Question

Ethics and science essay

Answer 1

Ethics, according to the definition quoted above, would depend on beliefs held by
individuals or a group of individuals; whereas, science is a search for truth – which
may contradict even the most popular beliefs. Society, more or less, defines the ethics
– of work, of politics, of business. Therefore, the relationship between science and the
ethics is close to that between science and the society.
The relationship between science and the society is nothing short of a flummoxing
revelation. Science, in an effort to go beyond the dogmas, withdraws itself from the
society. Thereafter, science has (rather both science and the scientists have) an
independent status. Science discovers the facts (the truth) or invents based on the
facts – sometimes reaffirming the beliefs, and at times refuting them. Having
produced something (which can be consumed as a theory or a product), science goes
back to the society in search of audience – the consumers.
This cycle enables new things to be created. If science were not separated from the
society, we would have still believed earth the centre and everything else going
around it. There would have been no Galileo’s if science could not withdraw from the
society – in effect from the religion.
Here, we may notice that science has to withdraw from the society and possibly
from any ethics (set of rules defined by the society based religion and beliefs). But, in
search of a consumer, science does come back to society (therefore, to individuals and
hence, to ethics.) However, the individuals are involved in scientific experiments.
They may have their set of values, which may contrast or conform to those of the
society.
- Prashant Kashyap, 2000-077, IIIT- Hyderabad