Andrei Sakharov: The Conscience of Humanity (Hoover Institution Press Publication, 663)

Andrei Sakharov holds an honored place in the pantheon of the world's greatest scientists, reformers, and champions of human rights. But his embrace of human rights did not come through a sudden conversion; he came to it in stages. Drawing from a 2014 Hoover Institution conference focused on Sakharov's life and principles, this book tells the compelling story of his metamorphosis from a distinguished physical scientist into a courageous, outspoken dissident humanitarian voice. His extraordinary life saw him go from playing the leading role in designing and building the most powerful thermonuclear weapon (the so-called hydrogen bomb) ever exploded to demanding an end to the testing of such weapons and their eventual elimination. The essays detail his transformation, as he appealed first to his scientific colleagues abroad and then to mankind at large, for solidarity in resolving the growing threats to human survival--many of which stemmed from science and technology. Ultimately, the distinguished contributors show how the work and thinking of this eminent Russian nuclear physicist and courageous human rights campaigner can help find solutions to the nuclear threats of today The Evolution Of Andrei Sakharov's Thinking / Serge Schmemann -- The Scientist As Prophet : Sakharov's World And Ours / J. Bryan Hehir -- The Soul And Sakharov / William Swing -- Environmental Effects Of Nuclear War / Raymond Jeanloz -- Decoding The Biosphere And The Infectious Disease Threat / Lucy Shapiro -- Diagnosis, Reinvented For The Individual / Elizabeth Holmes -- The Sakharov Conditions, Disruptive Technologies, And Human Rights / Christopher Stubbs -- New Dilemmas In Ethics, Technology, And War : Sakharov's Principles In Today's World / James O. Ellis Jr. -- A Military Perspective / Jim Mattis -- Moral Reasoning And Practical Purpose / David Holloway -- A Global Commons : A Vision Whose Time Has Come / James E. Goodby. Edited By Sidney D. Drell And George P. Shultz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Andrei Sakharov holds an honoured place in the pantheon of the world’s greatest scientists, reformers, and champions of human rights. Drawing from a 2014 Hoover Institution conference focused on Sakharov’s life and principles, this book tells the compelling story of his metamorphosis from a distinguished physical scientist into a courageous, outspoken dissident humanitarian voice.