I wasn't trying to say that scientists exist in a vacuum and that they won't have a vested interest in the results of their research, but just that they shouldn't let those interests get in the way during research.
As I wrote up above, I don't think the concept of 'knowledge for knowledge's sake' is a bad concept and in fact, is crucial for good research to happen. However, once the research is done and the results are discovered, then the application of that research should be taken very seriously. Scientists can recommend what should be done with their research, but should they be held responsible if their results are used by someone else to create something that could be considered reprehensible?
To make an extreme example (since I don't know the specifics of your research), what if someone took the results of your research to create anti-gay programs in order to influence adolescent boys' perspectives of gay men, similar to gay conversion programs? That quite obviously goes against what you're gathering the data to do, but should you still be held responsible?
I could be quite possibly muddying up my thoughts (I tend to be better at talking things out) but I hope you get the point I'm trying to make.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-09-10 08:52 pm (UTC)As I wrote up above, I don't think the concept of 'knowledge for knowledge's sake' is a bad concept and in fact, is crucial for good research to happen. However, once the research is done and the results are discovered, then the application of that research should be taken very seriously. Scientists can recommend what should be done with their research, but should they be held responsible if their results are used by someone else to create something that could be considered reprehensible?
To make an extreme example (since I don't know the specifics of your research), what if someone took the results of your research to create anti-gay programs in order to influence adolescent boys' perspectives of gay men, similar to gay conversion programs? That quite obviously goes against what you're gathering the data to do, but should you still be held responsible?
I could be quite possibly muddying up my thoughts (I tend to be better at talking things out) but I hope you get the point I'm trying to make.