A doctor who studies brain functions has an interesting problem related to his research (beyond the actual research itself). In his studies, he develops various chemicals, which he injects into rats in order to study how their brains process information and react to various stimuli.
The ethical dilemma isn’t what he does to the rats or anything else he himself does. The problem is that most of the chemicals he develops are hallucinogenic in nature, related to LSD or ecstasy. Various people have discovered his work and monitor the professional journals where his results are published. They then take the descriptions of the chemicals and fabricate them and use them or sell them to others as recreational drugs.
In at least a couple of instances, these drugs have led to the deaths of some of the users. Naturally, he feels that he had some part in those deaths, albeit a pretty small part.
Among his choices for dealing with this is withholding the exact composition of these chemicals from his articles, which would make it difficult for others to verify, validate, and expand upon his work. Scientific research often leads to technologies that are both helpful and harmful. This is such a case.
Ethical Dilemma
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14 responses to “Ethical Dilemma”
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There will always be evil in this world and life is about choices. I can understand the Dr. feeling remotely responsible, however, he should not dwell on it or allow it to interfere with his work.
As a parallel consider suicide or murder. There are scores of methods to achieve the end goal that involve implements and instruments whose primary purpose is quite harmless.
I do not think the Dr. has an ethical dilemma because only a select few are voluntarily choosing to appropriate his research to their own detriment. If a consequence were to cause a greater societal harm, then I would have a different opinion.
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There will always be evil in this world and life is about choices. I can understand the Dr. feeling remotely responsible, however, he should not dwell on it or allow it to interfere with his work.
As a parallel consider suicide or murder. There are scores of methods to achieve the end goal that involve implements and instruments whose primary purpose is quite harmless.
I do not think the Dr. has an ethical dilemma because only a select few are voluntarily choosing to appropriate his research to their own detriment. If a consequence were to cause a greater societal harm, then I would have a different opinion. -
Well said, TexMo. Free will manifest in free choice is the key to misuse of the doctor’s work, as it is key to misuse of anything.
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Well said, TexMo. Free will manifest in free choice is the key to misuse of the doctor’s work, as it is key to misuse of anything.
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I concur. The top of the Pandora’s box of science and technology opens wider as time goes by. On the bright side they do much good for humanity. A free people will inevitably make mistakes.
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I concur. The top of the Pandora’s box of science and technology opens wider as time goes by. On the bright side they do much good for humanity. A free people will inevitably make mistakes.
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Don’t you really think we should nanny the scientific community and restrict their research results to only those who are qualified to read such things. We are already too stupid to take care of ourselves, to provide for ourselves, to read for ourselves, to listen to the radio for ourselves, and to feed ourselves. By restricting information even further, the government can then decide who is smart enough to be allowed access to certain information while others cannot. Just think, with that logic, we would already have a cure for global warming and all vaccines would be limited to those not subject to autism.
We should blame the Chinese for the invention of gunpowder, and those who study the atom are doomed to Hades. Even those who develop cosmetics are suspect. Where will it ever end.
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Don’t you really think we should nanny the scientific community and restrict their research results to only those who are qualified to read such things. We are already too stupid to take care of ourselves, to provide for ourselves, to read for ourselves, to listen to the radio for ourselves, and to feed ourselves. By restricting information even further, the government can then decide who is smart enough to be allowed access to certain information while others cannot. Just think, with that logic, we would already have a cure for global warming and all vaccines would be limited to those not subject to autism.
We should blame the Chinese for the invention of gunpowder, and those who study the atom are doomed to Hades. Even those who develop cosmetics are suspect. Where will it ever end. -
I agree with TexMo – It’s no more the Dr’s fault that idiots misuse his formula than it’s Samuel Colt’s fault that his invention was used to rob banks.
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I agree with TexMo – It’s no more the Dr’s fault that idiots misuse his formula than it’s Samuel Colt’s fault that his invention was used to rob banks.
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Celestial bodies must be in rare alignment. We seem to be in unanimous agreement. Can’t you feel the love? 😉
In reading about Carl Sagan’s “stoner days” (early 30s until his death) this morning, I noted that he refused to try heavy duty hallucinogens because those substances are so concentrated it’s impossible to accurately control dosage.
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Celestial bodies must be in rare alignment. We seem to be in unanimous agreement. Can’t you feel the love? 😉
In reading about Carl Sagan’s “stoner days” (early 30s until his death) this morning, I noted that he refused to try heavy duty hallucinogens because those substances are so concentrated it’s impossible to accurately control dosage. -
If there is any reason to believe the publication of the Dr.’s drugs can be used for good, and that’s definitely his intent, then keep publishing them. The fact that others are making the wrong choice with his work falls squarely on their heads, not his.
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If there is any reason to believe the publication of the Dr.’s drugs can be used for good, and that’s definitely his intent, then keep publishing them. The fact that others are making the wrong choice with his work falls squarely on their heads, not his.
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