X Annual Swedish Symposium on Biomedicine, Ethics and Society: Seglarhotellet, Sandhamn, 9-10 June 2008:
Dual Uses of Biomedicine: Whose responsibility?
Frida Kuhlau, Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics
Abstract of keynote presentation:
Taking Due Care in Life Science: Moral obligations in dual use research
In the past decade the perception of a bioterrorist threat has increased and created a demand on life scientists to consider potential security implications of dual use research. A number of proposed moral obligations for life scientists have emerged as a response to these concerns. The reasonableness of these obligations will be discussed in relation to five criteria for what can be considered to constitute preventable harm.
Although bioterrorism might be perceived as an imminent threat, the analysis will illustrate that it is not a reasonable obligation for life scientists to either prevent or respond to. Among the more reasonable obligations that will be discussed are; duties to consider potential negative implications of one’s research, safeguard the access to sensitive material, technology and knowledge and report activities of concern. Responsibility, thus, does not involve preventing the act of misuse but rather such obligations concerned with preventing foreseeable and highly probable harm. One important conclusion is that many proposed obligations are reasonable, however, not unconditionally.
