THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCIENCE AND GOVERNMENT IN IRAN: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Researchers here at this point to define the relationship between the government actions and the process of scientific activities. It can be also narrated in this way: How do politician’s attitudes, policies and decisions impact the scientific arena? In common wisdom, the functions of science and thinking in a closed society with a closed government is absolutely affected and is therefore canalized in the best case and even nonexistent as a result of suppression of free, independent thoughts in the worst scenario. In this paper we shall look at the relationship between Islam, science and government in Iran from a historical perspective. We will shall by looking at science in Iran in the ancient (pre-Islamic) period, in the Middle Age after the advent of Islam, and finally in the modern period.