If there was ever an area that has seen striking developments over the last 50 years, it is the field of science and technology—particularly where practical applications are concerned. Living in 2025 bears precious little relation to living in 1975: this will be obvious to some readers, though the youngest among them will not necessarily be aware of it. The acceleration of progress in information and communication technologies, medical advances, the sequencing of the genome, the spread of artificial intelligence and quantum mechanics, to name but these, have reconfigured the economy, social interactions, geopolitical balances of power etc. But behind this progress and the applications and innovations that have ensued, enormous questions, discussions and controversies remain as to how these advances are to be taken on board and shared, and how we should—or shouldn’t—find a place for them in our lives (and, if so, what place?).
This relationship between science and society and these ethical questions around scientific research have been covered time and again in the history of Futuribles, in the writings of authors like Jean-Jacques Salomon, André Lebeau, André-Yves Portnoff, etc. Though the subjects may have changed over time, the concerns remain every bit as vivid when it comes to how scientific knowledge is to be produced and disseminated to make it available to citizens, so that it can be properly debated in relation to society’s needs and to the values we wish to advocate and the general interest. This is what Virginie Courtier-Orgogozo demonstrates here as she explores the ethical and democratic issues around research and those involved in it, and the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge and its application. She highlights how the acquisition and sharing of knowledge can be fostered, but also the inherent risks in the way research operates that can produce bad outcomes. In the current context of an increased distrust of science among the population, of disinformation (including in those countries that are leaders in research) and fierce international competition, the prospect of developing a sound ‘ethical compass’ is more than welcome.
The article is downloadable only in French. It is not available in English.
