Marc Crapez is a political science researcher associated with Sophiapol (Paris X). He is the author of They fought him. Women against totalitarianism (éd. Du Cerf, 2018).
It is striking that 4 of the 5 protagonists of the famous anti-chloroquine article have retracted (3 of the 4 co-authors of the article as well as the editor of the review). Beyond the questions of threshold of competence and other ethical requirements of the world of research (submission to arguments of authority, phenomena of politicization, co-signatures of articles by interest or lightly, research of sensationalism), a a series of more structural factors shed light on the problem.
We could, first of all, speak of a "Raymond Boudon law", named after the great sociologist who, in his book entitled The art of persuading himself with problematic, fragile or false ideas , explains, finally, how market of ideals, representations and symbols, a strong ideological demand can generate an intellectualist and pseudo-scientific offer, which can lend a helping hand to Cartesian minds or scientists not necessarily liars, cheaters, or mediocre, but animated by the concern for to please certain cenacles, to make a career, to take a radical opposite or, conversely, to justify an insane belief, or to push too far a just idea, until flouting its intrinsic veracity.
Pascal has demonstrated that any transfer or re-use of affairs from one order to another leads to confusion and even tyranny.Three other causes play a major role: to believe that reasoning can be transposed from one sphere of social activity to another, to think that the truth is at hand, finally to forget the conflict of values, arising from irreducible choices depending on the personal ethics and aesthetics.
A scientist climate incited the government to rely on a multiplication of learned areopagus, supposed to blow to the Prince rational decisions, so to speak automatically. However, there is no possible translation from the scientific order to the political order. Each universe is governed by its own laws. You couldn't go faster than music. Pascal has demonstrated that any transfer or re-use of affairs from one order to another leads to confusion and even tyranny.
Read also: "The Raoult affair revealed France's lack of independence in scientific matters"
A second lure consists in believing in a one and indivisible truth, which everyone could seize if he is animated by good feelings and armed with noble cause. In fact, the truth can be approximated but its nature prevents it from being caught: we believe to reach it but, already, it raises new questions and stumbles on new objections. On the other hand, contrary to all relativism, the lie can be confused, thwarted and refuted, even if certain ideological lies are, like a hydra, constantly reborn. It is therefore meticulous work which has proved the approximate nature of a number of elements, both of the anti-Chloroquine article and of certain pro-Chloroquine articles.
The anti-chloroquines invoked a duty to wait, the pro-chloroquines tried a treatment by evaluating its probable effects.The third decoy forgets that individual values are inalienable and irreducible between them. The dedication they seek and the qualities they mobilize are more or less convincing, but more or less respectable and they do not fall under the knife of an undisputed scale of attitudes. Example. The anti-chloroquines invoked a duty to wait, at the end of a scientific protocol, to have a broad basis of comparison. The pro-chloroquines have tried treatment by evaluating its probable or plausible effects.
It was already the stumbling block in Molière's time. The doctor of Monsieur de Pourceaugnac demands the establishment of “diagnostic and prognostic signs” before “touching on therapy ”. The Doctor in spite of himself, for his part, makes fun of a doctor who does not dream of offering therapy:
"-Bla-bla-bla
-Certainly. But, sir, what do you think should be done with this disease?
-What do I think should be done?
-Yes.
"Let him take a quantity of bread as a remedy."