Science and Ethics

In this important book the author looks at historical and conceptual aspects of the ideology that denies the relevance of ethics to science. His first chapter describes the waxing and waning faith in science, identifying ethical concerns as a key reason for the wane. This arises, as he explains, from a scientific ideology that promotes 'value free' science. He shows that the denial of the relevance of ethics to science is taught both explicitly and implicitly in that students are not encouraged to raise ethical questions directly in a scientific or medical context. Additional contributory factors include the reductionist assumption that physics is the ideal model and the belief that science should be ahistorical and aphilosophical. Hence there is an absence of philosophical self-examination. After considering the nature of ethics, Rollin goes on to illustrate his thesis with special reference to issues raised by biotechnology. His conclusion is instructive: 'the failure to teach young scientists to think and reflect about ethics is an intellectual and prudential sin, one punishable by loss of scientific credibility in society and loss of integrity in the very processes presuppositional to doing science, lack of social appreciation scientists, and by a diminution of science's potential as a force for good in society.'