Companion interview

Ian Ramsey, theology and ‘trans-disciplinary’ medical ethics

“…189 The inclusion of lay members with no ties to science and industry was designed to safeguard public trust in GMAG, by showing it was not simply a vehicle for professional interests. 190 It also seemed to represent a break from the laissezfaire belief that scientists or doctors were the best guardians of the professional and the public interest, which had long underpinned political support for club regulation in Britain.…”

“…194 It was also never made clear just how the lay members were supposed to represent the 'public interest', other than by voicing possible misgivings and refereeing clashes between scientists and trade union members. 195 What was more, while the meetings of American groups were recorded and open to the public, GMAG meetings were conducted behind closed doors and bound by the Official Secrets Act. 196 This meant that the lay members were unable to publicly voice any concerns they may have held, or were censured if they did.…”

“…Jerome Ravetz, for instance, was removed from GMAG after he expressed his frustrations in a conference talk and described the inclusion of lay members as nothing more than 'a cosmetic exercise'. 197 Ravetz, a former colleague of Stephen Toulmin, was well aware of the emergence of bioethics in the United States and was frustrated at the ancillary role that British outsiders played in the oversight of science and medicine. 198 In committees such as GMAG, as elsewhere, they were viewed as useful in the discussion of ethical issues but marginal to decision-making and policy formation.…”

“…199 While calls for outside participation did emerge from the BSSRS, these declined markedly after its radical members left in 1972 because they viewed it as an 'insufficiently socialist' organisation. 200 Elite members also left the BSSRS during this period to form a more moderate Council for Science and Society, which focused more on improving public confidence than on demanding outside participation.…”