Introduction: The Ethical Challenges of Nanotechnologies

Handbook of Research Ethics and Scientific Integrity, 2020

The nanoscience and nanotechnology (N&N) normative framework is a field that attracts intense debate. Current scientific knowledge, wide interdisciplinarity, technological developments, new applications, and emerging markets outline a complex and constantly evolving environment, within which ethical and socially responsible N&N must be developed. Other equally important perspectives include information and communication with the public, scientists' sense of ethical obligation, health and environmental concerns, and risk assessment. In this context, specific ethical considerations are being raised, such as the difficulty to clarify and control the effects of N&N applications, the swift technological

NanoEthics, 2011

Nanotechnology is developing far faster than our understanding of its effects. This lapping of our understanding by speedy development is typical of new technologies, and in the United States we let development occur, introducing new artifacts into the world, without any serious attempt to understand beforehand their effects, long-term or short-term. We have been willing to pay the price of pushing the technological envelope, but pushing the nanotechnological envelope has some special risks, requiring more caution.

InTech eBooks, 2011

2018

Since a significant time ago, although time runs very fast, nanotechnology transformed from one of the most promising scientific hopes in uncountable human domains into a marvelous certainty. Innumerable scientific studies in several areas of knowledge were made since nanoscale emergence, carrying their contribution to the nanoscience development, leading to a great development of technical and scientific knowledge but also raising numerous problems in the ethical field. In this chapter, nanotechnology is discussed both in terms of ethics and in terms of borders that nanotechnology applications must satisfy and concluding notes are presented, highlighting the results of the analysis. Significant considerations are made on the close connection between ethics and the nanotechnology and the effects over the society and values.

2009

2010

Ongoing research in nanotechnology promises both innovations and risks, potentially and profoundly changing the world. This book helps to promote a balanced understanding of this important emerging technology, offering an informed and impartial look at the technology, its science, and its social impact and ethics.

Advances in Computers, 2007

This chapter reviews the role ethical and societal issues associated with nanotechnology have played in the development of national, and particularly US nanotechnology policies. The prominence of nanotechnology as a matter of national policy is significant, as is the attention being afforded to ethical and societal considerations. Notably, there is an emphasis on the early anticipation of societal dimensions of nanotechnology and of collaborative socio-technical integration during research and development activities. While these policies are fairly unprecedented and pose considerable challenges to the societal and technical researchers to whom the tasks of early integration may fall, there is reason to believe that continued efforts aimed at their implementation are likely. The chapter provides a brief history and explanation of the US nanotechnology "ethics policy" in reference to the discourse and concerns motivating policy makers. It then surveys some of the growing body of literature emerging around what has been termed nanoethics. This literature includes a similar emphasis on early and collaborative anticipation of the ethical and societal implications surrounding nanotechnology. Finally, the chapter identifies a list of fundamental tasks that would be necessary to address for the sake of developing the capacity of social and technical researchers to effectively engage in socio-technical integration. These tasks include defining the scope of nanoscale science and engineering subject to the ethics policy, and the interactions, responsibility, participation, and regulation envisioned or implied by the ethics policy under consideration. A few emerging cases of socio-technical collaborations are noted, and key statements made by congressional witnesses and others are cited. Throughout the chapter, an attempt is made to frame the statements within conceptual considerations drawn from the diverse contexts of nanotechnology, policy, and ethics.

NanoEthics, 2009

The current literature on nanoethics focuses on a wide array of topics such as equity, privacy, military, environment, human enhancement, intellectual property, and security. The identification of those topics leads to the adoption of an ethical stance, which we call the in itself dimension. In this article we argue that even though it is correct to identify the areas where ethical problems are imperative to deal with (in itself dimension), it is a partial approach. This is because the in itself dimension pays no attention to another ethical stance; one that does not have anything to do with individual or collective responsibilities, but rather with the socio-economic system into which those responsibilities are embedded. We call this second issue the contextual dimension.

Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, Woodrow Wilson Center, 2009

Recent action in Congress to reauthorize the U.S. federal nanotechnology research program offers the chance to address the social and ethical issues concerning the emerging scientific field, experts say. “It is crucial to address social and ethical issues now as we consider both the substantial potential risks of nanotechnology and its possible significant contributions to our well-being and environmental sustainability,” says Ronald Sandler, Northeastern University philosophy professor and author of a new report funded by the Project and the National Science Foundation. The report emphasizes ways in which such topics intersect with governmental functions and responsibilities, including science and technology policy, as well as research funding, regulation and work on public engagement.

NanoEthics, 2013

In this paper I focus on the question whether there are new ethical problems arising in nanotechnology, as opposed to mere new instances of old ethical problems. Firstly, I show that we cannot do without the general distinction between being an instance of a new ethical problem and being a new instance of an old one. Secondly, I propose one possible way of interpreting the distinction, and accordingly I give a definition of “being a new ethical problem”. Thirdly I examine whether we have good reasons to claim that there are, or there are going to be, new ethical problems in nanotechnology. My answer is negative: there is no new type of ethical problem in nanotechnology, and rather there are just new occurrences of some well-known types of ethical problems. Fourthly I consider three arguments by van de Poel (2008) against my conclusion. I argue that my negative answer is consistent with the claim that some ethical issues arising in nanotechnology may require new normative standards, or new analytical tools. I conclude that it is likely that some ethical issues arising in nanotechnology will have a deep impact on our ethical theories and values – and that ethical reflection on nanotechnology will be one of the mother lodes of future ethical research – in spite of the fact that no ethical problem in nanoethics will actually be “new”.