Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T06:50:08.074Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Astrobioethics: a brief discussion from the epistemological, religious and societal dimension

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2019

Octavio A. Chon-Torres Open the ORCID record for Octavio A. Chon-Torres [Opens in a new window]
Octavio A. Chon-Torres*
Affiliation:
Programa de Estudios Generales, Universidad de Lima, Lima, Peru
*
Author for correspondence: Octavio A. Chon-Torres, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

As astrobiology progresses in its quest to discover life on other planets or to put ourselves in another one, so does its moral problematic. Astrobiology is not only part of natural sciences, but also deals with direct aspects of humanities. For this reason, this paper aims to briefly examine astrobioethics from the epistemological, religious and societal dimension. It also deals with different researches in this regard, in order to better understand the state of the art on this topic and that astrobioethics can help us not only on how we should relate with extraterrestrial lifeforms, but even with terrestrials.

Keywords

Astrobiocentrismastrobioethicsastrobiologytransdisciplinarity
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , February 2020 , pp. 61 - 67
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

1

Professor at the Universidad de Lima. President and founder of the Peruvian Association of Astrobiology (ASPAST). Associate Member of the International Astronomical Union F3 Commission, and International Working Group on Astrobioethics of the International Association on Geoethics.

References

Aretxaga, R (2004) Astrobiology and biocentrism. In Seckbach, J, Chela-Flores, J, Owen, T and Raulin, F (eds), Life in the Universe. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic, pp. 345–348.Google Scholar
Atlan, H and Thompson, WI (2009) Gaia, 5th edn, Barcelona: Kairós, pp. 107–123.Google Scholar
Capova, KA, Persson, E, Milligan, T and Dunér, D (2018) Astrobiology and Society in Europe Today. Berlin: Springer International Publishing.Google Scholar
Chela-Flores, J (2001) The New Science of Astrobiology from Genesis of the Living Cell to Evolution of Intelligent Behavior in the Universe. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic.Google Scholar
Chela-Flores, J (2009) A Second Genesis: Stepping Stones Towards the Intelligibility of Nature. Singapore: World Scientific.Google Scholar
Chon-Torres, OA (2018 a) Disciplinary nature of astrobiology and astrobioethic's epistemic foundations. International Journal of Astrobiology, 1–8. DOI: 10.1017/S147355041800023X.Google Scholar
Chon-Torres, OA (2018 b) Astrobioethics. International Journal of Astrobiology 17, 51–56.Google Scholar
Cleland, C, Wilson, E, Impey, C, Spitz, A and Stoeger, W (2013) Encountering Life in the Universe: Ethical Foundations and Social Implications of Astrobiology. Arizona: University of Arizona Press, pp. 17–55.Google Scholar
Cockell, C (2005 a) Planetary protection – a microbial ethics approach. Space Policy 21, 281–292.Google Scholar
Cockell, CS (2005 b) Duties to extraterrestrial microscopic organisms. Journal of the British Interplanetary Society 58, 367–373.Google Scholar
Cockell, C (2008) Essay on extraterrestrial liberty. Journal of the British Interplanetary Society 61, 255–275.Google Scholar
Cockell, CS (2016) Disobedience in outer space. In Cockell, CS (ed.), Dissent, Revolution and Liberty Beyond Earth. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 21–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29349-3_3.Google Scholar
Cockell, C and Horneck, G (2004) A planetary park system for Mars. Space Policy 20, 291–295.Google Scholar
Cockell, C, Landfester, U, Remuss, N-L, Schrogl, K-U and Worms, J-C (2011) Humans in Outer Space – Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Berlin: Springer, pp. 80–114.Google Scholar
