I assume you mean, "funded by the government".
Yes. My mistake.
The answer is yes and no. In some countries, there is an established state church funded in part by taxation, and it is free to invest that in training and education. Austria is an example. Other nations draw an absolute wall between church and state, and anyone suspected of violating it can be readily sued. France is an example. Most nations fall somewhere in the middle. In the United States, no direct federal support is provided for religious schools, but provided those schools are accredited through their state, their students can receive financial aid, and they may be eligible for other federal programs if they qualify for them. It is also legal to study religion as an academic topic from within the public education system. Luckily, for me.
Looking at the differential outcomes internationally, it does not seem to me that state support or lack thereof changes a lot about the schools or the common culture on its own, but it is indicative of general political attitudes within a given nation.
Very good. Thank you.
DLH said:
For example, science is funded almost entirely by taxpayers and much of science and politics (governments) are corrupted to the core because of money.
This is not true in any nation that I am aware of, scientific research is funded by a complex blend of government agencies, private grantors and bequest foundations, private companies, semiprivate governmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations. And, of course, volunteer labor.
While it is certainly true that research is compromised by capitalistic incentive, simply eliminating government funding would not change that situation. As to how it might change folk definitions of God, I don't see how it could. Unless they are themselves academics, no one learns the definition of God from a textbook.
Since science and religion are not my area of interest, I've put the question before Grok and it appears your estimation is more accurate than my own:
"The amount of scientific research funded by taxpayers varies significantly depending on the country, the type of research, and the specific funding mechanisms in place. In the United States, which provides a well-documented example, taxpayer funding plays a substantial role, particularly for basic research, though the exact proportion has shifted over time.
Historically, in the U.S., the federal government has been a major funder of scientific research, especially basic research aimed at advancing knowledge without immediate commercial applications. In the post-World War II era, federal funding accounted for over 70% of basic research in the 1960s and 1970s. However, this share has declined over the decades. By 2015, data from the National Science Foundation (NSF) indicates that the federal government funded approximately 44% of the $86 billion spent on basic research, dropping below 50% for the first time in the postwar period. By 2022, this figure was estimated to be around 40% of total basic research funding among all U.S. domestic performers of research and development (R&D). Meanwhile, total U.S. R&D spending in 2015 was $499 billion, with basic research comprising about one-sixth, applied research another one-sixth, and development (mostly industry-funded) making up the majority. In 2021, federal R&D obligations reached $179.5 billion, with agencies like the Department of Defense and Health and Human Services driving much of this investment, often spurred by events like COVID-19 stimulus funding.
Globally, the picture varies. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in countries with high GDP, like the U.S., more than 60% of R&D in scientific and technical fields is carried out by industry, while universities and government account for about 20% and 10%, respectively. However, in nations with lower GDP, such as Portugal or Mexico, government funding tends to dominate, especially in social sciences and humanities, while industry focuses on near-term commercial outcomes rather than broad scientific inquiry.
Taxpayer funding doesn’t cover all science directly. Private companies, particularly in fields like pharmaceuticals (which spent $102 billion on R&D in 2015), and nonprofit foundations also contribute significantly. For instance, almost 75% of U.S. clinical trials in medicine are funded by private companies. Yet, even industry efforts often build on foundational taxpayer-funded research—studies suggest nearly one-third of U.S. patented inventions rely on federally funded science, a dependency that has grown over the past century.
So, while taxpayers don’t fund all science—industry and private entities play major roles, especially in applied research and development—in the U.S., they underwrite a critical portion, roughly 40% of basic research in recent years, and globally, government funding remains a backbone for exploratory science where immediate profit isn’t the goal. The exact percentage of all science funded by taxpayers is tricky to pin down universally due to these mixed sources, but it’s clear their contribution is foundational, particularly for the early-stage work that fuels later innovation." -
Grok
Thanks for the response.
