Clinton News Record, 2015-09-30, Page 44 News Record • Wednesday, September 30, 2015
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opinion
Science ill
There is much about science that
makes it fitting for moral
guidance.
It is not by accident that the words sci-
ence and conscience look similar. Sci-
ence concerns itself with knowledge,
while conscience deals with balancing
knowledge for social good.
Knowledge is essential to good moral
systems. If one claims it's immoral to
pollute our air or water, deplete our for-
ests, or squander our fisheries, it is
important to accurately measure
whether we are, in fact, harming our
environment. In such matters, science
provides accurate knowledge.
Flexibility is also important to good
moral systems because sometimes long-
standing traditions turn out to be irre-
sponsible. History is replete with tradi-
tional moral systems upholding slavery,
gender inequality and the prohibition of
inter -racial marriages. The scientific val-
ues of fairness, equality, and objectivity
support that flexibility and allow
humaneness in dealing with others. For
exmaple, in raising children, good par-
ents consider each child of equal worth
and to provide equal opportunities with
a flexibility for their different abilities.
Consistency — the even-handed
application of moral principles regard-
less of circumstances — is essential to
moral systems. Unfortunately history is
full of examples of moral systems that
accommodated themselves to violence,
war, slavery, prejudices, child labour, etc.
Science's objectivity and a disinterested
pursuit of truth can guide moral systems
to be consistently fair, just and equitable.
■
umi
nates moral path
Caring is at the core of good moral sys-
tems. In health care, scientific knowl-
edge prevents disease, alleviates pain,
and saves and prolongs life.
Avoidance of authoritarian pro-
nouncements is an outstanding feature
of good moral systems. A more effective
approach is to explain why one action is
better than another. The self-correcting
nature of science shuns authoritarian
conclusions. Newtonian physics has
been modified, and Einstein's relativity
and Darwin's evolution theories have
been revised.
Inclusiveness applies to a wide range
of topics within a good moral system.
Science includes topics such as environ-
mental protection, racial equality, wom-
en's rights, child poverty, world peace,
and equal opportunities. In contrast,
religious evangelists often concentrate
on limited topics such as sexual moral-
ity, homosexuality, and the inherently
sinful nature of human beings.
The Golden Rule is a guide by which
all major religions promote the principle
of treating others as we ourselves would
like to be treated. Moral philosophers,
from Confucius and Plato to current
insightful thinkers, uphold this
principle.
One can easily, though, get the Golden
Rule wrong. We have probably all had
the experience of having our offers of
assistance misunderstood or unappreci-
ated, or sometimes we make mistakes
and our actions turn out badly. To apply
the Golden Rule productively, we need
to pay attention to possible conse-
quences of our actions — a truth recog-
nized by the pragmatist philosophers
William James and John Dewey. When it
comes to measuring and evaluating
results, science can be helpful. For
example, are the genetically altered seed
grains produced and controlled by Mon-
santo Inc. helping or harming society?
Good moral systems are proactive —
they tell us how to proceed. Science is
one of the best means by which moral
systems can be proactive. It tells young
smokers that smoking tobacco will be
injurious to their health in the long. It
cautions us about environmental
problems as we deplete rainforests and
hasten the expansion of deserts. Such
warnings may seem to be practical
matters concerning political or eco-
nomic issues, but they also have impli-
cations for moral changes, such as
stewardship, caring for others, and
limiting greed.
Motivation is critical to good moral
systems. People are motivated through
rewards, approval, and gratitude, as
well as through guilt, punishment, and
legal sanctions. Science enhances our
ability to think clearly and act wisely in
solving problems. Moral systems that
include science not only provide moti-
vation, they satisfy both our curiosity
and our search for truth and meaning,
I urge you not to think of science and
ethics in opposition to each other, but
to think instead in terms of making
choices in both science and morals
that are compatible pathways to
progress.
Goldwin Emerson is a London profes-
sor emeritus of education with an inter-
est in philosophy and moral
development.
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