Ethics in Life Sciences: From theory to the real world

1. Ethics in Life Sciences:From theory to the real world Lecture No. 11

2. 1. Ethics - theory to practice • Outline: • Normative and descriptive ethics • Slides 2-6 • Applied ethics • Slides 7 – 12 • New bioethics and cultural impacts • Slides 13 – 14 • Reviewing and changing our practice • Slides15 - 21

3. 2. Ethics – various approaches Descriptive ethics: What do you or I think is right? Normative (prescriptive) ethics: How should you and I think/act? Applied ethics: How do you and I take “moral” knowledge and put it into practice?

4. 3. Normative ethics • Normative ethics are concerned with the rightness or wrongness of actions – how should people think? • There are two ways of looking at this: • Teleological ethics - argues that the morality of an action depends on the action's outcome • Deontological ethics – argues that decisions should be made considering duties and rights - some things are always wrong or right

5. 4. Norms versus description We cannot take a norm (what people SHOULD do) from a description (what people ACTUALLY do)…. Cultural relativism says that we should accept cultural differences as all equally valid But this does not allow for questioning and a way forward in conditions of disagreement

6. 5. Normative ethics – the teleological approach Consequentialism - an action is judged as “good” or “bad” by reference to its outcome; Utilitarianism is a teleological approach to ethics – promoting the greatest good for the greatest number – maximising pleasure and minimising pain Consequences tend to outweigh other considerations

7. 6. Normative ethics – the deontological approach Some acts themselves are “good” or “bad” no matter what the consequences are It is our duty to take right action when we can identify it Not always the same as moral absolutism Some deontologists hold that a “bad” act may bring about a good outcome so is acceptable – others disagree

8. 7. Applied ethics • There are various fields of applied ethics: • Medical ethics • Environmental ethics • Research ethics • Bioethics • And more….. • Some of these fields can help us in the life sciences as we move towards an agreed ethical position on dual-use

9. 8. From applied medical ethics… We can consider ideals about: the sanctity of human life Our power to end life Our power to enhance life Our power to interfere with life processes Power relationships between ourselves and the public and between ourselves and our fellow-researchers

10. 9. From applied environmental ethics…. We can consider ideals about: conservation of the world as we know it preserving life quality for humans And non-humans the value of biological life And the intrinsic value of the environment

11. 10. From applied research ethics…. • We can take ideals of responsibility towards people as subjects of research through regard for their: • Privacy, anonymity and confidentiality • Autonomy, consent, right to information • Self-determination • Expectancy of coming to no harm • Reasonable requirements of benefit • Expectations of the reasonable publication of our work

12. 11. From applied bioethics…. We can take ideals of how to consider the impact of new technology and knowledge on people Of how we can recognise the uses and limitations of technology in life Of how we can recognise potential mis-use of biotechnologies……

13. 12. Common factors • All of the fields of applied ethics that we have looked at have some points in common: • Relationships of power • Rights of individuals (rather than populations) • Notions of responsibility on one or more sides • Attempts to define rules or guidelines to prevent harm • A lack of accurate, definite predictions of outcomes

14. 13. NEW applied ethics: dual-use bioethics • Relationships of power - BETWEEN scientists and misusers & BETWEEN scientists and thepublic • Rights of individuals AND populations • Notions of responsibility to the wider world • Attempts to define rules or guidelines to prevent harm – TO AVOID or MINIMISE dual-use risks • A lack of accurate, definite predictions of outcomes – WE CAN PREDICT CLEAR OUTCOMES IN THIS FIELD

15. 14. Cultural impacts of dual-use risks All of the preceding characteristics are inherent in our technological developments and have impacts on: • social and political life • economic life • and religious aspects of life • and on how we express ourselves (language) – honesty, or lack of it

16. 15. Acting on a bioethics of dual-use We need to introduce and apply these ideals in suitable places and at times in which these issues can be introduced to all life scientists: In education contexts In work contexts In peer-review and sharing contexts In global contexts

17. 16. In universities By tackling these thorny issues in the educational context, life scientists can consider them from an early stage of their careers Can discuss them in a relatively safe, unpressured environment (usually) Can locate themselves in an ethical philosophy on which to base their future work

18. 17. At work To recognise and takes steps to minimise the risks of dual-use of technological advances, such as: Changes in research practice – access to data, analysis and interpretation Which may raise issues for individual scientists or research groups Which may require support from external groups

19. 18. In peer-sharing contexts Reducing the risk of dual-use of life science developments may involve: Changes in peer communications Changes in conference practices – access to sessions, curtailed paper and online publications after meetings Changes in journal publication practices, selectively publishing low-risk and not publishing high-risk research

20. 19. Changes in scientific practice Many of the risk-reducing activities involve changes in practice that appear to compromise the scientific method We need to work together to provide agreed guidance, support and fairness of practice in the life sciences And to develop new, fair practice in which dual-use risk is a normal consideration within the scientific method

21. 20. From the individual to the wider world This has to start with individual scientists, and progress “upward” through: Research groups Subject areas Commercial/industrial contexts National contexts International/global contexts

22. Sample Questions 1. Discuss what kind of specific changes can be expected in your research under ethical consideration about dual-use issues? 2. Explain how can we share our work with colleagues or wider audience through publication locally and globally who may have different ethical values? 3. Consider how can we raise awareness of dual-use risks among our colleagues and future scientists? 4. Critically discuss who should have a final-say about ethical consideration about scientific research, i.e. scientists or security policy makers?

23. References (Slide 9) Marshall, A. (2002) The Unity Of Nature: Wholeness And Disintegration In Ecology And Science. London: Imperial College Press. Singer, P. (1991) ‘Environmental Values’, in Ian Marsh (Ed.) Environmental Challenge. The Oxford Book of Travel Stories. Melbourne, Australia: Longman Chesire, 1991. 12-16. (Slide 13) Selgelid, M. (2009) ‘Dual-Use Bioethics’, Department of Peace Studies Research Briefing No. 4, 26 June. Available from http://www.dual-usebioethics.net/