The conception of sustainable development: from environmentalism to ethics and philosophy of science

We consider the conception of sustainable development in the light of the achievements of the philosophy of science, most clearly represented by the theory of conceptual transduction. Four trends in the development of the conception of sustainable development are considered: the development of the conception of sustainable development at the UN summits, clarification of the concept of sustainable development, correlation of the conception of sustainable development with ethics, and its characterization from the perspective of philosophy of science. The first three trends, having no distinct methodology, do not lead to significant innovations. The fourth trend allows us to translate the content of the conception of sustainable development, including its inherent ethical orientation, into scientific rails. It turns out that in the fullest form the aspirations of modern humankind and its hopes for a favourable future are expressed by the strategy of all-round development of science, which considers the positive content of the conception of sustainable development