Nanoscience and Bioethics: new ethical approaches to new scientific paradigms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26512/rbb.v4i3-4.7888Keywords:
Nanotechnology. Bioethics. Scientific Paradigms. Research Ethics.Abstract
Considering nanotechnology as an important branch of a new scientific paradigm, according to Kuhn’s terminology, we discuss the ethical relevance of the emergence of a scientific knowledge that brings, in its very structure, a rupture with the current scientific model. Associated to the fact that ethical reflection and technological advances are rarely simultaneous, the foundations of nanotechnology, which conflict with basic scientific principles of prediction and reproduction of results, qualify it as innovative even in light of recent technical and scientific revolutions. The possibility of ethical analysis on the innovations introduced depend on the ability to incorporate new considerations into traditional frames of reference, such as the ability to deliberate now even if part of the results are unpredictable, as well the ability to take social plurality into account. In this context, it is useful to identify the autogenous implications of nanotechnology, which are directly related to its use, particularly considerations of toxicity and environmental impact. The issues that may demand greater attention, however, may be the heterogenous ones, which result from the incorporation of this technology to the social structure, as frequently depicted in science fiction.
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