Effektiveres Pandemiemanagement durch sozialwissenschaftliche Politikberatung? Ein kritischer Kommentar zu Jörn Knoblochs Beitrag in Heft 4/2023

The comment critically examines Jörn Knobloch’s analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic management in Germany. It questions Knobloch’s claim that a more effective crisis management could have been achieved by giving greater consideration to social scientists in the relevant advisory committees. The reply focuses on the structural epistemic limits of both biomedical sciences and empirical social research. Furthermore, it highlights the inherent logic of political decision-making processes, which are characterized by the need for uncertainty absorption and system stabilization, and appear relatively immune to external influences. The contribution calls for a nuanced consideration of the interface between scientific advice and political practice, and urges a critical reflection on the role and limits of science-based policy advice.