ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the book’s central concept: scientific orthodoxy. Drawing on parallels with religious orthodoxy, the authors define it as a system in which a small group of scientific authorities comes to stand for “science” itself, wielding disproportionate influence over policy and public discourse. The chapter explains why a new concept is needed to capture this phenomenon and sets out its five defining elements – methodological rigidity, scientific dogma, suppression of dissent, illegitimate indirect political authority, and scientific injustice. It also traces the origins of the pandemic orthodoxy, examines its flexibility across different contexts, and explains how it operated at the interface between science and policy during Covid-19. By the end of the chapter, readers will have a clear framework for identifying and analysing scientific orthodoxy – both in the pandemic and in future crises.
