Four Mertonian norms
The four Mertonian norms (often abbreviated as the CUDOS-norms) can be summarised as:
communalism: all scientists should have common ownership of scientific goods (intellectual property), to promote collective collaboration; secrecy is the opposite of this norm.
universalism: scientific validity is independent of the sociopolitical status/personal attributes of its participants
disinterestedness: scientific institutions act for the benefit of a common scientific enterprise, rather than for t...
notes Leo Szilard's Ten Commandments
1. Recognize the connections of things and the laws of conduct of men so that you may know what you are doing.
2. Let your acts be directed toward a worthy goal but do not ask if they will reach it; they are to be models and examples, not a means to an end.
3. Speak to all men as you do to yourself, with no concern for the effect you make, so that you do not shut them out from your world, lest in isolation the meaning of life slips out if sight and you lose the belief in the perfection of t...
1 Deep and poetic.
Intellectuals Must Craft Their Minds Through Study
君子曰：學不可以已。青、取之於藍，而青於藍；冰、水為之，而寒於水。木直中繩，輮以為輪，其曲中規，雖有槁暴，不復挺者，輮使之然也。故木受繩則直，金就礪則利，君子博學而日參省乎己，則知明而行無過矣。[Translated] The noble person says: Learning must never cease. Blue comes from the indigo plant, yet it is bluer than indigo. Ice is made from water, yet it is colder than water. Wood as straight as a plumb line may be bent into a wheel that is as round as if it were drawn with a compass, and, even after the wood has dried, it will not straighten out again because this is the way it has been bent. Thus wood marked by the plumb line will become straight, and metal that is put to the whetstone will become sharp. The noble person who studies widely and examines himself each day will become clear in his knowing and faultless in his conduct.
The Beauty of Being Ancestor to an Ape
Man is no new-begot child of the ape, bred of a struggle for existence upon brutish lines—nor should the belief that such is his origin, oft dinned into his ears by scientists, influence his conduct. Were he to regard himself as an extremely ancient type, distinguished chiefly by the qualities of his mind, and to look upon the existing Primates as the failures of his line, as his misguided and brutish collaterals, rather than as his ancestors, I think it would be something gained for the et... notesIs the ancient nature of our existence, and the ability to see ourselves as superior to other primates in mental function.
Science Makes People Virtuous
The fundamental characteristic of the scientific method is honesty. In dealing with any question, science asks no favors. ... I believe that constant use of the scientific method must in the end leave its impress upon him who uses it. ... A life spent in accordance with scientific teachings would be of a high order. It would practically conform to the teachings of the highest types of religion. The motives would be different, but so far as conduct is concerned the results would be practically... notesAs virtuous as any religion.
Science Must Have Practical Application in Ordinary Life
Though the parallel is not complete, it is safe to say that science will never touch them unaided by its practical applications. Its wonders may be catalogued for purposes of education, they may be illustrated by arresting experiments, by numbers and magnitudes which startle or fatigue the imagination but they will form no familiar portion of the intellectual furniture of ordinary men unless they be connected, however remotely, with the conduct of ordinary life. notesThe wonders of science won't hold in people's minds unless they also touch their daily lives.
A Naturalist's Code
Of course, naturalists’ activities themselves
can go astray or fail to provide their full benefits.
Rachel Carson warned that “it is possible to compile
extensive lists of creatures seen and identified without
ever once having caught a breathtaking glimpse of the
wonder of life.”22 A concern to have the newest,
fanciest gear has taken many a birdwatcher away from
simplicity and frugality! As with hunting’s
“sportsman’s code,” a “naturalist’s code” might help
prevent these ... notesWould include rules about being reasonable and not spending a lot of money on fancy equipment.
Allegra Goodman's Hippocratic Oath for Scientists
I promise never to allow financial gain, competitiveness or ambition cloud my judgment in the conduct of ethical research and scholarship. I will pursue knowledge and create knowledge for the greater good, but never to the detriment of colleagues, supervisors, research subjects or the international community of scholars of which I am now a member.Focuses on clear judgement and working toward the greater good.
