ECONOMÍA, CIENCIA, Y “LIBERALISMO”: CONDICIONAMIENTOS ECONÓMICOS DE LA INSTITUCIONALIDAD CIENTÍFICA LIBERAL EN COSTA RICA. UNA INVITACIÓN AL ANÁLISIS. 1887-1910

Abstract

This work analyzes the socioeconomic dynamics underlying the institutionalization of scientific activity during the liberal reforms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It argues that the first governmental scientific institutions were shaped by two evolving core interests, which influenced their programmatic and organizational development.

The first interest viewed science as a foundational element for constructing national identity and legitimizing the liberal ideology of “progress.” In this context, science held intrinsic value tied to its speculative nature and was considered essential to any “civilized” society.

The second interest, more pragmatic, involved the State’s practical use of scientific institutions to promote economic development. This included agricultural research, meteorological systematization, and infrastructure improvements aimed at opening new settlement zones, integrating the domestic market, increasing commercial agriculture, and initiating diversification efforts in response to the early setbacks of the “coffee growing mirage.”

Focusing on the Museo Nacional (1887) and particularly the Instituto Físico-Geográfico (1889), the essay explores how these institutions initially reflected a coexistence of both visions. Over time, however, a shift occurred toward a more utilitarian approach. The institutional analysis aims to assess how the cycles of economic boom and crisis influenced the strategic direction and budgetary priorities of these emerging state-run scientific bodies at the turn of the century.