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Creating a normative framework of the
scientific activity
Korina Paschaliori, PhD candidate at NKUoA
National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
Department of History & Philosophy of Science
Project: HERAKLITUS- Research fellowships
giving priority on NKUoA’s basic research
MAIN POINTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
The reasons for the introduction of ethics into science
The meaning of ethics of science
Defining the term “normative framework”
Criteria that contribute to the determination of these
principles – The nature of the principles
5. Presentation of the principles:

honesty and carefulness

cooperation and communication

credit

public character of science

respect among scientists and towards experimental
subjects
6. Considerations concerning the necessity and importance of
rating these principles
7. Conclusion
Society does not want a knowledge at any
price. It wants scientific activities to
provide certain and useful knowledge but
without provoking its social ethic or its
values.
Ethics of science
Definition: Ethics of science is a new form of
normative ethics that attempts to establish/
introduce into the scientific area certain
principles, cognitive as well as ethical, with
which scientists are enabled to confront ethical
dilemmas and moral problems that may emerge
before, during or after the scientific activity, in
order to harmonize sciences and social ethics
without hindering the production of certain and
objective knowledge.
Ethics of science
Goals:
1. Set/establish certain principles/rules into the
scientific area
2. help
scientists
deal
with
ethical
dilemmas/problems
3. at the same time promote the goals of sciences
e.g. the production of knowledge, without
restraining researches
Normative Framework
In order a normative framework to operate we
need:
 principles that function in a two fold way, e.g.:
promote the cognitive goals of sciences,
scientific community and scientists
promote ethical goals of sciences, scientific
community and scientists and
are accepted by the scientists
B. The principles, in order to be accepted,
should:
be useful/functional (help scientific activity and
scientists deal with problems)
be as few as possible
be known to the scientific community
A. The principles, in order to function in a
twofold way, should:
have a cognitive basis
have a moral basis
Principles of the normative framework
honesty and carefulness
cooperation and communication
public character of science
credit
respect between scientists
experimental subjects
and
towards
Why these principles?
Because:
 they are few
 they are known to the scientific community
 they are accepted in the scientific area
 they are general and can be used as shelters
that cover all kinds of activities
 they help the promotion of knowledge
 they help scientists deal with their moral
problems
These principles should not be in an hierarchical
order. They should be taken as a whole so as to
function effectively.
Conclusion
In order for these principles to work we need not
only to establish a coherent normative framework
but also a good moral education of everybody. It’s
the only way for an ethics of science to function,
to be instituted and consolidated