Raises concerns that when scientific research is combined with capitalism, it becomes influenced by power and resources, and that the moral component can be overlooked, emphasizing that an ethical perspective is essential to scientific research.
“Part 4 of Sapiens, “The Scientific Revolution,” by Yuval Noah Harari, discusses the scientific revolution in the modern world. What I found particularly interesting about this book is the fact that scientific research is closely tied to power and resources, not just the research itself. This is connected to the tenets of capitalism.
The idea that scientific research is tied to power, resources, and capitalism is one of the most important parts of the book. For example, there is the case of Britain prioritizing nuclear research over aquatic plant research so that they could gain financially from winning wars. While this may have resulted in economic and social benefits for the country, it also resulted in the physical and psychological toll of war on individuals. While there is no denying that scientific research has made tremendous advances, it is questionable whether the impact has been positive. Therefore, it is necessary to be skeptical about whether scientific research should be driven by capital. This leads us to the conclusion that we need scientific research with an ethical component.
With the development of biotechnology, bioethical issues are always raised. In the movie Island, Lincoln 6-Eco (Ewan McGregor) and Jordan 2-Delta (Scarlett Johansson) live in a controlled utopia. They hope to go to “Island,” the only uncontaminated land of hope on Earth, only to discover that they are clones and that “Island” is actually a place to provide organs and body parts to sponsors. This system of cloning brings huge financial benefits to the sponsors, but is it ethical? If the ultimate goal of scientific research is money, it can have terrible consequences: you too could become a clone. Scientific research for the sake of money can cause great harm to someone. That’s why the moral component is so important in scientific research.
The book also warns about the problems that arise when scientific research is done solely for profit. Here’s a new topic for discussion. We can discuss the morality of scientists by asking: “If you were a scientist who discovered a discovery that could lead to scientific advancement, but could cause harm to humans, would you disclose it?” I remember debating this topic in high school, and I came to the conclusion that I would publish my research but wait a few decades later, when the democratic process was more developed and the moral implications could be considered. This may sound idealistic, but I think it is a necessary behavior in the modern world. While few would argue against money as an important factor in scientific research, it should not be the ultimate goal. I believe that scientific research combined with a moral component is the only way to improve the future of humanity.
The story of Marie Curie, as we know it, is similar to this issue. She won the Nobel Prize in Physics for her discovery of radioactivity, but it was later developed into a weapon that threatened human peace. If scientific research during this time had been more morally conscious, nuclear weapons might not have been developed. Even if they had, legislation to control them would have come along. Scientific research should be considered alongside moral considerations.
Many people say that the ultimate goal of scientific research must be money. However, if the goal of scientific research is to make money, the risks can come back to haunt you or your descendants. To prevent this, we need to combine scientific research with a moral perspective. Some research has been started for money, but it has produced results that have benefited humans. However, there are many more examples of negative effects than positive ones. Therefore, a moral component is essential to control the risks of research.
In conclusion, we have to accept that scientific research is inevitably done for someone’s benefit in reality, and that it has to be done in order to gain capital. However, morality must be incorporated into the process. SNU students will engage in research and contribute to the development of society through scientific discoveries. However, moral controls must be considered in the process of scientific discovery. It is clear that profit is an important factor in a capitalist society, but human moral conscience must be upheld. I expect students to grow into members of society who can maintain their moral conscience even in a society where the tenets of capitalism prevail.
