Beyond following rules: Teaching research ethics in the age of the Hoffman Report

The Hoffman Report scandal demonstrates that ethics is not objective and ahistorical, contradicting the comforting progressive story about ethics many students receive. This modern-day ethical failure illustrates some of the weaknesses of the current ethics code: it is rule-based, emphasizes punishm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:History of the human sciences 2022-12, Vol.35 (5), p.80-107
Main Authors: Rodkey, Elissa N., Buttrey, Michael, Rodkey, Krista L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alternative approaches
Behavior
Codes of conduct
Compliance
Cost benefit analysis
Cure
Ethical conduct
Ethics
Feminism
Habits
Intelligence
Moral education
Morality
Noncompliance
Objectivity
Research ethics
Research subjects
Scandals
Teaching
Virtue ethics
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Summary:The Hoffman Report scandal demonstrates that ethics is not objective and ahistorical, contradicting the comforting progressive story about ethics many students receive. This modern-day ethical failure illustrates some of the weaknesses of the current ethics code: it is rule-based, emphasizes punishments for noncompliance, and assumes a rational actor who can make tricky ethical decisions using a cost–benefit analysis. This rational emphasis translates into pedagogy: the cure for unethical behavior is more education. Yet such an approach seems unlikely to foster ethical behavior in the real world, either for students or for mature scientists. This article argues for an alternative ethical system and a different way of teaching ethical behavior. Virtue ethics emphasizes the development of ethical habits and traits through regular practice and reflection. We show how virtue ethics complements a feminist approach to science, in which scientists are encouraged to reflect on their own biases, rather than attempting to achieve an impossible objectivity. Our article concludes with pedagogical suggestions for teaching ethical behavior as a practical and intelligent skill.
ISSN:0952-6951
1461-720X
DOI:10.1177/09526951221124781