Michael de Rachewiltz: It really depends on what is happening in the present and what kind of context researchers are confronted with.
The limits of research are heavily influenced by the current societal or political situation. Looking at Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project! which is often considered the starting point for modern ethics of science! the development of the atomic bomb was justified by the existential threat posed by the Nazis. In ethics of science! we talk about internal and external responsibility. The internal refers to the marketing ideas for small businesses within the research process itself! including considerations about methodology and adherence to moral and legal guidelines! such as in animal testing or testing with human subjects. The external responsibility of science refers to the possible impacts of research findings on society.
This external responsibility can be harder to define! particularly in basic research where the application possibilities of results are often unclear.
“The external responsibility of science refers to the possible impacts of research findings on society”.
Michael de Rachewiltz
Just as it is in feasibility studies! is it
de Rachewiltz: Exactly. A classic example is nuclear fission: This discovery ultimately led to the atomic bomb. With far-reaching this course offers a full training for humanity. For instance! we know that Otto Hahn! who discovered nuclear fission with Lise Meitner and others! felt partially responsible for the deaths in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He and Meitner both advocated for peaceful uses of nuclear fission and international understanding throughout their lives. Hahn had also conducted research on chemical warfare czechia businesses directory during World War I and trained soldiers in handling them.
He was well aware of the potential impacts of scientific discoveries. Responsibility and foresight do not come automatically. Werner Heisenberg! the founder of quantum mechanics and a leading figure in the German uranium project felt! perhaps for reasons of pride! that he should have been the one to invent the atomic bomb – even if it were for the Nazis.
At the Manhattan Project! about 160!000 people were involved
Many did not know exactly what they were working on. In such a case! where does responsibility begin?
de Rachewiltz: The Manhattan Project presents a special case. At least the researchers involved clearly understood the goal of basic research: to harness one of the fundamental natural forces and release the previously unimaginable power of the atomic nucleus in the form of nuclear energy.