Procrastination

[cystic crypt]

So here’s a WWII related ethics problem:
During WWII, German “scientists” (ugh i hate that using that word here) did a number of horrific experiments on children including twins. The “research” has been conducted, the children are dead, and we are still trying to eliminate the last vestiges of Nazi-ism.
Question. How can we most ethically apply that research and why?
possible solutions include:

1. Disregard all of it as it is bred of evil minds.
2. Disregard it as it likely can not be trusted
3. I don’t know
4. Many children were “sacrificed” for this knowledge - it would be wrong to not use/apply it
5. Other . . .
   (this was brought up - briefly - in an ethics tutorial)

[TG Moses VI]

Your use of the word “research” is a little vague. Can you please go into a bit more detail? I know about the so-called Nazi experiments, but I’m not sure what particular field or work you want to focus on. You brought up twins. A number of experiments were preformed on twins such as torturing one twin and studying the results (if any) on the other. True horrifying.

1 & 2: Do fit in a lot for the Nazi experiments. Many experiments were conducting by sadists simply to watch people suffer. A lot of information is unreliable due to the absence of a controlled environment or test preformed only a few times.

4: I would use three in cases where it would be beneficial to science and the medial world. Scientists conducted a lot of experiments on human test-subjects with experiment extreme heat and cold, observations on different diseases, reactions with different chemicals, ect. that might be of some use in today’s medical field. It would be a waste if past injustices and sacrifices weren’t used today, if they could contribute to some good.

3 & 5: Sorry don’t know a whole lot at this moment.

[FinsterniS]

Ethic & Medecine always pose problems… Like when its time to test new medicaments.

With the case of the Nazi i want to say that nazi discover not a great deal of thing while sacrifying.

The only thing im sure they’ve discover with experiment on body is how to treat a pilot that have been on cold water for hours (hypothermic).

I think knowledge is always a good things WHEN YOU ARE NOT ENCOURAGING PEAPLE TO KILL OTHER DIRECTLY.

I wont use X if i know it is tested on unwilling children.

[cystic crypt]

tx for the replies . . .
Moses, you made an interesting point which i was driving at. Although i don’t know the specifics about the research (i was trying to be WW two-y), the question was a hypothetical one -
If research is conducted immorally (according to current societal norms, let’s say), is it appropriate to appropriate the results (with p<0.05) for use today, or should it all be destroyed?

Also FinsterniS, would you use products used on animals for your benefit? (let’s for the sake of a slimmer argument remove meat and pharmaceuticals from the equation - although that might be an interesting series as well)

[Yanny]

It’s from being bred of evil minds, definately. But look, the people that were involved are dead. Leave it at that. Those who ran the Halocast are gone, we can look at these things in hindsight, or we can just accept that it happened and try not to let it happen again.

[TG Moses VI]

I don’t think that these files should be in any ways destroyed. By doing so, you are choosing to forget (rather than to remember and reconcile) by destroying the records of the horrific experience millions had to face. By keeping these files, it is a recollection of what man has done wrong and how to prevent it.

Now I suppose only a very few if any files could be used due to their out datedness, the changing complexity of humans, and the constant changing factor of diseases. But for those that can, maybe we might be able to make somewhat of an amends if the research that made millions die had saved the lives of those a in future time.

[Yanny]

Exactly, if we forget, we won’t of learned from our mistakes.