Sciences are Monuments Devoted to the Public Good

Moreover, the sciences are monuments devoted to the public good; each citizen owes to them a tribute proportional to his talents. While the great men, carried to the summit of the edifice, draw and put up the higher floors, the ordinary artists scattered in the lower floors, or hidden in the obscurity of the foundations, must only seek to improve what cleverer hands have created.

 The Instinct to Command Others is the "Devil" of History

The instinct to command others, in its primitive essence, is a carnivorous, altogether bestial and savage instinct. Under the influence of the mental development of man, it takes on a somewhat more ideal form and becomes somewhat ennobled, presenting itself as the instrument of reason and the devoted servant of that abstraction, or political fiction, which is called the public good. But in its essence it remains just as baneful, and it becomes even more so when, with the application of scienc...

 Royal Society's Code of Ethics

The proposed code Rigour, honesty and integrity · act with skill and care in all scientific work. Maintain up-to-date skills and assist their development in others ·· take steps to prevent corrupt practices and professional misconduct. Declare conflicts of interest · be alert to the ways in which research derives from and affects the work of other people, and respect the rights and reputations of others. Respect for life, the law and the public good · ensure that your work is lawf...