Crawford, I (2017) Widening perspectives: the intellectual and social benefits of astrobiology (regardless of whether extraterrestrial life is discovered or not). International Journal of Astrobiology 17, 57–60.Google Scholar
Davies, P (1995) Are We Alone?. New York: BasicBooks.Google Scholar
Des Marais, D, Nuth, JA III and Allamandola, LJ (2008) The NASA astrobiology roadmap. Astrobiology 8, 715–730.Google Scholar
Dunér, D, Capova, KA, Gargaud, M, Geppert, W, Kereszturi, A and Persson, E (2018) Astrobiology and society in Europe. In Capova, KA, Persson, E, Milligan, T and Dunér, D (eds). Astrobiology and Society in Europe Today. Berlin: Springer International Publishing.Google Scholar
Geppert, W, Dunér, D, Hemminger, E, Kaňuchová, Z and Waltemathe, M (2018) Education, training and scholarship. In Capova, KA, Persson, E, Milligan, T and Dunér, D (eds). Astrobiology and Society in Europe Today. Berlin: Springer International Publishing.Google Scholar
Hays, L (ed.) (2015) The astrobiology strategy 2015. Available at https://nai.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2015/10/NASA_Astrobiology_Strategy_2015_151008.pdf.Google Scholar
Horneck, G, Walter, N, Westall, F, Grenfell, JL, Martin, WF, Gomez, F and Capria, MT (2016) Astromap European Astrobiology Roadmap. Astrobiology 16, 201–243. http://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1441.Google Scholar
Impey, C, Spitz, A and Stoeger, W (2013) Encountering Life in the Universe: Ethical Foundations and Social Implications of Astrobiology. Arizona: University of Arizona Press.Google Scholar
Irudayadason, NA (2013) The wonder called cosmic oneness toward astroethics from Hindu and Buddhist wisdom and worldviews. In Impey, C, Spitz, A and Stoeger, W (eds). Encountering Life in the Universe: Ethical Foundations and Social Implications of Astrobiology. Arizona: University of Arizona Press.Google Scholar
Kminek, G and Rummel, J (2015) Space Research Today, COSPAR's information bulletin. COSPAR's Planetary Protection Policy (193). Available at https://cosparhq.cnes.fr/sites/default/files/ppp_article_linked_to_ppp_webpage.pdf.Google Scholar
Knight, CC (2013) Astrobiology and theology: uneasy partners? In Dunér, D, Parthemore, J, Persson, E and Holmberg, G (eds), The History and Philosophy of Astrobiology. Newcastle: Cambrige Scholars Publishing.Google Scholar
Kwok, S (2018) Astrobiology as a medium of science education. In Kolb, VM (ed). Handbook of Astrobiology. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group.Google Scholar
Leavy, P (2011) Essentials of Transdisciplinary Research: Using Problem-Centered Methodologies (Qualitative Essentials). [Kindle version]. California: Left Coast Press.Google Scholar
Losch, A (2016) Astrotheology: on exoplanets, Christian concerns, and human hopes. Zygon 51, 404–413.Google Scholar
Losch, A (2018) The need of an ethics of planetary sustainability. International Journal of Astrobiology 18(3), 1–8. 10.1017/S1473550417000490.Google Scholar
Mayr, E (2004) What Makes Biology Unique? Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
McKay, CP (1990) Does Mars Have Rights? An Approach to the Environmental Ethics of Planetary Engineering. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
McKay, CP (2009) Biologically reversible exploration. Science 323, 718 LP-718. Available at http://science.sciencemag.org/content/323/5915/718.abstract.Google Scholar
Milligan, T (2016 a) Common origins and the ethics of planetary seeding. International Journal of Astrobiology 15, 301–306.Google Scholar
Milligan, T (2016 b) Space Ethics Without Foundations. In Schwartz, JSJ and Milligan, Tony (eds). The Ethics of Space Exploration. Berlin: Springer, pp. 109–123.Google Scholar
NASA (2014) Our vision for planetary sustainability. Available at http://www.nasa.gov/content/planetary-sustainability-our-vision/#.WBgtmiTBZsl.Google Scholar
Persson, E, Capova, K and Li, Y (2018) Attitudes towards the scientific search for extraterrestrial life among Swedish high school and university students. International Journal of Astrobiology 18(3), 1–9. 10.1017/S1473550417000556.Google Scholar
