Chapter 19. Ethical Considerations in the Advance of Nanotechnology

William Sims Bainbridge

Ethics is important in industry for a variety of reasons. A well-established professional ethics is a necessary basis for cooperation between companies, government agencies, and other organizations. The public needs to have confidence in the ethical conduct of a corporation's business, or it may be suspicious of the corporation's products and services in the marketplace. Without widespread confidence from academia and nonprofit organizations, a corporation may find itself the target of negative activism and political agitation.

Ethical principles are among the most significant means by which a company builds morale and support from its own employees, including the technical and scientific staff who are relied upon for profitable innovation. Stockholders and potential investors know that the reputation of a company is among its most valuable assets. Finally, without a well-articulated and seriously implemented set of ethical principles, the management of a corporation cannot take full pride in its own accomplishments nor be confident it is making the right decisions for the well-being of the company and of society at large.

Ethical questions of many kinds may arise in the general area of research, manufacturing, and application of nanotechnologies. For example:

• Who is responsible for preventing and dealing with possible harm to health or the environment?

• How can intellectual property rights be defined and defended when the boundary between nanoscience and nanotechnology is so ambiguous?

• How can the public's right to know about technologies that may affect their lives be balanced against an innovator's right to protect trade secrets and against the cost of collecting and disseminating correct information?

• What priority should be placed on developing new products and techniques that will be highly beneficial for some people, versus defending the interests of individuals and groups that may not benefit from them?

Although this chapter draws upon a number of sources, it especially reflects the deliberations that led to two major reports on the societal implications of nanoscience and nanotechnology (Roco and Bainbridge 2001, 2005).