Question 9: Science and ethics should not mix. Discuss.

Science and ethics should not mix. Discuss.

Interpretation
Whether science should be separated from ethics.
Requirements of question and some pointers:
1. Show a clear understanding of what science should be concerned with- to
better
mans life by coming up with new inventions/discoveries.
2. Show a clear understanding of what ethics mean- our sense of what is
right and
wrong/morality. Candidates should also recognize that ethics is subjective
to a
degree and although moral values are universal, our sense of what is
morally
acceptable varies in different societies. Eg- Singapore and US or Germany
have
different approaches to stem cell research.
3. Select the ethical concerns that science gives rise to:
-

many scientific inventions involve ethical considerations

animal testing vs animal rights
genetic research vs sancity of human life
nuclear energy vs safety
GM food vs food safety
Other issues related to medical science-eg how life-prolonging
technology
has made euthanasia an issue that threatens the sanctity of life
4. Discuss why science should not be divorced from ethical issues
Reasons
a.Ethics are the foundation of science.

Moral responsibility: Ethics is always behind invention. The scientist

should have a moral responsibility for his inventions/discoveries and
should consider ethics against his perceived notion of the greater good.
Lab ethics, for example, demands that findings are based on truth
(facts and empirical proof) and any breach of ethics is morally and
legally unacceptable. When Hwang Woo-Suk, the South Korean
scientist was discovered to have fabricated his stem cell breakthroughs
in 2005, he was fired from the prestigious Seoul National University and
charged in court for research fraud.
b. Science has become a business- pharmaceutical companies like
Pfizer have been guilty of selective data presentation and profiteeringaccused of illegally boosting sales of its top-selling drug Lipitor through
an elaborate campaign of misleading educational programs for doctors.

c. Science cannot be separated from ethics because it is a doubleedged sword that has great potential for good and harm(nuclear
technology/chemical and biological warfare) Since the fundamental
purpose of science is to improve mans well-being, ethical guidelines,
laws and policies must be implemented to keep it in check.
d. To preserve the sanctity of life: eg, to embark on stem cell
research, we
must first guarantee its integrity. Suggest ethical guidelines.
Other examples of such issues that threaten the sanctity of lifeeuthanasia/abortion.
5. Why science and ethics should be separated
1. Science and ethics are mutually exclusive- one is objective while the other
is subjective being concerned with values and morals which do involve a
certain degree of personal judgement.
2. Science is amoral. This means the job of the scientist is just to come up
with scientific inventions and not decide how they should be used.
Government agencies, religious leaders and society should make such
decisions.
3. Ethics limit scientific progress. Eg critics said that embryonic stem cell
research could not expand under the 2001Bush policy that barred the
National Institutes of Health from funding research on embryonic stem
cells beyond using 60 cell lines that existed at that time. (Obama
overturned the policy by lifting the ban on federal funding for embryonic
stem cell research)
1. Show how a fine balance can be achieved without compromising
ethical concerns as far as possible.
Eg- Stem cell research will one day be a boon to humanity. We
owe it to posterity to pursue it. But we also owe posterity a
moral universe not trampled and corrupted by arrogant,
brilliant science. (Charles Krauthammer) It is because of this
that we need strict regulation: no human cloning, no embryos
created solely to be harvested. Only discarded ones from
abortion clinics.

Sometimes moral compromises have to be made to ease human

suffering and for the greater good: egs

a) animal testing which is considered a form of cruelty to animals is

necessary in testing certain life-saving drugs for the safety of humans.
Every day, thousands of people are saved from painful diseases and death
by powerful medical drugs and treatments. This incredible gift of medicine
would not be possible without animal testing.
b) Euthanasia vs sanctity of life: Life-prolonging technology with its
ability to prolong a patients life long after the quality of life had gone, has
become a problem with late-state terminally ill patients or those for whom
dying is prolonged torture. This has made euthanasia an issue today. Terri
Schiavo case- after a long 7-year legal battle, her feeding tube was
removed. Although euthanasia is illegal in many countries for ethical and
other reasons, ultimately, end-of-life decisions are a question of choice: it
must really depend on a case by case basis.

c) Ethical concerns might have to give way to pragmatism in a highly

competitive and globalised world. For example, some may regard the use
of embryos in stem cell research as unethical, but Singapore regards such
research as crucial for Singapores economic development.
Suggested Conclusion:
Ethics should be the very basis of science.
However moral compromises may sometimes have to be made for
the greater good.
The best approach is to strike the balance between sound science
and moral values.