You have been requested by the CIA to design a software program for a biotech la

Question

You have been requested by the CIA to design a software program for a biotech laboratory that manufactures the ebola virus. This project is part of a bioengineering warfare program to use the ebola virus as part of a new weapons system. At present, the virus is extremely contagious and there is no known cure for it. And as part of a weapons system, the software should provide the necessary data that would enable the virus to multiply at a very rapid rate so that, when deployed, it will instantaneously overwhelm the immune system of the enemy and cause an agonizing and horrifying death. To ensure that the sotware works as designed, however, the virus which it drives would have to be tested on vulnerable populations" on some distant part of the world, say in Africa and parts of Asia. Drawing upon any one of the ethical theories we have studied, would you design such software? Why or why not? 4.

Explanation / Answer

Some call such weaponry “the poor man’s atomic bomb” — its construction is cheaper and its effects are potentially as far-reaching and devastating. The ability to manufacture chemical or biological threats is relatively much easier and its availability more widespread that nuclear weapons. Because of this, many believe any future terrorist attacks might include biological/chemical weapons similar to anthrax. Though seemingly a new threat, similar weaponry has been the subject of debate for decades.

Biological warfare is the intentional use of disease-causing microorganisms or other entities that can replicate themselves (e.g., viruses, infectious nucleic acids and prions) against humans, animals or plants for hostile purposes. It may also involve the use of toxins: poisonous substances produced by living organisms…plants…and animals. If they are utilized for warfare purpose, the synthetically manufactured counterparts of these toxins are biological weapons.

Ethics is about recognizing that there are some things we cannot and will not support or do. Codes of ethics have been around for a long time in the sciences. Perhaps the best-known one is the doctor’s Hippocratic Oath, which states “I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.”

Another consideration for a code that prohibits scientists from working on dangerous substances with potential military applications — How can scientists know in advance the outcome of their experiments or all future applications of their work? Einstein had no idea that his work would lead to the atomic bomb.

With the current evolution of potential threats, the issue of biological and chemical weaponry is a very important one. Ethical issues regarding war in general are a paper in and of itself. The use of weapons comes down to whether or not it is morally acceptable and ethically responsible to do harm to another person. And essentially, the destruction of human life is unacceptable in most areas of the world. Just like nuclear weapons, the potential for mass destruction using biological/toxin weapons is too great a threat.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse Y
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.