Choose one of the following two prompts and write a short essay (4000-5000 characters without spaces) in response. In your essay, make sure to clearly explain the philosophical concepts you are using, as well as the example you are focusing on.

 

One of David Resnik’s twelve ethical standards reads as follows: “Scientists should be free to conduct research on any problem or hypothesis. They should be allowed to pursue new ideas and criticize old ones” (Resnik, 1998, p. 54). Do you agree with this statement, or do you see a case for some restrictions on scientific freedom? Explain your position through a specific example of scientific research. Describe the example concisely and analyze it from an ethical point of view. You must engage explicitly with Resnik’s text (with at least one direct quotation).

 

In Chapter 5 of The Ethics of Science, David Resnik distinguishes between error, self-deception, and bias in research. Can you think of a specific example where self-deception or bias distorted scientific research? How did the scientific community correct the distortion? What kind of broader ethical issues did the episode raise? Describe the example concisely and analyze it from an ethical point of view. You must engage explicitly with Resnik’s text (with at least one direct quotation).

 

You are welcome to select an example from your own discipline, but this is not a requirement. If you do, make sure you don’t confuse your discipline with the subject of your discipline: for example, if you study art history, your example should be about an ethical issue in art history, not an ethical issue in art; if you do media studies, your example should be about an ethical issue in media studies, not an ethical issue in media; if you study literature, your example should be about an ethical issue in the study of literature, not an ethical issue in literature, and so on.