Theory of Knowledge - Essay Example

Theory of Knowledge The possession of knowledge carries an ethical responsibility. Evaluate this claim. The purpose of this Theory of Knowledge essay is to really understand what ethical and moral responsibilities come from the possession of knowledge, with a particular focus on the speed at which knowledge is being acquired in the modern age. With the digital revolution, for example, it is possible for more people to know more information than ever before in human history, opening up new questions for morality. Additionally, science (particularly biology) has moved to such levels that it is impossible to read a newspaper article about an important discovery which does not raise an ethical question. Do the creators and discoverers of this new knowledge have an ethical responsibility about what they research? Do the public have a responsibility to ask questions about the ethics and morality of this knowledge? There are many areas of knowledge which are consistently being added to. One problem with the expansion of knowledge is that it tends to raise ethical questions that have not been considered before. Additionally, it is hard to know whose responsibility it is to abide by these new ethical considerations. Should the scientists themselves refrain from publishing their work? This seems unethical in itself, for what is the point of investing time and energy into something which cannot even be used by the public? It would seem that the core responsibility lies with humanity in general to use the new knowledge in a responsible manner, but then the question remains as to what is responsible. Nuclear power, for example, could benefit several generations of people but poses significant danger (Resnik, 1998). One area of knowledge that has particularly controversial developments is biology and medicine, which has led to the development of a field known as bioethics (Resnik, 1998). One area which is currently being researched but raises many issues is that of human enhancement. In general terms, this is any form of scientific advancement that is used to improve upon the human body as it is naturally (Jecker, 2011). When we think of this as a controversial topic, it would seem that developments like cognitive enhancement drugs or steroids in sports medicine are obvious candidates for ethical debates. One thing that is interesting to consider is where to draw the line between “bad” human enhancement, and that which we currently allow in society, such as medicines and prostheses (Jecker, 2011). Reason plays a part in this decision, as anything which improves human lives can be seen to be a positive thing, but emotion tells us that this could be seen as cheating. It is also interesting to consider that some people may be economically unable to access these technologies, so there may seem to be an ethical responsibility by the creators of these human enhancements to provide them at a reasonable cost to promote equality (Lagemaat, 2011). Another area which causes a lot of concern is the environment. Over the last few decades, the public and researchers alike have gained a lot of new knowledge about the environment and how the human race is damaging it (Kernohan, 2012). Despite this, carbon emissions and other aspects of the modern lifestyle have continued to grow, and we are still seeing the effects that this has on the weather and the animal kingdom (Resnik, 1998). Although the human race is generally in possession of this knowledge, there is very little being done to improve the situation, despite the best efforts of some politicians and scientists. It would seem that we have a responsibility to use this knowledge to improve the situation whilst we still can. Environmental ethics also raises another interesting question. As a Western country, much of the technical and scientific development is at the highest level and the majority of the population lives in good conditions. It is this lifestyle that has lead to such a huge impact on the environment, as hunter-gatherer societies live in a much more environmentally friendly manner. However, a huge impact is being made on the environment by those countries which are developing, as they are gaining more technology and knowledge themselves. As a population that understands what damage this is doing to the environment, it would seem that we are ethically obliged to stop them making this development. However, it is also not fair to prevent technical development that could potentially improve the lives of several million humans. Which type of knowledge do we owe the most ethical responsibility to? In the world of information technology and fast information, it is interesting to consider the role of the media and those who spread such information (Lagemaat, 2011). For example, it is now possible to choose the color of a child’s eyes before they are born (Lagemaat, 2011). Although it was perhaps inevitable that the developments in genetics and biology would allow this to be theoretically possible, it is not necessary that those outside of these fields would know about it. In a way, those working in the media are working as advertisements for such procedures, as they are letting this knowledge into the public sphere (Lagemaat, 2011). These people should shoulder some of the responsibility that comes with the possession of knowledge, as they are involving more people without a scientific or ethical background become involved in the decision-making process. Additionally, there are different ways of being in possession of knowledge that are relevant to the ethical decisions an individual or a conglomerate makes. Emotion is often assumed to be one of the ‘lesser’ elements of knowledge, as facts should be completely devoid of emotion (Lagemaat, 2011). However, it is argued that research only continues because people have an emotional commitment to that which they are researching (Resnik, 1998), and emotion also adds a dimension to the use of language in the possession and pursuit of knowledge. Emotion is also strongly linked to the ethical decisions that we make (Alchin, 2006), and thus is relevant to this discussion. Any responsibility that a scientist or researcher feels that they have in the development of their knowledge will be related to their emotional attachment to the knowledge itself and the world around them. Reason is also important in the development of ethics for the possession of knowledge. Reason is usually used in the development of knowledge, be it philosophical or scientific, but reason should also be used in the development of an ethical procedure to accompany the new knowledge (Alchin, 2006). For example, if a new drug that needed to be developed would harm animals in the development but could potentially save hundreds of lives, reason could be used to come to an ethical conclusion about its creation (Alchin, 2006). This would then allow the scientists to fulfill their ethical responsibility with respect to this new knowledge (Alchin, 2006). In practice, however, language and emotion may play too large a role in ethical decisions to allow pure reason to triumph. Overall, there are many elements to consider when seeing how the possession of knowledge should lead to moral obligations. Firstly, the type of knowledge needs to be considered, as many believe that technology that directly affects the way that humans live and grow is much more prone to need moral thought than other types of knowledge. Biology and medicine seem to be particularly prone to ethical considerations, particularly by religious communities. Knowledge of history, for example, does not seem to require as much philosophical and ethical thought and perhaps holds less of a requirement to use moral and ethical judgment well for the possessors of this knowledge. Secondly, the way in which the knowledge was gained and the way in which it will be used should also be considered. For example, knowledge gained by emotional thought or affected by emotional judgment (such as technology that prolongs or shortens life) will necessarily have more of an emotional impact. This will in turn affect the ethical and moral behaviors of those that hold the knowledge. It seems that this type of decision needs to be made by the individual in possession of the knowledge, perhaps with the involvement of cultural perspectives. In conclusion, it does seem that there is a definite ethical responsibility to be considered in the possession of knowledge. There is a responsibility both to share that knowledge so that everyone can be on a level playing field when making decisions. There is also a responsibility to ensure that there is equality in the way that this knowledge or the benefits that come from it are distributed, a particular worry in human enhancements. Finally, there is an ethical responsibility to ensure that the knowledge is used in an appropriate way to benefit humanity, which is the most difficult part as it requires strong ethical thought and perhaps the thinker will need to acquire yet more knowledge to understand this decision. References Alchin, N., 2006. Theory of Knowledge. Hodder Murray. Jecker, N., 2011. Bioethics. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Kernohan, A., 2012. Environmental Ethics: An Interactive Introduction. Broadview Press. Lagemaat, R. van de, 2011. Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma Full Colour Edition. Cambridge University Press. Resnik, D.B., 1998. The Ethics of Science: An Introduction. Routledge. Read More