Some Reflections on Recent Philosophy Teaching Scholarship

Education and Ethics in the Life Sciences: Strengthening the Prohibition of Biological Weapons

“…Restrictions on publications have several implications, for example, for scientists' need to be able to replicate results in order to conduct further research, build upon the results of others, and develop and maintain a scientific record and reputation. 17 The problem is that this kind of concern confuses the question of what a researcher has a moral obligation to refrain from doing with the question of what a researcher should be legally prevented from doing. Whether or not censorship by government of dual-use research would ever be called for is an important question.…”

“…16 Perhaps even more notable with these review processes is the infrequency with which they have identified items 'of concern' in the first place. 17 While data on research controls within government departments (especially defence-related ones) is not readily available, in relation to universities and other publicly funded agencies it seems justifiable to conclude that -barring dramatic changes -oversight processes will identify little research as posing security concerns and will stop next to nothing. This situation raises questions about the ultimate purposes and prospects of formal oversight procedures as well as who is conducting assessments and how (see below).…”

“…16 Chinese leaders were deeply embarrassed by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, which some estimate cost the country US$10 billion in lost tourism revenues alone. 17 Whilst fears that the epidemic would spread to rural areas were not realised, SARS nonetheless highlighted the inequalities of China's healthcare system. Its impact on China can hardly be understated.…”

“…16 These authors looked at the relationship between religiosity and ethical identity in the individual (they define religiosity as 'the degree to which an individual is a religious person apart from his/her particular religious beliefs and the way that those beliefs are manifested'). 17 They suggested these factors may impact on ethical decision-making in business and act as antecedents to the process. Whether or not we accept that religions are the source of morality, we can recognise that they prescribe principles and moral codes that can be fundamental in guiding the life of the individual.…”

“…16 This was further supported by the survey on biosecurity education in European universities by Giulio Mancini and James Revill, demonstrating the deficiency of education in dual-use issues for life scientists. 17 At a BTWC meeting in 2008, Japan acknowledged that 'the development of educational programmes at the government level has not seen great progress'. 18 One explanation for this is that, despite a growing attention to biosecurity issues and the development of some related regulations, human and financial resources to institutionalise and coordinate preventative measures to minimise dual-use risks in the life sciences are still limited amongst relevant ministries and scientific communities.…”