Science and Technology Governance and Ethics : A Global Perspective From Europe, India and China

This book analyzes the possibilities for effective global governance of science in Europe, India and China. Authors from the three regions join forces to explore how ethical concerns over new technologies can be incorporated into global science and technology policies. The first chapter introduces the topic, offering a global perspective on embedding ethics in science and technology policy. Chapter Two compares the institutionalization of ethical debates in science, technology and innovation policy in three important regions: Europe, India and China. The third chapter explores public perceptions of science and technology in these same three regions. Chapter Four discusses public engagement in the governance of science and technology, and Chapter Five reviews science and technology governance and European values. The sixth chapter describes and analyzes values demonstrated in the constitution of the People’s Republic of China. Chapter Seven describes emerging evidence from India on the uses of science and technology for socio-economic development, and the quest for inclusive growth. In Chapter Eight, the authors propose a comparative framework for studying global ethics in science and technology. The following three chapters offer case studies and analysis of three emerging industries in India, China and Europe: new food technologies, nanotechnology and synthetic biology. Chapter 12 gathers all these threads for a comprehensive discussion on incorporating ethics into science and technology policy. The analysis is undertaken against the backdrop of different value systems and varying levels of public perception of risks and benefits. The book introduces a common analytical framework for the comparative discussion of ethics at the international level. The authors offer policy recommendations for effective collaboration among the three regions, to promote responsible governance in science and technology and a common analytical perspective in ethics. This book presents a multidisciplinary perspective on chance, with contributions from distinguished researchers in the areas of biology, cognitive neuroscience, economics, genetics, general history, law, linguistics, logic, mathematical physics, statistics, theology and philosophy. The individual chapters are bound together by a general introduction followed by an opening chapter that surveys 2500 years of linguistic, philosophical, and scientific reflections on chance, coincidence, fortune, randomness, luck and related concepts. A main conclusion that can be drawn is that, even after all this time, we still cannot be sure whether chance is a truly fundamental and irreducible phenomenon, in that certain events are simply uncaused and could have been otherwise, or whether it is always simply a reflection of our ignorance. Other challenges that emerge from this book include a better understanding of the contextuality and perspectival character of chance (including its scale-dependence), and the curious fact that, throughout history (including contemporary science), chance has been used both as an explanation and as a hallmark of the absence of explanation. As such, this book challenges the reader to think about chance in a new way and to come to grips with this endlessly fascinating phenomenon Front Matter....Pages i-viii Introduction: Embedding Ethics in Science and Technology Policy—A Global Perspective....Pages 1-8 Institutionalizing Ethical Debates in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy: A Comparison of Europe, India and China....Pages 9-23 Public Perceptions of Science and Technology in Europe, China and India....Pages 25-37 Public Engagement in the Governance of Science and Technology....Pages 39-51 Science and Technology Governance and European Values....Pages 53-71 The Values Demonstrated in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China....Pages 73-81 Science and Technology for Socio-economic Development and Quest for Inclusive Growth: Emerging Evidence from India....Pages 83-97 A Comparative Framework for Studying Global Ethics in Science and Technology....Pages 99-110 New Food Technologies in Europe, India and China....Pages 111-124 Discourses on Nanotechnology in Europe, China and India....Pages 125-143 Discourses on Synthetic Biology in Europe, India and China....Pages 145-163 Conclusions: Incorporating Ethics into Science and Technology Policy....Pages 165-173