In the 21st century M m odern science and technology, primarily represented by information science and technology as well as life sciences, are developing rapidly with each passing day. While the human society enters an era of globalized and knowledge-based economy, science and technology plays an increasingly leading role. In coming decades, significant original innovations and breakthroughs in scientific research and technological development will keep emerging, which will lead to fundamental changes in productivity, production mode and human living and thus dish out a bright future for the human society while bring new opportunities and challenges to economic development of various nations and advancement of human civilization.
Each historical period has its new unique ethical concerns. While introducing providing more and more convenience for great changes to human beings in production and way of living, information technology, life sciences and biotechnology, nano-technology, cognitive science and space technology, which were greatly developed in the late 20th century, bring about new challenges to the security of human beings and lay direct challenges on those existing ethical norms. Those ethical issues concern human right, privacy, identity confirmation for individuals ethical relationship among people , ethical relationship between human beings and eco-environment, ethical relationship between human beings and other li v f es. The above-mentioned important ethical norms and even the human life of human beings and traditional values were challenged by the development of new sciences and new technologies in various levels and aspects.
Ethical challenges by the development of information technology As information technology is further developed, information becomes one of the most valuable resources in the world. Primacy in information collection, analysis, integration, transmission (dissemination) and application would ensure edges in fierce competition. Meanwhile, rapid progress and wide use of computing technology, broadband network technology, software technology, virtual reality technology and natural voice- and image-processing technology could introduce Internet-based fraud, hacker attacks, privacy leaks, data forgery, as well as trans-boundary gambling and pornography illegal spreading-out. Disequilibrium in ICT ( information communication technology ) development and application between different countries, regions and individuals leads to a new gap between the rich and the poor, or digital gap. Occurrence of those problems bring in ethical questions such as violation of priva te rights and interests cy , illegal monitoring of individual behaviors, which harms the existing social credit system and fair competition. The national and public security is facing new challenges fence is loop holed .
Ethical challenges by the development of life sciences and biotechnologies Advancement in life sciences and biotechnologies blazes a new way in solving long-existing problems on food supply and health care. Technologies related to genetic modified GMO , stem cell, cloning and man-made species made it possible for human beings to unprecedentedly improve quality of natural species , change the balance of eco-system and even change, for the first time, natural endowment of human beings themselves. The scientific breakthroughs also brought about ethical problems as leaks of individual bio-information and difficulties in individual social identity confirmation, even worse, they would harm in endanger dangers to natural ecology system by man-made species and result in new threats to human health genetics.
Ethical challenges by the development of nano-technology Nano-technology enables human beings to study and control structural features of materials in the nano-meter scale, and to create new materials and devices with magic features . Combination of nano-technology and life technologies could will fundamentally rapidly change the current situation in modern agriculture and medical sciences. The human society will also see revolutionary changes in the process of the combination between nano-technology and computing science and bio-genomics. The present nanotechnology research is just within the bound of laboratory, but once it is unrestrictedly used applied in a large scale, it might result in problems in human health, social ethics, and ecological eco- environment and sustainable development . Researches show that some nano-materials obtain special toxin, nano-particles and carbon nano-tubes might evocate tumor and penetrate blood-brain barriers of creatures. Disposal of nano-waste will also be a new issue for human beings to face d with. Furthermore, once nanotechnology is used for developing lethal weapons, scientists have yet found effective protection.
Ethical challenges by the development of cognitive science and technology Development of cognitive science and technology makes it possible for scientists to discover the mystery of human intelligence and trace the nature, ruling law and mode of human cognition. The scientific and technological advancement in the field will improve education, better the capability of information storage and processing, help breaking through the man-machine barriers and foster development of computing science. Cognitive science and technology provides more effective ways for human mental system health, development and prevention and rehabilitation of me n tal diseases rehabilitation . Inappropriate use abuse of cognitive science and technology might result in psychological inducement and traumatic effects, misled cognition, which contribute to control human thinking , feeling and behavior, and thus bring in new serious ethical problems such a privacy violation and loss of behavioral autonomy.
Ethical challenges by the development of space technology Development of space technology as well as improvement and extensive application of global positioning systems, geographical information systems and remote sensing systems, broaden the knowledge and vision of human beings ' understanding of t he universe and promote advancement in digital earth and resources science and technology. The latest development in this field provides powerful scientific and technological support for agricultural production, ecological environment monitoring as well as weather and disaster forecast. But, meantime, the new space-based monitoring technology endangers individual privacy and business secrets. Those who master such advanced space-based monitoring technology, naturally have the information advantages, which will then result in information asymmetry, disequilibrium in business fair competition and new threats to national security.
All the above-mentioned issues are resulted from inappropriate use of science and technology rather than the development of science and technology itself. The problems could not be taken as an excuse to give up or slow down development in science and technology. However exploring the unknown is a a permanent driving force for science and technology development. Appropriate application of science and technology to benefit the human being is a social responsibility of S&T. Ever since modern science and technology was developed, science and technology has been promoting social development while at same time, social structure, human civilization pattern and ethical moral have been adjusting and optimizing themselves in abreast of science and technology progress. Development of modern science and technology might bring the human society more extensive and further-reaching ethical issues, which need to be addressed and solved by the whole human society through joint efforts, exploration and cooperation and innovation .
Only by strengthening the international cooperation, could we improve S&T innovation capacity building ; only by international cooperation, could we and explore the ways of neutralizing negative effects in science and technology advancement; only by promoting public understanding of S&T and knowledge spreading dissemination , could we narrow the digital divide and share application of scientific and technological achievements; only by increasing the cooperation among the research on natural sciences, engineering technology and social sciences as well as humanities, could we alleviate development imbalance and non-harmonic dis harmony in various disciplines; only by fostering joint research and exchange on S&T ethics, could we find the solution for the problems.
Under current circumstances, t T he scientific community and the academic circles should strengthen exchange and cooperation in S&T ethics to create common understanding, and formulate world accepted S&T ethics norms and to the end the international S&T ethics convention.
The scientific community is supposed to work jointly to shape ethical rules on scientific research. The scientific community need s to make it known to the public that inappropriate use of the results of scientific research and technological development might threaten human basic rights of existence, freedom, privacy, justice, ecological environment and human heath and genetic continuation and reproduction of human beings. Such inappropriate use of science and technology would also enlarge the gap between individuals the rich and the poor , endanger social equality, harmony and stability fair and increase the social destabiliz ation . Together with concerned groups, the scientific community we should jointly should seek for preemptive measures and solutions in advance.
The following principles shall be abided by in international S&T ethics cooperation. Firstly, scientists, engineers, lawyers and social scientists shall join in the discussion in ethical issues related to science and technology. Secondly, principles of equality, equity, reciprocity and transparency should be insisted and emphasized in face of ethical issues. The society has rights to know and to be told potential threats on the basis of equality and information symmetry . Thirdly, various communities of the society should take joint efforts to realize equilibrium between scientific and technological development and improvement of ethics to ensure that S&T development should never do harm to social justice, harmonious and sustained social development, ecological environment, harmonious relationship between the human and the nature, or development of science and technology itself. History proved that only by promoting development could problems be resolve d . Fourthly, while focusing on science education and knowledge dissemination , on S&T ethics of science and technology education should be promoted, particularly among young students.
In the era of globalization, only by increasing the international exchange and cooperation, could the R&D, training for advanced professionals, knowledge and technology dissemination, technology standards establishment, and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements be promoted. Only by strengthening international collaboration, could we find the solution to the common issues that human beings are facing. Meanwhile, only by international cooperation, could we build a system of S&T ethics fitting in with knowledge-based society.
Thank you.