Abstract
Democratic values and social cohesion are under threat, said Simon Jäger in his acceptance speech on 17 September 2024 at the Gustav Stolper Prize at the annual conference of the Verein für Socialpolitik at the Technical University of Berlin. But what does this development mean for economists? Withdrawing science from the public discourse is not an option. On the contrary, precisely because of today’s challenges, the public’s engagement in science is more necessary than ever. Five principles should guide the participation in science in public discourse. The article contains the verbatim text of the speech.