Heather Douglas (Michigan State University)
What are the proper aims of science? With concerns over dual-use research and the commercialization of science, neither truth nor significant truth are adequate responses. Rising demands for responsible innovation have raised the bar. This talk will address this question through the lens of two distinctions: 1) between individual and communal norms and 2) between minimum floors of acceptable choices and ideals for which choices might aim. I will argue that the minimums and ideals for the scientific community as a whole are more demanding that the minimums and ideals for scientists as individuals, producing an important and productive misalignment.
