Open AccessScientific Minimalism and the Division of Moral Labor in Regulating Dual-Use Research
Author(s) -
Steven Dykstra
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
stance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1943-1899
pISSN - 1943-1880
DOI - 10.33043/s.9.1.33-40
Subject(s) - isolationism , minimalism (technical communication) , division of labour , dual (grammatical number) , sociology , division (mathematics) , law and economics , positive economics , political science , law , economics , philosophy , computer science , linguistics , arithmetic , mathematics , human–computer interaction , foreign policy , politics
: In this paper I examine the merits of a “division ofmoral labor” regulatory system for dual-use research. I borrow anargument from Thomas Douglas against scientific isolationism toshow that researchers must be morally responsible for resolvingat least some dual-use problems. I then argue that there are keybenefits of scientific isolationism that are preserved in a positionI call scientific minimalism. I then demonstrate that scientificminimalism, in a division of moral labor system, succeeds inmaximizing both scientific freedom and moral efficiency, which Ihold to be an essential aim for any proposed alternative regulatorymodel.