[tt] [x-risk] Hughes on Cat Risks in the Boston Globe

[Hughes, James J.]

>  Does such a statement mean to indicate that 
> scientists have a neurobiological problem with 
> regards to basic ethical judgment, and, therefore, 
> lack in autonomy of will and lack in an ability to choose?

No, although that is possible for some scientists.

The point I was making is that ethical judgment and moral action are the
responsibility of all citizens-qua-citizens, and that scientists are not
well equipped to take on a special responsibility for judging assessing
the risk of their own work beyond this general obligation as citizens.
Although scientists have a special understanding of their technical
field, they, like all self-interested people, face cognitive biases of
underestimating the risks posed by their work. So risk assessment has to
be managed by broader, democratic accountable authorities, with expert
advice of scientists.

------------------------ 
James Hughes Ph.D. 
Executive Director, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies 
http://ieet.org 
Associate Editor, Journal of Evolution and Technology 
http://jetpress.org 
Public Policy Studies, Trinity College 
http://internet2.trincoll.edu/facProfiles/Default.aspx?fid=1004332 
Williams 229B, Trinity College 
300 Summit St., Hartford CT 06106
(office) 860-297-2376
director at ieet.org