Peters, T (2008) The Evolution of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Life. Goshen, IN: Pandora Press.Google Scholar
Peters, T (2009) Astrotheology and the ETI Myth. Theology and Science 7, 3–30.Google Scholar
Peters, T (2014) Astrotheology: a constructive proposal. Zygon 49, 443–457.Google Scholar
Peters, T, Impey, C, Spitz, A and Stoeger, W (2013) Encountering Life in the Universe: Ethical Foundations and Social Implications of Astrobiology. Arizona: University of Arizona Press.Google Scholar
Race, M and Randolph, O (2002) The need for operating guidelines and a decision making framework applicable to the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life. Advances in Space Research 30, 1583–1591.Google Scholar
Race, M, Denning, K, Bertka, CM, Dick, SJ, Harrison, AA, Impey, C, Mancinelli, R and Workshop Participants (2012) Astrobiology and society: building an interdisciplinary research community. Astrobiology 12, 958–965.Google Scholar
Randolph, R and McKay, C (2014) Protecting and expanding the richness and diversity of life, an ethic for astrobiology research and space exploration. International Journal of Astrobiology 13, 28–34.Google Scholar
Rummel, JD, Race, MS, Horneck, G and the Princeton Workshop Participants (2012) Ethical considerations for planetary protection in space exploration: a workshop. Astrobiology 12, 1017–1023.Google Scholar
Sagan, C (1997) Pale Blue Dot. A Vision of the Human Future in Space. New York: Ballantine Books.Google Scholar
Santos, C, Alabi, L, Friaça, A and Galante, D (2016) On the parallels between cosmology and astrobiology: a transdisciplinary approach to the search for extraterrestrial life. International Journal of Astrobiology 15, 251–260.Google Scholar
Schwartz, JSJ (2018) Where no planetary protection policy has gone before. International Journal of Astrobiology, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550418000228.Google Scholar
Schwartz, J and Milligan, T (eds) (2016) The Ethics of Space Exploration. Berlin: Springer.Google Scholar
Smith, KC (2007) Cosmic ethics. Workshop Report. In Bertka, C, Roth, N and Shindell, M (eds), Philosophical, Ethical, and Theological Implications of Astrobiology. Washington: AAAS.Google Scholar
Smith, KC (2009) The trouble with intrinsic value: an ethical primer for astrobiology. In Bertka, C (ed). Exploring the Origin, Extent, and Future of Life: Philosophical, Ethical, and Theological Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Smith, KC (2014) Manifest complexity: a foundational ethic for astrobiology? Space Policy 30, 209–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SPACEPOL.2014.10.004.Google Scholar
Stoeger, W, Impey, C, Spitz, A, Impey, C, Spitz, A and Stoeger, W (2013) Encountering Life in the Universe: Ethical Foundations and Social Implications of Astrobiology. Arizona: University of Arizona Press.Google Scholar
United Nations (2002) United Nations Treaties and Principles on Outer Space. New York: Author.Google Scholar
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (1998) Transdisciplinarity. Available at http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001146/114694Eo.pdf.Google Scholar
UNOOSA (2018) Committee on the peaceful uses of outer space: 2018. Available at http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/2018/index.html.Google Scholar
Vilar, S (1997) La Nueva Racionalidad. Barcelona: Kairós.Google Scholar
Webb, S (2015) If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens … Where is Everybody?. Berlin: Springer Nature.Google Scholar
Wilson, E and Cleland, C (2015) The moral subject of astrobiology: guideposts for exploring our ethical and political responsibilities towards extraterrestrial life. In Dick, S (ed.), The Impact of Discovering Life beyond Earth. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 207–221.Google Scholar
Wittgenstein, L (1986) Philosophical Investigations. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.Google Scholar