Fundamental science is science for the sake of science. It is part of a research and development activity without specific commercial or other practical purposes.
Fundamental science is a science that has as its goal the creation of theoretical concepts and models, the practical applicability of which is not obvious (Titov V.N. Institutional and ideological aspects of the functioning of science // Sotsiol. Issled.1999. No. 8.p.66).
According to the official definition adopted by the Central Statistical Bureau of the Russian Federation:
- Basic research includes experimental and theoretical research aimed at obtaining new knowledge without any specific purpose related to the use of this knowledge. Their result is hypotheses, theories, methods, etc. …Basic research can be completed with recommendations for setting up applied research to identify opportunities for the practical use of the results obtained, scientific publications, etc.
The US National Science Foundation defines the concept of fundamental research as follows:
- Basic research is a part of research activity aimed at replenishing the general body of theoretical knowledge … They do not have predetermined commercial goals, although they can be carried out in areas that are of interest or may be of interest to business practitioners in the future.
The task of the fundamental sciences is the knowledge of the laws governing the behavior and interaction of the basic structures of nature, society and thinking. These laws and structures are studied in their “pure form”, as such, regardless of their possible use.
Natural science is an example of fundamental science. It is aimed at the knowledge of nature, such as it is in itself, regardless of what application its discoveries will receive: space exploration or environmental pollution. And natural science does not pursue any other goal. This is science for science’s sake; knowledge of the surrounding world, the discovery of the fundamental laws of being and the increment of fundamental knowledge.
Fundamental and academic science
Fundamental science is often called academic because it develops mainly in universities and academies of sciences. Academic science, as a rule, is fundamental science, science not for the sake of practical applications, but for the sake of pure science. In life, this is often true, but «often» does not mean «always». Basic and academic research are two different things. See →