Research On Ethics Of Outer Space

Ethics of outer space is an emerging domain of applied ethics. It takes the ethical problems in the exploration and use of outer space as its main subjects. Firstly, this paper gives the definition of"ethics of outer space"and other related terms, reviews the related researches both from home and abroad and analyses its current research status, concretely analyses the ethical dilemmas in the exploration and use of outer space from the following four major aspects: the military utilization of outer space, the interests distribution and environmental protection in the exploitation of outer space, the social-cultural impacts of space technologies and the value conflicts and moral judgments in the exploration and use of outer space, and proposes that the fundamental reason for the ethical dilemmas in the exploration and use of outer space is national interests centre doctrine. In order to get rid of these ethical dilemmas, we should set a new ethical view which coordinates the interests of nations and humankind, strengthen the ethical regulation in the exploration and use of outer space, regulate the the following major actors in the exploration and use of outer space: nations and governments, space scientists and engineers and their communities, astronauts, and enterprisers of space industries. As the conclusion, this paper researches the directive function of ethics of outer space in the development of China's outer space undertakings, proposes that we should take the standpoint of moral realism in the exploitations and uses of outer space and view the moral"ends"&"means", and"to be"&"ought to be"in ethics of outer space in a dialectical way.