Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
07:04
A Step Beyond BRET: Fluorescence by Unbound Excitation from Luminescence (FUEL)
Published on: May 23, 2014
The turn for ultimate harm: a reply to Fenton.
Ingmar Persson1, Julian Savulescu
1The Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford, 16-17 St Ebbes Street, Oxford, UK.
Journal of Medical Ethics
|February 24, 2011
Summary
Scientific advances create existential risks, potentially requiring genetic enhancement for survival. This analysis defends prioritizing even minor catastrophe risks, challenging critiques that undervalue scientific benefits.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- Bioethics
- Risk Assessment
Background:
- A prior article argued science's destructive potential necessitates genetic or biomedical moral enhancement.
- Elizabeth Fenton critiqued this, stating scientific benefits are undervalued.
- The authors address Fenton's critique by examining risk weighting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the argument that scientific advancement poses existential risks.
- To defend the practice of assigning significant weight to low-probability, high-consequence events.
- To respond to criticisms regarding the valuation of scientific progress versus potential harms.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical analysis of risk assessment and ethical arguments.
- Examination of the concept of "perilous condition" due to scientific advancement.
- Critique of Elizabeth Fenton's perspective on the benefits of science.
Main Results:
- The authors contend that the argument for caution is based on a specific weighting of catastrophic risks.
- They argue this weighting, while seemingly giving undue importance to slight risks, is justifiable.
- Fenton's view that benefits are undervalued is countered by the focus on existential threats.
Conclusions:
- The authors aim to vindicate the special weighting of severe, low-probability risks associated with scientific and technological progress.
- The debate highlights the tension between the perceived benefits of science and its potential catastrophic dangers.
- Further discussion is needed on how to ethically navigate the risks posed by advancing science and technology.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Torts III
Types of Quasi-intentional Torts in Healthcare
Quasi-intentional torts in healthcare involve acts where intent is not directed to harm an individual but results in harm due to careless or reckless speech.
Quasi-intentional torts in healthcare involve acts where intent is not directed to harm an individual but results in harm due to careless or reckless speech.
01:13Torts II
Intentional torts in healthcare refer to deliberate actions that cause harm or infringe on the rights of others. Understanding these torts is crucial for healthcare professionals to avoid legal liabilities and maintain ethical standards in patient care.
01:41Social Traps
Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned more cows, the larger...
01:14Torts I
Torts in nursing are wrongful acts that can harm patients and potentially lead to civil liability for the involved nurse. These wrongful acts range from unintentional errors to deliberate actions. Depending on the nature and severity of the tort, a nurse found liable may face financial penalties or disciplinary actions. Understanding the distinctions between intentional, quasi-intentional, and unintentional torts is crucial for nurses to mitigate risks and provide safe patient care.
Intentional...
Intentional...
03:26Framing Effects
Information is everywhere and its presentation—such as how and when items are presented—can impact our perceptions and decisions surrounding the info. This broad concept umbrellas framing effects—influences that occur due to the way information is framed in its appearance, whether it’s purely the order or the specific wording of a message. Let’s take a look at numerous ways in which two versions of something can objectively say the same thing, yet we respond in different ways based on the...
01:19Personal Choice and Fate Attributions
Some individuals interpret life events as a consequence of their personal choices and actions, while others believe that outcomes are dictated by fate or destiny. This divergence in perspective has been examined in psychological and cross-cultural studies, particularly in relation to religious faith and cultural beliefs about causality.Fate and Personal ResponsibilityPeople who emphasize personal responsibility view events as direct consequences of their decisions. For instance, breaking a leg...