Towards ethically responsible nanotechnology? On the role of ethics in contemporary science policy

In this article, the authors describe how transhumanist ideas influence science nanotechnology policy in the United States. Subsequently, they distinguish different ways in which policymakers and scientists, both in the US and in Europe, address social and ethical implications of nanotechnology research and development. They discern two dominant approaches to responsible technology development: a rationalist approach, which separates scientific issues from ethical questions, and a procedural approach, which adheres to guiding moral principles for responsible technology development. They add to this classification an experimental approach, which directly intervenes in scientific practice. By indicating how concerned actors ethicize nanotechnology in different ways, the authors seek to clarify what is meant by ethics in nanotechnology development and incite reflection on the interconnectedness of ethics and new technologies