AJ London’s “For the Common Good” purports to challenge 8 theses that characterize, what he calls, traditional research ethics. Among these, London rejects the claim that research is a morally discretionary enterprise. Instead, he argues for an Egalitarian Research Imperative (ERI) which requires that research be conducted in an egalitarian and respectful manner. This panel examines some philosophical issues that arise from the ERI.
Muralidharan will argue that London’s argument for the imperative allows for much more researcher discretion than London allows for. This discretion implies that some exploitative but non-coercive research in developing countries should be permitted.
John Harris has argued for a strong duty to "volunteer" to participate in research grounded in considerations of research benefits and intergenerational justice. David Hunter will explore whether there is an obligation or duty to participate in research when research ethics is grounded in an account of Egalitarian justice.
Angela Ballantyne will consider how the ERI applies to Learning Health Systems (LHSs) – both the ethical obligation to establish LHS, which reintegrate research and clinical practice; and patient’s ethical duties to support and participate in LHSs. LHSs are a viable strategy for meeting the demands of justice, which require that the burdens and benefits of the research enterprise are fairly distributed.
London to facilitate if attending in-person (TBC).
Structure:
Introduction (2 min)
Murali Presentation (20 min)
Q&A 1 (5 min)
David Presentation (20 min)
Q&A 2 (5 min)
Angela Presentation (20 min)
Q&A 3 (5 min)
General discussion (10 min)
Spare (3min)