Professor John Weckert, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Charles Stuart University, Australia

Scientists’ Responsibility of Their Research

There are a number of factors that appear to mitigate scientists’ responsibility for the consequences of their research. Some of these factors deserve examination in their own right. A number of these will be considered in this talk, including dual use, double effect, the Collingridge dilemma and a variant, prediction and the “if we don’t others will” argument. An understanding of these topics sheds light on responsibilities of researchers and on justifications for undertaking certain kinds of research and development.

Host: Professor Svend Andersen, Department of Theology, Aarhus University