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ethics and science
ethics in natural sciences
ethical judgments limit the methods available in production of knowledge in natural sciences
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“The end justifies the means” is the famous quote of Machiavelli (Viroli, 1998) which puts the emphasis of morality on the finale results rather than the actions undertaken to achieve them. Is this claim true in the field of the natural sciences? Whether atomic bombings, as a mean used to end World War II, justifies the death of civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? What is moral limitation in the acquisition of knowledge in the natural sciences? How is art constrained by moral judgment? Is it applicable to various works of art? Oscar Wilde claimed that “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.” (Wilde, 1945). Does it mean that writers should have complete freedom? Or should ethical considerations limit what they say and how they say it? This essay will show that ethical considerations do limit the production of knowledge in both art and natural sciences and that such kind of limitations are present to a higher extent in the natural sciences. Ethical judgment is reasoning about the possible alternatives in a situation and judging which alternative is the most ethical one. A person making an ethical judgment uses reason to decide what is the best alternative to resolve one problem or to determine that one alternative is morally right and another alternative morally wrong. In short, ethical judgment is a process of considering several alternatives and choosing the most ethical one. In the natural sciences there are always ethical norms that limit how knowledge can be produced. In the natural sciences, experimentation is an important method of producing knowledge but ethical judgments can limit the use of this method. There are areas that are considered unethical ... ... middle of paper ... .... Kieran, M. (2008, January 28). Art, censorship and morality. Open Learn, the Open University. Retrieved January 5, 2014 from http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/culture/philosophy/art-censorship-and-morality 3. Mother and child devided. (n.d.). Astrup Fearnley Museet. Retrieved January 5, 2014 from http://afmuseet.no/en/samlingen/utvalgte-kunstnere/h/damien-hirst/mother-and-child-divided 4. van de Lagemaat, R. (2011) Theory of knowledge for the IB diploma, Cambridge University Press. 5. Viroli, M. (1998) Machiavelli, London, Oxford University Press, retrieved January 3, 2014 from http://www.questia.com/read/23271960?title=Machiavelli 6. Wilde, O. (1945). The picture of Dorian Gray. The Electronic Classics Series, The Pennsylvania State University. p. 3/ Retrieved January 3, 2014 from http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/oscar-wilde/dorian-gray.pdf
Wilde, Oscar, and Joseph Bristow. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. Print.
Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory that suggests that the goodness of an action is dependent on its consequences. When we consider the two areas of knowledge from a utilitarian perspective, ethical judgements would be made based on hypothesis by weighing potential advantages against consequences. But are results alone a well-founded basis to raise ethical limitations from? This is problematic because in the sciences, it is often difficult to foresee the implications of scientific research; likewise, in the arts, it is seldom possible to anticipate what messages the audience will attain from a work. Furthermore, when unintended effects in either area arise, ethical considerations may often be re-evaluated. Adhering to utilitarianism, conflict exists between limiting knowledge production from the beginning or moving forward and risking repercussions. When viewed with reason, utilitarianism is a practical method of judging ethics because we are generally concerned with not only gaining knowledge but how it is a...
...ledge in both the arts and the natural sciences. However, they are limited differently in art and natural sciences area. In general, for natural science, the ethical judgments more depended on social judgment. Because of the product as the result of an ethical issue is measurable, as long as the product is way more valuable than the ethical issue, this issue would be ethical. In other words, if the product is not as valuable as the ethical issue, this issue would be unethical. However, in the art area, because of the product as the result of an ethical issue is hard to measure in terms, the ethical judgments are more depended on the personal judgments. Which the personal judgments are mainly depended on three different parts: the position of a person; the educational content of a person; and the emotional judgments. They are all related and none of them is absolute.
Lagemaat, Richard Van De. Theory of knowledge for the IB Diploma. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Lagemaat, Richard van de. Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Knowledge has always been a parameter through which human progress has been measured, Knowledge could be an aspect gained from a fact or a situation present. The production of knowledge relies on different ways of knowing, sense perception, emotion, reason and language. The production of knowledge differs from each human being leading to acquiring of personal knowledge and contributing to the shared knowledge. Society also plays a role in influencing the production of knowledge through various judgments that it passes on the manner in which knowledge is produced. Ethics is a set of principles which are morally right and are used to govern people’s actions and on the basis of that judgments are passed, rules made and norms are established. This leads us to the issue : to what extent does compromising ethical judgement lead to useful knowledge in natural science and arts.
In chapter 20 of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian reflects on his past and wonders whether he will ever regain his innocence. In this passage, Gothic elements underline the idea of the pursuit of individualism. Dorian’s wild, racing emotions clearly show how much he is driven by his readiness to fulfill his desires under any circumstance. Through this, the use of specific words and punctuation markings also highlight Dorian’s personal yearning to let go and forget about his past.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a rich story which can be viewed through many literary and cultural lenses. Oscar Wilde himself purposefully filled his novel with a great many direct and indirect allusions to the literary culture of his times, so it seems appropriate to look back at his story - both the novel and the 1945 film version - in this way.
Our perception of moral judgments sometimes affects the ways in which knowledge is produced. In these two areas of knowledge, the natural sciences and the arts, the ways of knowing are different as is the nature of the knowledge produced. Likewise, ethical judgments may or may not limit knowledge in these areas but in different ways. Ethical judgments may lead to questioning the means by which some scientific knowledge is produced. Significant, meaningful works of art are produced only when the artist is able to transmit an emotion to the spectator, reader or listener effectively. This is why powerful emotional reactions to a work of art sometimes produce strong and often opposing ethical judgements which can limit the artist’s opportunities to produce knowledge.
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ed. Isobel Murray. London: Oxford University Press, 1974.
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Michael Patrick Gillespie, Editor. Norton Critical Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007.
As a function, ethics is a philosophical study of the moral value of human conduct, and of the rules and principles it should govern. As a system, ethics are a social, religious, or civil code of behavior considered correct by a particular group, profession, or individual. As an instrument, ethics provide perspective regarding the moral fitness of a decision, course of action, or potential outcomes. Ethical decision-making can include many types, including deontological (duty), consequentialism (including utilitarianism), and virtue ethics. Additionally, subsets of relativism, objectivism, and pluralism seek to understand the impact of moral diversity on a human level. Although distinct differences separate these ethical systems, organizations
Production of knowledge is generally seen in a positive light. However, when ethics and morality become involved in the process of production, judgements will undoubtedly be made that may seem to limit the availability of that knowledge. Ethical judgements are made by the combination of a knower, his or her standard of value, and the situation itself. In the field of the arts and natural sciences, ethics plays a crucial role in the extent one may possibly be allowed to go to when discovering new knowledge. Reason and emotion are important ways of knowing that help guide knowers in making certain moral decisions. Both ways of knowing can be associated with teleological or deontological arguments; the ethics are based on either an objectives-focused or obligations-focused mindset. In this essay, I will be discussing the limitations set on both the arts and the natural sciences as areas of knowledge. To what extent do ethical implications hinder the way art can be produced or the methods involved in expanding society’s knowledge of science?
His take on beauty within this book finds itself in paradoxes, and a back and forth discussion amongst all the characters. The different guises of beautiful things come with the price of decadence and over indulgence. It is clear that more than any other written work by Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray represents the clear and concise view of Wilde’s opinions of the world and the world of his
Lagemaat, Richard Van De. Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2005. Print.