Science and Security
| Author | M. Stanley Livingston |
| Published date | 01 July 1955 |
| Date | 01 July 1955 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/000271625530000103 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
4
Science
and
Security
By
M.
STANLEY
LIVINGSTON
T HE
security
system
which
has
de-
veloped
in
this
country
is
a
social
phenomenon
of
our
times.
It
is
a
con-
sequence
of
the
severe
political
and
so-
cial
pressures
associated
with
the
emer-
gence
of
this
country
as
a
world
power
and
the
rise
of
international
Commu-
nism.
The
dramatic
changes
in
the
weapons
requirements
for
defense,
em-
phasized
by
the
overwhelming
destruc-
tiveness
of
atomic
and
hydrogen
bombs,
have
forced
the
issue
and
added
an
ele-
ment
of
insecurity.
Our
people
grope
for
reassurance
and
grasp
at
straws,
searching
for
some
simple,
understand-
able
formula
that
will
solve
our
prob-
lems
and
guarantee
peace.
Our
leaders
seem
also
to
have.
been
bewildered
by
the
complexity
and
scope
of
their
re-
sponsibilities,
and
all
too
often
have
slipped
into
the
easier
course
of
parti-
san
recriminations.
Demagogues
have
offered
panaceas
and
scapegoats,
which
form
unfortunately
attractive
alterna-
tives
to
the
continuing
insecurity.
In
this
atmosphere
a
few
spies
were
ex-
posed ;
investigations
multiplied;
news-
paper
headlines
spread
rumors
of
seri-
ous
subversions;
government
orders
were
issued
and
punitive
laws
were
passed.
The
security
system,
seeded
by
the
need
for
military
secrecy,
flourished
in
this
rank
soil
of
uncertainty
and
suspicion
and
grew
in
a
few
years
to
tremendous
proportions.
We
now
seem
to
have
reached
and
passed
a
climax,
and
to
have
a
breath-
ing
spell
in
which
we
can
survey
the
situation
and
assess
the
consequences.
Scientists
are
members
of
one
of
the
most
&dquo;sensitive&dquo;
of
professions
and
have
experienced
some
of
the
most
severe
frustrations
and
restrictions.
For
many
years
the
Federation
of
American
Sci-
entists
has
served
as
a
channel
for
bringing
scientists’
views
to
the
atten-
tion
of
the
public
and
of
the
appropriate
government
agencies.
Study
groups
and
committees
of
the
Federation
have
gath-
ered
and
published
information
about
security
regulations
and
procedures
and
have
compiled
individual
case
histories
of
those
involved.
My
function
in
this
symposium
is
to
discuss
the
impact
of
the
security
program
on
science
and
scientists.
Some
of
our
problems
are
unique
to
those
who
work
in
or
close
to
areas
requiring
security
clearance,
so
such
features
may
be
rather
heavily
em-
phasized.
However,
in
many
respects
the
problems
facing
the
scientist
merge
~ with
those
of
the
other
professions,
and
I
will
also
discuss
these
more
general
implications.
Our
government
security
program
is
under
attack
on
many
fronts,
by
indi-
viduals
and
organizations
representing
a
wide
variety
of
professional
and
intel-
lectual
backgrounds.
Although
motives
and
purposes
differ,
a
common
basis
for
most
of
the
criticism
is
concern
over
procedures
which
threaten
our
tradi-
tional
liberties
and
the
rights
of
the
in-
dividual.
Although
this
is
a
most
im-
portant
aspect
of
the
growth
of
the
security
system,
it
is
by
no
means
the
only
one.
A
more
basic
question,
which
is
frequently
neglected,
involves
the
phi-
losophy
and
purpose
of
the
security
pro-
gram.
What
is
the
security
program
intended
to
achieve?
Can
we
agree
on
the
meaning
of
the
words
we
use
in
de-
fining
this
purpqse,
such
as
security
and
loyalty,
or
can
we
define
reasonable
bounds
for
the
areas
in
which
secrecy
is
required?
What
kind
of
security
pro-
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