The role of ethics in scientific research: historical roots and modern challenges
The role of ethics in scientific research: historical roots and modern challenges

Summary/Abstract: The relationship between science and ethics has undergone a profound transformation from individual moral responsibility to institutionalised regulation and, more recently, to a constitutive element of scientific practice itself. This paper traces the historical and philosophical evolution of research ethics through three broad stages: the positivist ideal of value-free inquiry, the post-war institutionalisation of ethical oversight and the contemporary paradigm of Responsible Research and Innovation. Current perspectives emphasise that research ethics has become deeply embedded in how science is done in the twenty-first century, shaping which topics get studied, how studies are conducted and which methods are acceptable or even permissible. While the institutionalisation of ethics has strengthened accountability and public trust, it has also introduced new tensions between moral reflection and bureaucratic compliance. The study calls for a philosophical reconsideration of research ethics towards a renewed emphasis on its reflective and deliberative dimensions.

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