Among 57 possible choices offered by the questionnaire, the membership cited the development and articulation of ethical principles as the most urgent requirement of today's science profession.
The response to the AAAS poll is clear evidence of the hunger suffered by scientists for guiding ideals that would shape the principles of conduct governing individual researchers and the science community at large. Are we, indeed, leading our creative lives in a work atmosphere that is essentially indifferent to the ethical implications of our endeavors?
Ironically, a perusal of scientific journals seems to reveal that the recognition and articulation of ethical principles are not burning issues. Discussion of such matters is virtually absent from scientific literature. Opportunities to discuss or learn about ethics have practically disappeared from academic programs, and they have almost never been a component of scientific curricula. Concerns about ethics traditionally have been in the realm of the humanities, ...
