Written by: Muskan Singh - 24003, Grade X
Posted on: 11 March, 2022
Science, what comes to your mind when you first listen to this word? For me I feel the study of organisms, nature, environment and space. But Carl Sagan states Science as a knowledge, way of thinking and skeptically interrogating the universe. He has been an astronomer who has found a non-profit devoted to motivating and involving the general public in space exploration. But we are not going to discuss him. In this article we are going to discuss one most important thing that every human should understand that “Science is not Ethical”.
Nowadays as we all know that there are many problems that have been arising in nature and the environment due to human emissions. Global warming is increasing and sinkholes have been made in the arctic circle through which Methane gas is being released. So we all know the answer why is this happening it's because of the scientific inventions like vehicle, bomb and so on. Many people believe that Science has been driving the whole world towards destruction but that’s not true. Science is just knowledge, a way of thinking and getting to learn, it’s not ethics and moral values. There’s a famous quote that A knowledgeable man would make a bomb but not a wise man. It means we humans are the ones that are responsible for how we should use science. If we use it properly and for the benefit of nature and people then it would get no harm. But if we become selfish and use science for our own benefit then surely it would not be good for each and everyone.
Still I feel you might not be clear about it. So let us go more deep into the topic. Let’s discover the history of science. Science was a perilous industry less than 500 years ago. One scientist believed in free thought in philosophy and science that’s why he was sentenced to death and burnt at the stake in 1600. Of course, compared to those days, now people’s perception in science has totally changed. Modern science has a significant impact on the evolution of society as a whole. Moreover, now that scientific development has become more important to society, it is continuously challenging, if not outright contradicting, long-held assumptions about our ethical principles. As a result, ethical debates must be held in order to adapt the use of scientific knowledge—specifically, new kinds of technology—to a broader context that is consistent with our civilization's founding ideals. Scientists should be concerned about the application of scientific knowledge and should address the ethical issues that arise as a result, both in general and in the context of their own work.
Nowadays people usually do the discovery for their own benefit rather than blame science for it. We humans have discovered plastic that is not decomposable science didn’t tell us to use it or to find it, we became skeptical and found it for our benefit. Similarly the atom bombs those were also discovered by the humans for their own security and to become powerful.
Albert Einstein the great scientist also once said, “Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is a character.” So it’s important for scientists to know this thing. If they are not aware then it should be kept in the curriculum so that it would help them to become a great scientist. Thus We can conclude that Science is not Ethical.
