Ethical and Philosophical Consideration of the Dual-Use Dilemma in the Biological Sciences

ISBN-13: 9781402083112 / Angielski / Miękka / 2008 / 76 str.

Seumas Miller; Michael Selgelid

Opis

What Is the Dual-Use Dilemma? The so-called dual-use dilemma arises in the context of research in the biological and other sciences as a consequence of the fact that one and the same piece of sci- tific research sometimes has the potential to be used for harm as well as for good. A dual-use dilemma is an ethical dilemma, and an ethical dilemma for the researcher (and for those who have the power or authority to assist or impede the researcher s work, e. g., governments). It is an ethical dilemma since it is about promoting good in the context of the potential for also causing harm, e. g., the p- motion of health in the context of providing the wherewithal for the killing of in- cents. It is an ethical dilemma for the researcher not because he or she is aiming at anything other than a good outcome; typically, the researcher intends no harm, but only good. Rather, the dilemma arises for the researcher because of the potential actions of others. Malevolent non-researchers might steal dangerous biological agents produced by the researcher; alternatively, other researchers or at least their governments or leadership might use the results of the original researcher s work for malevolent purposes. The malevolent purposes in question include bioterrorism, biowarfare and blackmail for financial gain."

Recenzje

....Welcome to the dual-use dilemma, which Seumas Miller and Michael Selgelid argue arises from the fact that "one and the same piece of scientific research sometimes has the potential to be used for harm as well as for good" (p.1) In this report Miller and Selgelid provide a concise, clear-headed and helpful introduction to the policy and ethical implications of the dual-use dilemma in the bioethical sciences. It should be read by policymakers and scientists. Many others, including students, scholars studying interactions of science, technology, and society would benefit from this pithy report.....

- A. Briggle, University of Twente, Enschede the Netherlands, Nanoethics 2009 3:75-77.

Spis treści

Experiments of Concern.- The Ethics of Dual-Use Research.- Dissemination of Dual-Use Research Results.- Options for the Regulation of Dual-Use Experiments and Information.

O autorze

Seumas Miller is Foundation Director of the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics and Professor of Philosophy at Charles Sturt University and the Australian National University.

Blurb

The dual-use dilemma arises in the context of research in the biological and other sciences as a consequence of the fact that one and the same piece of scientific research sometimes has the potential to be used for harmful as well as good purposes. Discoveries that may lead to important advances in science and medicine might therefore also facilitate development of biological weapons of mass destruction. Scientists should be aware of the ways in which their well-intentioned research could be misused by others - and they should sometimes avoid research projects when the potential for harmful misuse is great. Policy makers must make tough choices about the extent to which the dual-use nature of research might justify increased oversight, regulation, and perhaps even censorship of science.

This book examines the kinds of life-science experiments that give rise to the dual-use dilemma and provides philosophical analysis of the ethical issues and policy options surrounding dual-use research. Though the dual-use dilemma is an ethical issue, the vast majority of literature on the topic thus far has been written by scientists and security experts: this is the first book-length treatment of the topic by professional ethicists. It also challenges, and offers an alternative perspective to, the hugely influential U.S. National Research Council position on the dual-use dilemma.