Skepticism, moral

Still, some members of the lay public are clearly skeptical of science and scientists, as indicated by the view of the profession presented on the cover of a national magazine in Figure 6.110 Although we may be assured that scientists as a group are no more deficient in morals than, say, cartoonists, it is important to understand the basis of public perceptions and to examine the practical implications for laboratory management. Industrial products are very widely distributed and many are used intimately. There are real consequences that can arise from a serious error in manufacture or design, as illustrated by the case of L-tryptophan. 

The controversy about compulsion is also conceptual. It is far from clear how the notion of motivational compulsion is to be analyzed. The moral and conceptual concerns interact with one another. Insofar as talk of compulsion is ill defined, it is Liable to abuse. As Grinspoon and Baku-lar (1976,191) skeptically put it, "What we know so far is only that sometimes some people intensely desire to consume certain substances called psychoactive drugs." They suspected that... 

Skeptics argue that there cannot be anything like international justice because this is a relationship among different states. Since states are not moral agents, and cannot agree on any legal or moral principles, justice among nations is a delusion (Beitz 1999). 

Caroll, Robert T xld. Substance Abuse Treatment. The Skeptic s Dictionary. Available online. URL http //skepdic.com/sat.html. Updated on November 11, 2003. This contrarian approach to substance abuse treatment acknowledges the good intentions of pioneers such as Charles Dederich of Synanon but argues that a number of programs violate human rights. The author questions the role and self-interest of professional interventionists who try to get substance abusers into treatment. He also argues that there is an inherent contradiction between the disease model of substance abuse and the moral approach of 12-step organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous. 

There was undoubtedly significant skepticism at the outset on the need to make a commitment to sustainable development. Why us now Most of our competitors seem to be doing well if not better without it was a common retort. And What about the shareholder Companies are not charities. Surely the prime responsibility of any corporation is to its shareholders This sentiment was driven by the widely held perception that although the moral case was clear, such a commitment might mean additional burdens on the business and therefore make it less effective. 

For employees, the policy statement is the declaration of an intent to achieve a goal. However, employees are skeptical of bureaucratic policies and look for more solid evidence of management commitment. Thus, the timing and sequence of health- and safety-related decisions demonstrate how the policy will be implemented and the importance of health and safety considerations. A health and safety pohcy with no follow-through is worthless and in fact may be damaging to employee morale by showing employees a lack of management commitment. This can backfire and can lead to poor employee safety attitudes and behaviors. Thus, an employer has to put the money where the mouth is to demonstrate commitment. If not, a policy is an empty promise. 

Although it is often presented in the media as a major economic problem, like other skeptics, I am not fully convinced because I consider that an economic problem is not always a moral one. To take a provocative example, the fact that a company which designs and makes landmines goes bankrupt may be considered as a rather good piece of news for an ethicist. 

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