Polanyi made free science the template for liberal society.

Evidence

In the meantime, Polanyi’s own refutation of planning evolved from a defence of pure science towards an epistemological defence of liberalism based on the position of thought in society. … “The attack on science,” he proclaimed, “is a secondary battlefield in a war against all human ideals, and the attack on the freedom of science is only an incident in the totalitarian assault on all freedom in society.” In 1941, Polanyi founded the Society for Freedom in Science (SFS) with Oxford zoologist J. R. Baker. Like his rivals from the left, he dismissed the neutralist position as naive in the face of the “absolute state,” citing the detachment of the scientist as a main cause for concern. … As long as it remained free from state interference, science stood as the perfect example of liberalism in action, demonstrating how individual liberty may be seamlessly reconciled with authority, tradition, and social control. — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 81

Categorization

• XREF: Contrasts with the common Michel Polanyi association with tacit knowledge; this chapter frames him as a founding liberal institutionalist. Echoes the reader’s other sources on invisible-hand order. — connects to: Polanyi reframed science as the model case of liberalism in action — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 81; Polanyi linked scientific freedom to political liberty as a common fate — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 79
• QUESTION: How does Polanyi’s liberal epistemology of science connect to Hayek’s spontaneous-order arguments about knowledge dispersion?

Broader Connections

• Polanyi reframed science as the model case of liberalism in action #corroborates (1.00) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 81
• Polanyi linked scientific freedom to political liberty as a common fate #expands (0.85) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 79