Ethical Futures

A project to explore, debate and define our ethical landscape with respect to scientific advances capable of significantly altering the human state. Ethical Futures aimed to develop a conceptual roadmap that connects the key issues and facilitates integrated decision-making.

Detailed Information

Science can develop technologies to eliminate aging, and enhance human intellectual, physical and emotional capacities. But what can guide us in whether or how we should use them? .

These new and emerging technologies illustrate the complexities of the ethical dilemmas we face, raising fundamental questions about what it is to be human.

The Ethical Futures project begins by identifying the points of tension arising between the development of these technologies and our current ethical framework. It seeks out the views of both experts and members of the general public to find where there are problems that need to be solved.

The activities listed below took place throughout 2007, beginning a public conversation about our ethical landscape. These activities culminated in two major events; a conference in October and an interactive exhibition in December.

  • Book - A compendium of perspectives on the ethical issues with respect to the introduction of human enhancing technologies
  • Conference - Launch book, presentations, debates on issues raised by the contributions. Concerns, recommendations and possible solutions
  • TV/radio series - a series developed around a set of scenarios exploring our possible futures; a series of short debates with public participation
  • Short story competition - about living an enhanced life/ ethical implications
  • Lecture series - debates about the pros and cons, implications for society - pensions, work, health, death, recreation, environment
  • Exhibition - interactive exhibition bringing together cutting edge applications etc enabling viewers to interact with a wide range of enhancements and provide feedback
  • Web conversations - engage international experts in online discussions covering specific issues identified by the project team and publication of conversations on international perspectives.

This project was completed in 2007.