Beyond March 4

The statement 'Beyond March 4' calls upon the scientific community to take an active role in influencing public policy to mitigate the existential risks posed by the technological revolution. It argues that the complexity of modern technology and government secrecy have eroded democratic oversight, concentrating power in the military and administration. The authors assert that scientists have a unique responsibility to educate the public and evaluate the long-term social and global consequences of technology to ensure human survival.

• The technological revolution has produced destructive forces that society is unable to manage, specifically manifesting as an irrational arms race and the failure to protect the natural environment.
• Democratic processes have been subverted by the complexity of technology and a 'shroud of secrecy' surrounding classified government programs, which prevents the public and elected representatives from scrutinizing grave issues and concentrates power within the military and administration.
• The scientific community has a responsibility to move beyond providing technical knowledge and advice to the government; it must now educate the public, evaluate long-term social consequences, and guide public policy by entering the political arena.
• The authors identify three primary categories of survival threats resulting from the misapplication of technology: the current nuclear arms race, imminent pollution-induced climatic and ecological changes, and future risks such as genetic manipulation.

APA

Gottfried, K. (1969). Beyond March 4. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/about/history/founding-document-beyond-march-4

Chicago

Gottfried, Kurt. Beyond March 4. Union of Concerned Scientists, 1969. https://www.ucs.org/about/history/founding-document-beyond-march-4.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Gottfried |first1=Kurt |title=Beyond March 4 |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=4 March 1969 |url=https://www.ucs.org/about/history/founding-document-beyond-march-4 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{gottfried1969beyond, author = {Gottfried, Kurt}, title = {{Beyond March 4}}, publisher = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {1969}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ucs.org/about/history/founding-document-beyond-march-4}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }