Social Oversight, Moral Awareness Key for Science to Serve Peace: Professor

IQNA – A prominent professor history of science says the presence of a social oversight as well as raising moral awareness among scientists are the key to have science serve peace and development.

Iranian professor Hossein Masoumi Hamdeni shared his insights with IQNA on the occasion of the World Science Day for Peace and Development, which is celebrated annually on November 10th

He believes that for science to serve peace and development, there should be creation and intensification of awareness about two issues. 

"The scientific community should not be isolated from society as a whole; it must always work under the shadow of social oversight, which might come from parliament, the media, or even ordinary citizens,” he said.

In addition to social oversight, a moral awareness should be instilled in every individual involved in scientific work, he said, adding that when scientists can foresee, with high probability or certainty, that the outcomes of their research could be used for inhumane or harmful purposes, “they should abandon that work and also inform others of its potential consequences.”

“These key steps need to be established in our country, while on the international level, the issue becomes far more complex," he added.  

The World Science Day for Peace and Development highlights the significant role of science in society and emphasizes the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues. It aims to underscore the importance and relevance of science in our daily lives and its potential to promote peace and sustainable development.

The idea for the day was proposed during the World Conference on Science in Budapest in 1999, and it was officially established by UNESCO in 2001. Each year, the day focuses on a specific theme to address various global challenges through science. For 2024, the theme is "Why Science Matters - Engaging Minds and Empowering Futures".

In his remarks, Professor Masoumi emphasizes two key ideas for steering science toward the benefit of humanity on both national and global scales. The first is developing an ethical awareness among scientists, urging them to "constantly consider the consequences and outcomes of their work" and to abandon research if it’s likely to yield catastrophic results.

However, he notes that historical examples of scientists halting their work due to ethical concerns are rare, in part because "predicting the full consequences of scientific work is often impossible."

Professor Masoumi points to the unpredictability of scientific applications, explaining that a seemingly theoretical mathematical discovery can end up serving various practical purposes, including harmful ones.

He cites the development of the atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project as a striking example of scientific advancements being utilized for destructive ends, with renowned physicists like J. Robert Oppenheimer and Nobel laureates involved. The project, as he remarks, was "entirely aimed at creating a weapon, not solving a problem," with major figures, including Albert Einstein, supporting it under the fear that if the US don’t build it, Germany would.

Masoumi suggests that scientists need both foresight and "moral preparedness" to step back when their work conflicts with the goals of peace and development.

He advocates for integrating deeper ethical education within academia, beyond standard research ethics, to help scientists anticipate the broader impacts of their work.

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Translation by Mohammad Ali Haqshenas