With the cultural myth that science can only determine the way the world ＂is＂ （facts）, while humanities, social sciences, lawyers, philosophers, and theologians must determine the way the world ＂ought to be＂ （v...With the cultural myth that science can only determine the way the world ＂is＂ （facts）, while humanities, social sciences, lawyers, philosophers, and theologians must determine the way the world ＂ought to be＂ （values）, those in position of global-, national-, and local-political power make major decisions of the use （or non-use） of scientific knowledge and technology. As a result, the human being has created a non-scientifically based cultural environment that is affecting his ability to survive. In effect, cultural evolution is occurring more rapidly than biological evolution that can adapt to the changes brought about in the physical and psycho-social environments. In a pluralistic cultural world, where each society has generated a different view of human nature and different ethical values, the use, misuse, or non-use of scientific and technological advances are derived from these unscientific views of human nature. Since all life depends on limiting interacting environmental and ecological factors, it is imperative that scientific information be used to govern how to minimize irreversible effects on life-sustaining ecological factors, but also scientific information bearing on understanding human nature ought to be integrated into a ＂global bioethics＂. While ethical values cannot be directly derived from scientific factors, it is also true that human values or our ＂ought＂ cannot be maintained in ignorance or defiance of the facts or the ＂is＂.展开更多
文摘With the cultural myth that science can only determine the way the world ＂is＂ （facts）, while humanities, social sciences, lawyers, philosophers, and theologians must determine the way the world ＂ought to be＂ （values）, those in position of global-, national-, and local-political power make major decisions of the use （or non-use） of scientific knowledge and technology. As a result, the human being has created a non-scientifically based cultural environment that is affecting his ability to survive. In effect, cultural evolution is occurring more rapidly than biological evolution that can adapt to the changes brought about in the physical and psycho-social environments. In a pluralistic cultural world, where each society has generated a different view of human nature and different ethical values, the use, misuse, or non-use of scientific and technological advances are derived from these unscientific views of human nature. Since all life depends on limiting interacting environmental and ecological factors, it is imperative that scientific information be used to govern how to minimize irreversible effects on life-sustaining ecological factors, but also scientific information bearing on understanding human nature ought to be integrated into a ＂global bioethics＂. While ethical values cannot be directly derived from scientific factors, it is also true that human values or our ＂ought＂ cannot be maintained in ignorance or defiance of the facts or the ＂is＂.
