Loading...
Ethical issues and social participation in technological and scientific policies
Uranga, Mikel Gómez
Uranga, Mikel Gómez
Author(s)
Author(s) (Additional)
Illustrator(s)
Producer(s)
Contributor(s)
Contributor(s) (Other)
Editor(s)
Advisor(s)
Contact(s)
Data Collector(s)
Collections
Files
Loading...
UrangaPaper.pdf
Adobe PDF, 162.67 KB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Online Access
Abstract
Any development in science and technology leads to greater benefits for all of society. Therefore, the more resources devoted to research, the higher the levels of well being society as a whole will reach. This method of reasoning is mechanist in nature and is set within a traditional modernist perspective. Modernist authors' optimistic view of the development of science and technology prevents them from worrying about the consequences of scientific growth or the moral problems they may cause. From this viewpoint, scientists and technicians would have full autonomy to choose the paths they wish to follow in their research. However, in the 60s in US, certain organisations appeared which demonstrated participative pressure from some stakeholders, such as, for instance, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Technology Assessment, etc. This empirical observation mainly centres on the USA because that is where the central tendencies of scientific progress are designed and also where the world's biggest critical mass of researchers is found. However, the result may be slanted towards the security logic criteria for obvious reasons stemming from the 11 September terrorist attacks and also the current military dominance the USA is exercising alone. I think that the current position of the U.S. administration to justify military intervention is based on a “realistic” current (Jeff McMahan, 1996) when understanding the morality of international relations that conform to the following logical chain: war is only justifiable for reasons of self defence and this concept is closely linked to “national security”, which is understood as a more global strategy which goes beyond mere defence strategy. For instance, other fields ranging from diplomacy to the media would also be included (J. D. Becker, 1998). We could also include the “justification” of spending on research and development in the field of applied sciences in this strategy.
Note(s)
Topic
Type
Preprint
Date
2004
Identifier
ISBN
DOI
Copyright/License
With permission of the license/copyright holder