Science vs. ethics

[2xx1xy1JD]

Libby Anne has a good post on the limits of science when it comes to ethical issues:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfem ... ience.html

Although she doesn't mention him, I thought it was a good rebuttal of Sam Harris' argument that morality is determined by science:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sam-harri ... 67185.html

What do Fjers think?

[ILikePie]

Sure, in some cases, scientific discoveries and knowledge can help us develop a moral compass. For example, Rene Descartes claimed that animals were simply machines which could not feel, communicate, or think. He believed that only humans had soul and thus consciousness, so it was perfectly acceptable to experiment on animals (even dissecting them alive). Nowadays, due to our better understanding of animal sentience and intelligence, such experiments are generally frowned upon. However, in the end, it's up to us to determine what's right and wrong.