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Paul Grobstein's picture

Re science and morality

Interesting conversation yesterday with a group of undergraduate summer research students, against a background of contemporary conflicts of interest, 1960's concerns about science/militarism, and Brecht's portrayal of the 1600's Galileo.  Substantial skepticism about whether individuals could, given economic/educational pressures, actually act in relation to a moral code for scientists, and about whether it was possible to write one that would get widespread agreement.   On the other hand, some useful suggestions about what it might contain ...

  • report entirety of any observations made
  • do unto others as you would have them do unto you
  • seek the truth
  • remove bias
  • understand consequences of one's research
  • objectivity, don't assign meaning where none exists
  • try to do good
  • be skeptical of meanings that you want
  • do research with intention of doing good

Some ideas of my own ...

As a professional scientist, I commit myself to working towards enhancing the potentials of not only myself and those with whom I am associated but of all human beings and of life itself, present and future.  Of necessity, I will be skeptical of all existing understandings, including my own, and encourage a similar productive skepticism in others.  

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