Should scientists be considering the moral and ethical implications of their work?
I would suggest that all people should consider the moral and ethical implications of everything they do. It naturally follows from this that scientists should consider the moral and implications of the work they do. Scientists, more than most, are able to shape society. The computer I am using right now is testimony to the power of science and its capacity to shape the world. Hand-in-hand with this power comes a danger, for when a scientist suffers a lapse in moral judgment, the consequences can be disastrous. One issue that appears to be raised in your question involves a commonly referenced scenario. Should a scientist, when asked to do research, decline to do that research if he or she does not approve of the way his research is likely to be used? This question raises other issues. For example, should a “pure” scientist even care what the outcome of his research proves to be? Is a scientist responsible for the misuse of information he helps to uncover if this misuse was foreseeable
Undoubtedly!! Scientists are no island within themselves… they are very much part of the very society that lays down the moral and ethical codes in its wisdom to protect the overall wellbeing of all members… scientists can not indulge in intellectual or personal whims and fancies that can potentially result in damaging the wellbeing of the society as a whole….. they and their research are an integral part of the social fabric and all their activities are as much subject to the moral and ethical codes as those of any other people of any profession. The fact, however, remains that the moral and ethical codes are flouted by one and all including teachers, doctors or even ordinary people…. nevertheless, considering the potency of the implications of their research, the scientists need really be more sensitively mindful of norms. Science is not for personal gratification either financially or intellectually…. it is meant for beneficiary use by the society. Having said that, I must
