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Notes on a pilgrimage to science: a fly on the wall.

D H Smith1

  • 1Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions, Indiana University, 618 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-3602, USA. smithd@indiana.edu

Science and Engineering Ethics
|November 8, 2001
PubMed
Summary

This study explores the moral culture in modern biology labs, comparing them to organized religion and highlighting research challenges. It argues for research ethics grounded in laboratory practice, emphasizing honesty and justice as internal community values.

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Area of Science:

  • Moral philosophy in scientific research
  • Sociology of scientific laboratories
  • Ethics in biological sciences

Background:

  • Modern biology research involves complex moral and cultural dynamics.
  • Participant observation in university labs provides unique insights into scientific practice.
  • The relationship between scientific inquiry and religious/moral frameworks warrants examination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reflect on the moral culture within contemporary biological research settings.
  • To explore parallels between laboratory culture and organized religion.
  • To propose a framework for research ethics rooted in scientific practice.

Main Methods:

  • Participant observation in two university biology laboratories.
  • Qualitative analysis of laboratory interactions and norms.

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  • Comparative analysis of laboratory culture and organized religion.

    • Main Results:

    • Laboratory culture shares structural and functional similarities with organized religion.
    • Practical challenges in scientific research are often intertwined with moral considerations.
    • The assumption that biologists must be atheists is not universally supported by observed practices.
    • Failures within organized religion offer lessons applicable to scientific communities.

    Conclusions:

    • Research ethics should be intrinsically linked to the daily practices within research laboratories.
    • Vigorous principles of honesty and justice are essential internal requirements for the scientific research community.
    • External imposition of ethics is less effective than fostering an internal ethical culture based on practice.