Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
social agenda that sound science can be ignored or manipulated to advance
certain causes. Green engineering is particularly vulnerable to such advocacy.
We may believe so strongly in sustainability that we become selective in facts.
For example, environmental science has sometimes been asked to accept the
justification of using morally unacceptable means to achieve the greater good. 4
The journal Conservation Biology published a number of scientific, philosophical,
and ethical perspectives as to whether to misuse science to promote the larger
goal (conservation) to protect the black sea turtle. Even though the taxonomy
is scientifically incorrect (i.e., the black sea turtle is not a unique species), some
writers called for a geopolitical taxonomy . 5 The analogy of war has been invoked
as a justification, with one writer even declaring that “it is acceptable to tell
lies to deceive the enemy.” The debate moderators asked a telling question:
“Should legitimate scientific results then be withheld, modified, or 'spun' to serve
conservation goals?” Continuing with the war analogy, some scientists likened
the deceptive taxonomy to propaganda needed to prevent advances by the enemy.
The problem is that, as Snow would put it, once you stop telling the truth, you
have lost credibility as scientists, even if the deception is for a noble cause. 6 Two
writers, Kristin Shrader-Frechette and Earl D. McCoy, emphasized that credible
science requires that “in virtually all cases in professional ethics, the public has
the right to know the truth when human or environmental welfare is at issue.” 7
The Green Categorical Imperative
The concept of sustainability has been embraced by many. It is, so to speak, a
social virtue. The classical works of Aristotle, Aquinas, and Kant, among others,
make the case for life being a mix of virtues and vices available to humans. Virtue
can be defined as the power to do good or a habit of doing good. In fact, one of
Aristotle's most memorable lines is that “excellence is habit.” If we do good, we
are more likely, according to Aristotle, to keep doing good. Conversely, vice is
the power and habit of doing evil. The subjectivity or relational nature of good
and evil, however, causes discomfort among engineers and design pofessionals.
We place great import on certainty and consistency of definition.
Aristotle tried to clarify the dichotomy of good and evil by devising lists of
virtues and vices, which amount to a taxonomy of good and evil. One of the many
achievements of Aristotle was his keen insight as to the similarities of various kinds
of living things. He categorized organisms into two kingdoms, plants and animals.
Others no doubt made such observations, but Aristotle documented them. He
formalized and systematized this taxonomy. Such a taxonomic perspective also
found its way into Aristotle's moral philosophy.
Not too long ago, biological taxonomy held Aristotle's two-kingdom structure.
However, the difficulty of placing microbes and other ambiguous organisms into
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