HUMAN RIGHTS , SCIENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS , SCIENCE AND ETHICSETHICS

PROFESSOR DAVID McQUOID-PROFESSOR DAVID McQUOID-MASONMASON

UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL, DURBANUNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL, DURBAN

SOUTH AFRICASOUTH AFRICA

HUMAN RIGHTS, SCIENCE AND ETHICSHUMAN RIGHTS, SCIENCE AND ETHICS

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

ETHICAL PRINCIPLESETHICAL PRINCIPLES

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

HUMAN RIGHTS, SCIENCE AND ETHICAL HUMAN RIGHTS, SCIENCE AND ETHICAL PRINCIPLESPRINCIPLES

SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES OF 18SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES OF 18THTH , 19 , 19TH,TH, 20 20THTH AND 21 AND 21STST CENTURIES HAVE ALSO BEEN UNDERPINNED BY HUMAN CENTURIES HAVE ALSO BEEN UNDERPINNED BY HUMAN RIGHTS ADVANCES – DESPITE SETBACKS RIGHTS ADVANCES – DESPITE SETBACKS

BIOETHICAL PRINCIPLES CAN USEFULLY BE APPLIED TO BIOETHICAL PRINCIPLES CAN USEFULLY BE APPLIED TO SCIENCE IN GENERALSCIENCE IN GENERAL

ETHICAL PRINCIPLES CAN ALSO BE LINKED TO HUMAN ETHICAL PRINCIPLES CAN ALSO BE LINKED TO HUMAN RIGHTSRIGHTS

THE GEORGETOWN CLASSIFICATION OF BIOETHICAL THE GEORGETOWN CLASSIFICATION OF BIOETHICAL PRINCIPLES IS A USEFUL MODEL:PRINCIPLES IS A USEFUL MODEL:– AUTONOMYAUTONOMY

– BENEFICIENCEBENEFICIENCE

– NON-MALEFICENCENON-MALEFICENCE

– JUSTICEJUSTICE

AUTONOMYAUTONOMY

RECOGNIZES THE DUTY ON SCIENTISTS TO RESPECT THE RECOGNIZES THE DUTY ON SCIENTISTS TO RESPECT THE FREEDOM OF INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETIES TO MAKE FREEDOM OF INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETIES TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEMSELVESDECISIONS ABOUT THEMSELVES

HUMAN RIGHTS:HUMAN RIGHTS:– ARTICLE 3 OF UDHR (LIFE, LIBERTY, SECURITY)ARTICLE 3 OF UDHR (LIFE, LIBERTY, SECURITY)

– ARTICLE 12 OF UDHR (PRIVACY)ARTICLE 12 OF UDHR (PRIVACY)

– ARTICLE 18 OF UDHR (THOUGHT, CONSCIENCE, RELIGION)ARTICLE 18 OF UDHR (THOUGHT, CONSCIENCE, RELIGION)

SCIENCE:SCIENCE:– RESEARCH ON HUMAN SUBJECTSRESEARCH ON HUMAN SUBJECTS

– GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODSGENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS

– PERVERSE INCENTIVES FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHPERVERSE INCENTIVES FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

– CONSEQUENCES OF THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECTCONSEQUENCES OF THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT

BENEFICENCEBENEFICENCE

RECOGNIZES THE DUTY ON SCIENTISTS TO DO GOOD FOR RECOGNIZES THE DUTY ON SCIENTISTS TO DO GOOD FOR INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETYINDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY

HUMAN RIGHTS:HUMAN RIGHTS:– ARTICLE 8 OF UDHR (EFFECTIVE REMEDY)ARTICLE 8 OF UDHR (EFFECTIVE REMEDY)

– ARTICLE 25 OF UDHR (ADEQUATE STANDARD OF LIVING)ARTICLE 25 OF UDHR (ADEQUATE STANDARD OF LIVING)

SCIENCE:SCIENCE:– COMPENSATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS (EG TOREY COMPENSATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS (EG TOREY

CANYON, BHOPAL?)CANYON, BHOPAL?)

– SPECTACULAR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCESSPECTACULAR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES

– REDUCTION OF DISEASES (EG SMALL POX)REDUCTION OF DISEASES (EG SMALL POX)

– SANITATION AND WATERSANITATION AND WATER

– STEM CELL RESEARCHSTEM CELL RESEARCH

NON-MALEFICENCENON-MALEFICENCE

RECOGNIZES THE DUTY ON SCIENTISTS NOT TO HARM RECOGNIZES THE DUTY ON SCIENTISTS NOT TO HARM INDIVIDUALS OR SOCIETIESINDIVIDUALS OR SOCIETIES

HUMAN RIGHTS:HUMAN RIGHTS:– ARTICLE 5 OF UDHR (TORTURE, CRUEL, INHUMAN OR ARTICLE 5 OF UDHR (TORTURE, CRUEL, INHUMAN OR

DEGRADING TREATMENT)DEGRADING TREATMENT)

SCIENCE:SCIENCE:– NAZI AND JAPANESE MEDICAL EXPERIMENTSNAZI AND JAPANESE MEDICAL EXPERIMENTS

– ATOM BOMB (UTILITARIANISM?)ATOM BOMB (UTILITARIANISM?)

– CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONSCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS

– ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION (FLOODS, TSUNAMI?)ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION (FLOODS, TSUNAMI?)

JUSTICEJUSTICE

RECOGNIZES THE DUTY ON SCIENTISTS TO TREAT RECOGNIZES THE DUTY ON SCIENTISTS TO TREAT INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETIES EQUALLY AND FAIRLYINDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETIES EQUALLY AND FAIRLY

HUMAN RIGHTS:HUMAN RIGHTS:– ARTICLE 1 OF UDHR (EQUAL IN DIGNITY AND RIGHTS)ARTICLE 1 OF UDHR (EQUAL IN DIGNITY AND RIGHTS)

– ARTICLE 2 OF UDHR (ALL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMES WITHOUT ARTICLE 2 OF UDHR (ALL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMES WITHOUT DISTINCTION)DISTINCTION)

– ARTICLE 7 OF UDHR (ALL EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW – ARTICLE 7 OF UDHR (ALL EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW – PROTECTION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION)PROTECTION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION)

SCIENCE:SCIENCE:– EUGENICS (USA, GERMANY, SOUTH AFRICA)EUGENICS (USA, GERMANY, SOUTH AFRICA)

– RACE CLASSIFICATION CRITERIARACE CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA

– APARTHEID IN ARCHITECTUREAPARTHEID IN ARCHITECTURE

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

SCIENTISTS SHOULD FOLLOW ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTISTS SHOULD FOLLOW ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF AUTONOMY, BENEFICENCE, NON-MALEFICENCE AND AUTONOMY, BENEFICENCE, NON-MALEFICENCE AND JUSTICEJUSTICE

IF ABOVE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES ARE FOLLOWED THE IF ABOVE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES ARE FOLLOWED THE CONDUCT OF SCIENTISTS WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH CONDUCT OF SCIENTISTS WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NORMS AND STANDARDSINTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NORMS AND STANDARDS

IF SUCH PRINCIPLES ARE FOLLOWED BY SCIENTISTS LIVING IF SUCH PRINCIPLES ARE FOLLOWED BY SCIENTISTS LIVING IN DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES THEIR CONDUCT WILL ALSO BE IN DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES THEIR CONDUCT WILL ALSO BE CONSISTENT WITH THEIR COUNTRIES’ CONSTITUTIONAL CONSISTENT WITH THEIR COUNTRIES’ CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTSAND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS