Study On Ethical Assessment Framework Of Science And Technology Activities

The dissertation aims to construct an ethical assessment framework for science and technology activities(S&T activities).On the basis of theoretical and empirical analysis,the dissertation expounds the theoretical connotation,practical application and the construction of the ethical assessment for S&T activities.Then,a preliminary ethical assessment framework for S&T activities tested by the questionnaire and case study,has been given in the dissertation,.Finally,it ends up with a philosophical reflection on the ethical assessment for S&T activities.The main contents are as follows:Firstly,the dissertation analyzes the theoretical connotation of ethical assessment for S&T activities.After explaining the concept,classification and nature of science and technology ethics,it also compares the concepts of ethical assessment and ethical assessment for S&T activities.Then,the dissertation further interprets the key points and operational mechanism of essential requirements of ethical assessment for S&T activities to deepen the understanding of this ethical assessment.With the combination of research purpose and argument pattern of science and technology ethics,the dissertation reviews the moral theories in ethical assessment to take "theory of prima facie duty" as the theoretical basis of ethical assessment for S&T activities.The dissertation puts forward that the selected "prima" science and technology ethical principles should be taken as the main content of the ethical assessment criteria for S&T activities.In order to find out how to select the assessment criteria,this dissertation summarizes the general theories and viewpoints of the science and technology ethical principles.Due to the multidisciplinary features of the ethical assessment for S&T activities,this dissertation argues theoretically and practically that the evaluation criteria should be composed of specific legal rights and corresponding "prima" science and technology ethical principles.Finally,the dissertation summarizes the core content of the theoretical connotation of the ethical assessment for S&T activities.Secondly,the dissertation investigates the practice of ethical assessment for S&T activities.Considering that the ethical assessment for S&T activities is a kind of legal behavior,and for the purpose of investigating the respected S&T ethical principles and the protected legal rights in the institution,the dissertation chooses the institution investigation as the main content of the empirical study.The dissertation takes the relevant laws and policies of science and technology ethics in the United States,the European Union and China as the main objects of the institution investigation.To analyze the relationship between legal rights and ethical principles,the dissertation chooses the judicial precedents referring to the key words of "science and technology ethics" in the United States,the European Union and China as another object of institution investigation.Since most of the institutional materials investigated are legal materials,the dissertation makes a comparative analysis under the legal background and puts forward the method of integrating and drawing from the institutional materials.Through the analysis of the results of the investigation,the dissertation has gained the following practical experience:the national conditions influencing the ethical assessment for S&T activities,the subjects enjoying legal rights in the institution,the objects bound by ethical principles and the concrete contents of the ethical assessment criteria for S&T activities.Thirdly,the dissertation attempts to construct an ethical assessment framework for S&T activities.By analyzing the theoretical connotation and institution investigation,the dissertation sets out to construct an ethical assessment framework for S&T activities.The basic idea of the framework construction is to establish the framework of the approach of "the subject assesses object" in the due process of assessment.The framework views the ethical governance as the logical thread and centers on the assessment criteria which are composed of both the selected "prima" S&T ethical principles and the corresponding legal rights.The specific construction paths are as follows:to determine five main assessment subjects and their status and action modes in the assessment framework;to identify the assessment objects in the assessment framework and the relationship between assessment objects and assessment targets;to ascertain the reasonable combination of legal rights and "prima" ethical principles in S&T activities as the assessment criteria;to establish a due process of assessment with the four-step method and the right protection orientation as the main content.The dissertation presents an ethical assessment framework for S&T activities in the form of illustration.Fourthly,the dissertation examines and perfects the ethical assessment framework for S&T activities.The examination and perfection are centered on the assessment criteria and ethical governance.The assessment criteria are perfected by figuring out the well-accepted ethical principles and legal rights with questionnaires.By studying the latest science and technology ethical cases handling situation,the dissertation explores the process and the handling methods to find the useful experience of rights protection and accountability in cases.Comparing the experience with the established ethical assessment framework and finding out the problems in the ethical governance,the dissertation attempts to provide some suggestions for the improvement.Those suggestions can be divided into concrete and overall dimensions.On the overall,the content of perfection includes dividing the ethical dilemma of science and technology into the true dilemma and the false dilemma,dividing the accountability of the governing object into the external accountability and the internal accountability.The dissertation perfects the right protection and accountability undertaking mechanism in the ethical assessment framework,so as to make the ethical assessment framework for S&T activities more operable in practice.Finally,the dissertation makes a philosophical reflection on the ethical assessment framework for S&T activities.The reflection begins with the "why" in ethical assessment for S&T,in which the concept and the necessity of ethical assessment framework are given some complementary analysis to further improve the "how" in the assessment.Assessment criteria are the core of ethical assessment framework for S&T activities,and also the "why" of the assessment.The dissertation chooses to analyze "S&T and fairness" and "S&T and rights",for the fairness and rights are important contents of the assessment criteria.Starting from expounding the relationship between S&T and fairness,the dissertation discusses that fairness is the basis of scientific and technological value and the adverse effects of science and technology on fairness.And then,the dissertation puts forward four suggestions to make the ethical assessment framework for S&T activities conform to the principle of fairness.The dissertation demonstrates the value consistency relationship between S&T and rights,puts forward that scientific research autonomy is the primary right in ethical assessment for S&T activities,and explains the connotation of scientific research autonomy.The dissertation points out four key problems in ethical assessment for S&T activities for "rights".