Restrictions imposed by authorities in any society play a key role in deterring people from doing activities that are deemed immoral and harmful. On the other hand, constraints on activities that are largely beneficial to mankind, such as the invention of new things, might not be acceptable. Therefore, I mostly agree with this statement and there exist a multitude of reasons to support it that have been discussed in this essay.
First of all, it is important for the individuals involved in research and development to exercise freedom and creativity in thought. They should not be limited by the constraints established by any external agency. For example, the use of animals and humans in conducting experiments is limited due to the restrictions placed by authorities. Lab mice are used in most cases to test the effectiveness of chemicals or some other behavior that is being studied. The results obtained in one animal model might not hold water when compared to others.
Secondly, in some countries, there are financial restrictions applied to the work done by the researchers. For example, if a researcher invents the machine or devises a process that is potentially commercially successful, the government institution under which the individual is working states to own the work. Hence, it results in demotivating the scientists to produce breakthroughs that are actually useful and add value to society.
Thirdly, it might be possible that the government in a country promotes research in a specific niche. For example, in Asian countries, there is more emphasis on research pertaining to the agricultural and food sector. On the other hand, some nations highly promote the development of warfare equipment. This may lead potential researchers to follow a career path that does not align with their interests and might lead to inferior job satisfaction in the long run.
Fourthly, there is a restriction on the financial freedom of the researchers. Individuals are not given emoluments on the basis of their productivity. Some countries including China, provide promotion to the researchers in form of money on the basis of the number of papers published. The more they publish, the higher they earn. However, in most countries, researchers are salaried and therefore can not enjoy financial success even if they are highly prolific. Thus, in turn, not promoting them to be more productive even if they are intellectually superior.
However, if no restrictions are present, there might be a risk of misuse of the research such as in the development of weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear arsenals, deleterious chemicals, or virulent bioweapons. Although the pioneer of new development in this area can make a massive fortune, it poses risk to the well-being of millions of people worldwide. Hence, it becomes important for the government to interfere in such situations.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that freedom from government constraints will promote better creativity among scientists and professors. Most of the developments will be boons for society. However, necessary measures need to be taken to discourage misuse.