300 ORGANIZED SCIENCE 



Conjoined within the individual is both high respect for traditional 

 belief and a strong sense of his freedom to challenge and amend it. 

 In him there is a continuous dialogue of inspiration with conscience. 

 The possibility of progress dev^elops as the voice of inspiration can 

 be heard. The stability of the tradition is assured because the voice 

 of conscience is never stilled. 



The structure of the Invisible College mirrors the typically loose 

 noncompulsive organization of a Utopian socialist community. Or 

 thus, at least, most scientists like to think of their association. Scientific 

 organization as it actually exists is, to a remarkable degree, a faithful 

 realization of the scientists' ideal of organization. However, as we 

 proceed now with a sketch of this ideal, we shall find that— in order to 

 render just account of the actual— we must from time to time interject 

 certain qualifications of the ideal. 



THE COMMUNAL ADMINISTRATION, CONSENSUS, CULTURE 



In the Invisible College one finds no "core" of organization and au- 

 thority. The aflFairs of science are administered by a great multitude 

 of committees. The vast majority of these are completely informal, 

 and have only a transient existence. Few if any of these committees 

 function as ultimate governing boards. They sers^e rather as agencies 

 for broad canvassing and systematic codification of expert opinion. 

 In this way, Polanyi notes, an important concentration of authority 

 will develop even in a culture that rejects all centralization of 

 authority. 



Authority is not equally distributed among scientists. There is a 

 hierarchy of influence; but exceptional authority is attached not so 

 much to offices as to persons. A scientist is granted exceptional in- 

 fluence by the fact that his opinion is valued and asked for. 



Consider as an example the operation of the learned journal of 

 some professional society. Control is vested in a publications com- 

 mittee and, in most cases, is actually exercised by a single editor 

 selected by, and answerable to, the committee. But, in running his 

 journal, the editor will call into consultation a large body of review- 

 ers, or "referees." Each manuscript submitted for publication will be 

 checked by two or more investigators known, through their publi- 

 cations, for their interest and competence in the field concerned. 



