Abstract
This article analyzes the present status, development trends, and problems in the ethics of nuclear technology in light of a possible revision of its conceptual foundations. First, to better recognize the current state of nuclear technology ethics and related problems, this article focuses on presenting a picture of the evolution of the concepts and recent achievements related to technoethics, based on the ethics of responsibility. The term ‘ethics of nuclear technology’ describes a multidisciplinary endeavor to examine the problems associated with nuclear technology through ethical frameworks and paradigms. Second, to identify the reasons for the intensification of efforts to develop ethics in relation to nuclear technology, this article presents an analysis of the recent situation and future prospects of nuclear technology deployment. This includes contradictions that have aggravated nuclear dilemmas and debates stimulated by the shortcomings of nuclear technology, as well as the need for the further development of a nuclear culture paradigm that is able to provide a conceptual framework to overcome nuclear challenges. Third, efforts in the field of nuclear technology ethics are presented as a short overview of particular examples, and the major findings regarding obstacles to the development of nuclear technology ethics are also summarized. Finally, a potential methodological course is proposed to overcome inaction in this field; the proposed course provides for the further development of nuclear technology ethics, assuming the axiological multidisciplinary problematization of the main concepts in nuclear engineering through the basic ethical paradigms: analytical, hermeneutical, and poststructuralist.
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Notes
Metascience is a theory of science or science about science (Allwood and Bärmark 1999).
The authors use the term ‘ethics of nuclear technology’ to describe the analysis of ethical issues related to nuclear technology, so as to overcome nuclear dilemmas and structure nuclear debate, but not the term ‘nuclear ethics’, which is widely used to indicate a field of academic and policy-relevant study that examines the ethical problems associated with nuclear warfare, deterrence, arms control, and disarmament (Nye 1986).
Nuclear engineering is a branch of engineering that involves the application of nuclear fission, fusion, and ionizing radiation. It also includes the design and maintenance of systems and components of nuclear and other related technologies, as well as the study of associated processes (e.g., neutronics, heat transport and thermodynamics, and nuclear fuel behavior) and problems (e.g., safety, radioactive waste disposal, and nuclear proliferation).
Tonnes of heavy metals (tHM).
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Andrianov, A., Kanke, V., Kuptsov, I. et al. Reexamining the Ethics of Nuclear Technology. Sci Eng Ethics 21, 999–1018 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-014-9578-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-014-9578-0