Science, State, and Citizens: Notes from Another Shore

The existing literature on the problem of science and the state tends to focus mainly on the relationship between the state and the scientific community, which it often sees merely in terms of conflict or collaboration. To obtain a more nuanced view, this article suggests that it is necessary and useful to include other relevant historical parameters in the picture, notably those related to expertise and citizenship broadly defined. By examining the example of mass science in Mao's China, the article demonstrates how a broad perspective on the problem of science and the state may help us better understand a seemingly unusual historical case and indicates that the approach can also be applied to other, more familiar historical cases.