Ethical Judgements Of Knowledge In Science

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When considering knowledge acquired from both the arts and the natural sciences, can the means of production be limited by ethical judgements? Ethics are a system or set of moral principles . Ethical judgements therefore, are judgements we make of what ought to be, judgements made using reason or moral principle. The pursuit of knowledge has the potential to take us to unconceivable areas of new knowledge, in both art and natural science. Exploration for knowledge is therefore a limitless expanse of opportunity. However I believe ethical judgements do not limit the methods available in the production of knowledge in both the arts and natural sciences.

All scientific hypothesis cannot be absolutely proven without some form of testing as proof, or until all possible oppositions are unarguably disproved, however one cannot be sure whether all possible conflicts have been considered and disproved. Natural science aims to explain and understand phenomena. In order to prove a hypothesis, it is required to have testing, to provide evidence for the hypothesis. Science can, therefore, provide an explanation based on fair research backed by rigorous checks and balances, and not on only belief. This shows that false scientific theories can never get past the stage of appropriate testing, without being disproven.
In the mid-20th century, scientist Harry Harlow conducted experiments upon maternal isolation and social isolation on infant monkeys. The infant monkeys were kept in cages, with 2 replica surrogate mothers in the form of a cloth mother, and a wire mother with a bottle. Harlow researched into the maternal characteristics of monkeys compared to human babies. Furthermore, Harlow experimented on social isolation, keeping the baby monke...

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...tural sciences, ethical judgements do not limit the methods of production. Similarly free expression in art, does subdue ethical judgement in the method of producing knowledge. Art can be linked with Natural science, where natural science seeks to provide knowledge, art seeks to represent knowledge, in a way which appeals to our senses, Cocteau (1918: 11) sums up this idea well saying, ‘Art is Science made clear’. In order to create a representation of crude reality, to express knowledge, art must be created. The methods in how knowledge in art is produced are not ethically considered, due to the fact that art is a representation of the crude reality. If ethics were considered when making art, then art would have a different meaning. Thus, Ethical judgements do not limit the methods available in the production of knowledge in both the arts and the natural science.

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