Speculative Ethics: Valid Enterprise or Tragic Cul-De-Sac?

Jones, Gareth; Whitaker, Maja I.; King, Michael R.

doi:10.5772/19684

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…The phraseology of 'anticipatory governance' necessarily suggests foresight activity, which may in turn suggest delusions of prophesy (Jones, Whitaker, and King 2011;Nordmann 2010;Racine et al 2014;Schick 2017). Advocates of scientific autonomy have long asserted that research outcomes cannot be predicted (and, thus, that science cannot be guided toward or away from particular desirable or undesirable outcomes) (Bush 1945;Polanyi 1962).…”

Section: Foresight In Anticipatory Governancementioning

confidence: 99%

Toward anticipatory governance of human genome editing: a critical review of scholarly governance discourse

Nelson

Selin

Scott

2021

Journal of Responsible Innovation

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The rapid development of human genome editing (HGE) techniques evokes an urgent need for forward-looking deliberation regarding the aims, processes, and governance of research. The framework of anticipatory governance (AG) may serve this need. This article reviews scholarly discourse about HGE through an AG lens, aiming to identify gaps in discussion and practice and suggest how AG efforts may fill them. Discourse on HGE has insufficiently reckoned with the institutional and systemic contexts, inputs, and implications of HGE work, to the detriment of its ability to prepare for a variety of possible futures and pursue socially desirable ones. More broadly framed and inclusive efforts in foresight and public engagement, focused not only upon the in-principle permissibility of HGE activities but upon the contexts of such work, may permit improved identification of public values relevant to HGE and of actions by which researchers, funders, policymakers, and publics may promote them.

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Section: Foresight In Anticipatory Governancementioning

confidence: 99%

Toward anticipatory governance of human genome editing: a critical review of scholarly governance discourse

Nelson

Selin

Scott

2021

Journal of Responsible Innovation

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“…And of course, polywater is just one of many constructible chemical doomsday stories. As Michael King and co-workers pointed out, "there may be a non-zero possibility that a chemical synthesized in a laboratory may initiate a chain-reaction that obliterates the ozone layer, destroying all life on earth" (p. 151 in [42]). But as these authors also say, "prohibiting all chemical synthesis based on this possibility would be ridiculous" (ibid, p. 152).…”

Section: It Saysmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Science-Informed Ethics for Agricultural Biotechnology

2019

Crop Breed Genet Genom.

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This overview of ethical issues in plant breeding and agricultural biotechnology puts emphasis on the scientific consensus as the basis for ethical studies and discussions. An introduction is given to major ethical issues in plant breeding, including the selection of socially important breeding goals such as environmental and nutritional improvements, the measures needed to ensure that sufficient priority is given to such breeding goals, potential risks and how they should be weighed against benefits, the interpretation of the precautionary principle, intellectual property rights, and the construction of a labelling system for biotechnological products. Some of the common arguments against agricultural biotechnology are also discussed, among them arguments referring to negative effects of yield increases, the dominance of big companies, and the alleged unnaturalness of biotechnology.

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“…Such considerations should lead us to question the value of speculation about the ethical implications of introducing such a technology (see Jones, Whitaker and King 2011). There is also, however, a second problem with this speculation-even if we think such an endeavor is worthwhile, and even if we think the technology might eventuate, we do not know enough about what this technology might look like to identify pertinent ethical issues.…”

Section: How Speculative Is Too Speculative?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The point here is that we don't, at this stage, know enough about what this potential technology would look like to know whether this will be an issue or not. It could be that even if this technology ever eventuates, it will bear little resemblance to what Meynen pictures (see Jones, Whitaker and King 2011). We are not yet in a position to adequately evaluate the ethical implications of this technology.…”

Section: How Speculative Is Too Speculative?mentioning

confidence: 99%

How Do We Conduct Fruitful Ethical Analysis of Speculative Neurotechnologies?

White

2019

AJOB Neuroscience

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Speculative Ethics: Valid Enterprise or Tragic Cul-De-Sac?

Cited by 8 publications

References 53 publications

Toward anticipatory governance of human genome editing: a critical review of scholarly governance discourse

Toward anticipatory governance of human genome editing: a critical review of scholarly governance discourse

A Science-Informed Ethics for Agricultural Biotechnology

How Do We Conduct Fruitful Ethical Analysis of Speculative Neurotechnologies?

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