Power Problem of Science

The critique that modern scientific institutions have, despite their ideals of objectivity, become entangled with political, economic, and social power structures. Science is used not just as a tool for understanding, but as an authority to legitimize policy, marginalize dissenting worldviews (labeling them "pseudoscience"), and enforce a specific, materialist ontology as the sole arbiter of reality. This problem highlights how the label "scientific" can be wielded as a cudgel to maintain hegemony, turning science from a method into a state-sanctioned religion where priests in lab coats define truth and morality, and heresy is called "misinformation." The purity of the scientific method becomes corrupted by its institutional role as the gatekeeper of official reality.

Example: "When the government dismissed traditional herbal knowledge as 'unscientific pseudoscience' to push patented pharmaceuticals from a donor's company, it wasn't defending truth—it was exhibiting the Power Problem of Science. The institution of science was being used as the enforcement arm of a corporate agenda, protecting market power, not pursuing knowledge."

by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026

Power Problem of Pseudoscience

The mirror image of the Power Problem of Science: the strategic use of science-mimicking language and aesthetics by ideologies, grifters, or counter-hegemonic movements to borrow the cultural authority of science for their own ends. This isn't about honest error, but about constructing a parallel, authoritarian discourse (e.g., "Do your own research," "These peer-reviewed studies prove the conspiracy") that creates an illusion of rigor to exploit fear, sell products, or build political movements. The power here is populist and anti-institutional, using the form of science to undermine trust in actual scientific consensus, creating a dangerous shadow epistemology that serves as a vehicle for other forms of power.

Example: "The wellness influencer's Power Problem of Pseudoscience was clear. She used phrases like 'quantum-tuned frequencies' and cited fake journals to sell detox patches, creating a parallel authority structure for her followers. She wasn't failing at science; she was successfully wielding the aesthetic of science as a marketing weapon to build a lucrative, anti-expertise empire."

by AbzuInExile January 31, 2026

Theory of Constructed Power

The view that power is not just a physical possession (like an army) but a social reality that must be constantly built and performed through symbols, language, rituals, and consent. A king's power resides not in his muscles, but in the constructed idea of the "divine right of kings" that everyone believes and acts upon. When that construction fails (people stop believing), the power evaporates, no matter how big his army is.

Example: "A police officer's power is constructed. The uniform, badge, and shouted 'Stop! Police!' are performances that build authority in the moment. The Theory of Constructed Power says if everyone suddenly stopped believing in that authority, the officer would just be a person in a costume yelling. Power is a collective agreement to be commanded, endlessly rehearsed."

by Abzu Land January 31, 2026