PULLMAN, Wash. – How should scientists and science-savvy citizens think about the ethics of science? Is science immune to ethical considerations? Would the ethics of science be done best by scientists or others?
The Common Reading Tuesdays lecture series welcomes Assistant Professor Bill Kabasenche, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs at Washington State University, to present “Ethics for Scientists and Science-Savvy Citizens” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, in CUE 203.
Kabasenche plans to discuss how science, as a form of social inquiry, can’t succeed unless most participants abide by an ethics of inquiry that enables scientists to achieve the aims of their research.
He will talk about a variety of cases in which an ethics of responsibility emerges that can’t be understood just by bolstering our knowledge of the relevant science. For example: Do human embryos have moral status? Are there any ethical concerns with using genetic and pharmacological means to enhance ourselves and our children? How should ethical values be incorporated into environmental research and policy formation?
He will look at cases where researchers have particular ethical responsibilities and cases where the broad use of science and technology will be of interest to science-savvy citizens and policy makers.
Kabasenche, who earned his Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee, lists his academic areas of specialization as bioethics and ethics (virtue ethics and moral psychology). He recently has taught courses also covering biomedical ethics.
Common Reading Tuesdays is a weekly lecture series featuring faculty and other experts on topics related to the year’s common reading book, being used in many first-year classes on campus. The 2011-12 book, “Physics for Future Presidents,” is by University of California-Berkeley retired professor Richard A. Muller, who visited campus in September to present the annual invited lecture.
The spring lineup of Common Reading Tuesdays speakers is on the website at http://CommonReading.wsu.edu.