Reverence and ethics in science.
Codes of ethics abound in science, but the question of why such codes should be obeyed is rarely asked. Various reasons for obeying a professional code have been proposed, but all are unsatisfactory in that they do not really motivate behavior. This article suggests that the long forgotten virtue of reverence provides both a reason to obey a professional code and motivation to do so. In addition, it discusses the importance of reverence as a cardinal virtue for scientists drawing on the ideas of Paul Woodruff on the role of virtue in community.
Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-1600, USA. jkovac@utk.edu
Jeffrey
J
Kovac
D032781:Codes of Ethics; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D012586:Science / Q000941:ethics*; D012945:Social Values; D028722:Virtues