To what extent have scientific developments outpaced ethical

consideration?
Planning:
Scientific developments: Biomedical,
Ethics: Business ethic (profit), social, political
Stand: Scientific developments outpaced ethical consideration to a
large extent.
1 body paragraph:
Religion groups may argue that scientific developments in the area
of genetic engineering is an act of playing god, questioning the
sanctity of life. They firmly believe that such characteristics can only
be determined by the omnipresent, supreme figure such as god.
Furthermore, genetic engineering may widen social stratification
between the rich and the poor, evident from the cult film Guttaca.
However, genetic engineering outpaced such ethical consideration
because it improves the overall well being of people. It eradicates
genetic diseases such as anemia and give a person a second chance
to live healthily consequently happily.
2nd.
No doubt there are unethical practices in the process of scientific
developments. Scientific developments are often profit driven and
often exploitative, towards the poor, in order to reduce the cost.
Furthermore, research often make use of the illiterate, as those
illiterate might not fully understand the procedures and consequent
of the reseach, thus are more susceptible into participating in
scientific reseach. One example is the Tuskegee experiment from
1930s-1970s, where black men from Alabama, US were injected
syphilis virus in order for researchers to observe the consequences
and impact of the virus if left untreated. The black men did neither
fully consented to the procedure nor understood fully the
implications of participating in the experiment. This has also
trampled their basic human rights.
However, although the means of obtaining the results are unethical,
it has benefitted the human population as a whole because with
such observations, scientists are able to create drugs to help people
solve this problems.
3rd
In todays context, a highly debatable scientific development is the
nuclear technology. The creation of nuclear technology stems from
Einsteins famous physics equation, E=mc^2. During the war,
nuclear technology was misused and nuclear bombs were made in
the Manhattan project, which were used in the bombings of

Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing up to thousands of civilians, and

also leaving carcinogenic elements in their bodies.
However, if used with care, nuclear technology can be developed
into renewable energy, which is an emergence need, considering
the current environmental degradation. Nuclear energy is more
efficient, and produces less amount of greenhouse gasses, which
slows down the pace of global warming. Nuclear technology outpace
ethical concerns because it slows down climate change, which is
vital to the survival of the human race, whereas ethical concerns
arise when human makes wrong use of it
4th point
Business ethics are also questionable in the case of Genetically
Modified Organism (GMO) in terms of the agrarian industry. Huge
companies such as Monsanto purposely patented their GM seeds
such that farmers have to continually purchase batches of those
seeds and continue to pay loyalties to the company. In 2005, the
New York Times has published an article about multiple suicide
cases in India related to those patented seeds. Apparently, the
farmers in India went into a financial debt because they cling on the
hopes that farming with those GM seeds would eventually bring
them wealth as preached by Monsanto. Evidently, due to the profit
driven nature of such companies, they have resulted even death.
Such acts are deemed unethical, for their pure pursuits of money
without considering the hampering effects their products bring
about.
However, this is only an isolated case of poor business ethics that
resulted from GMO. GMO is generally beneficial. It has propelled
Green Revolution in the 1970s, which doubled crop production in
developing countries in China, India and Pakistan, lifting 1 billion
people out of the poverty cycle globally. It has provided more people
with basic necessity. Furthermore, this has inspired the Golden rice,
where more nutritious food is produced, solving problems such as
blindness and other illnesses that arise from the deficiency of
Vitamin A. Such contributions of GMO must not be neglected.
In conclusion: Scientific developments have definitely outpaced
ethical concerns.