Functional Reductionism in Science Governance A Formulation of a Methodological Error and Its Systemic Implications

Document Type : Original Article

Author

PhD student in Cultural Policy, Strategic Management Department, Faculty of Social Sciences, Bagheralud University, Qom, Iran.

Abstract

In recent decades, the field of science in Iran has experienced repeated policy failures—failures that have persisted despite increased investment and growing attention to scientific development. Existing critiques in the science policy literature have identified various dimensions of this crisis; however, they have largely overlooked a common methodological error embedded in the very process of analyzing science. This article conceptualizes this error as “functional reductionism.” Employing conceptual analysis and theoretical reasoning grounded in documentary data and evidence from previous studies, the research first elucidates the implications of this error at three levels: “incomplete representation of science,” “conceptual substitution,” and “misdefinition of the problem.” It then analyzes the factors underlying its reproduction through the interaction of three categories of determinants: “discursive–symbolic,” “structural–institutional,” and “contextual.” The study argues that, in prevailing policymaking practices, science is sometimes reduced from a “multilayered functional system” to one or two specific functions, and that this reduction leads to conceptual substitution and the misdefinition of problems. The findings indicate that functional reductionism is not an individual error but rather a reflection of objective structures, dominant discourses, and the emergency conditions governing the science system. It consequently gives rise to dysfunctions such as reduced epistemic diversity, the emergence of performative science, the reproduction of inequality, and diminished capacity of science to respond to complex crises. By warning policymakers that changing instruments without redefining the underlying problem will not lead to meaningful solutions, the article emphasizes the need to rediscover the intrinsic values of science within the Islamic tradition and move toward a multifunctional approach to governance.
 

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References

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Islamic Knowledge Management
Volume 7, Issue 2 - Serial Number 14
October 2025
Pages 100-127

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History

  • Receive Date: 25 March 2025
  • Revise Date: 30 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 25 August 2025

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