Premium
The Moral Arguments against Military Research
Author(s) -
ROTH BERNARD
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1989.tb15045.x
Subject(s) - democracy , politics , scientific enterprise , power (physics) , political science , government (linguistics) , military theory , order (exchange) , law , military science , sociology , law and economics , public relations , business , linguistics , philosophy , physics , science education , finance , quantum mechanics
Insanity in individuals is something rare‐but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule. F riedrich N ietzscheSUMMARY Military research has become part of the established order in scientific inquiry throughout the world. Because of the awesome power of the military arsenals and the potential for ending or altering many forms of life, the questions associated with military research cannot be regarded as purely scientific or political. More than in any previous period of history, the issues associated with military research have become a moral problem. It is argued that the moral responsibilities of scientists are not altered because a country has a more democratic form of government. In fact, scientists with the most personal freedom should be the ones pressing the moral arguments against military research. It is further argued that research tends to follow paths pointed out by authorities, and when that authority is the military the research will always have unwanted side effects that are immoral and counterproductive for the scientific enterprise and the well‐being of the citizenry of that country. The problems raised by military research bring to the fore basic issues associated with the appropriate size and funding of a country's scientific enterprise, and the question of how best to achieve the goals associated with that enterprise.