La politica e il sapere. L’orientamento dei dottorandi italiani

The paper deals with the attitudes of Italian PhD students, young people who might be part of the next generation of scientists and experts, and who show – in their majority – post-materialist values. After having introduced the issues of neutrality and instrumentality of contemporary science, and of increasing interconnections between the scientific sphere and the other social spheres, the paper delves into the relationship between politicians and scientists/experts. If the former may determine research policies, the latter may influence political decision-making. PhD students are asked to comment on the elites in Italy, on the quality and composition of the current and future Italian ruling class, and on the priorities of national government. They portray an interesting picture of the relationship between politics and science, rejecting the technocratic temptation of the previous generations of experts.