Governance of Sustainable Development in Knowledge Democracies—Its Consequences for Science

Governance is the way in which a society organizes decision-making. Advanced societies turn into knowledge democracies where the relationships between politics, media and science intensify and change continuously. The concept of knowledge democracy embraces participatory democracy besides representative democracy, the rise of social media besides corporate media, the emergence of transdisciplinary trajectories besides classical disciplinary science with complex interactions that also change. The quest for sustainable development takes place within knowledge democracies, where sustainability covers economic, social and ecological issues, whose governance is complex. The future direction and content of sustainable development depend on uncertain future determinants such as technological innovation and the evolution of social values. The precautionary principle as a powerful moral imperative has its limitations. The multidimensional nature of sustainability requires integration and a recognition of a multilevel, multiscale, multidisciplinary character. Development refers to change, transitions and transformations. Governance of sustainable development has to cope with complex dynamics. Governance that furthers transitions focuses on the interaction between representative and participatory democracy, and the optimalization of the contribution of science. This chapter addresses the specific consequences for science, in particular the organization of science, relating both to disciplinary research and transdisciplinarity.