak of that within science as a social institution, at least among a certain adherents of the cult of scientism. The motive is one of power: secret knowledge is attractive because it promises power over others. It is the same perverse attraction that people have to magic and the occult (libido dominandi). It also promises to make you feel special for knowing what others do not. I don't think that's what you want science as a social institution to be about. Science should appear boring to everyone of ill will and only those pure of heart should see its... (read more)
This is essentially a riff on gnosticism. In a sense, there is a streak of that within science as a social institution, at least among a certain adherents of the cult of scientism. The motive is one of power: secret knowledge is attractive because it promises power over others. It is the same perverse attraction that people have to magic and the occult (libido dominandi). It also promises to make you feel special for knowing what others do not. I don't think that's what you want science as a social institution to be about. Science should appear boring to everyone of ill will and only those pure of heart should see its... (read more)