In the Modern Agora
By Robert T. Pennock
What would Socrates think of research integrity conferences?
This Article From Issue
September-October 2024
Volume 112, Number 5
Page 276
Making our way through the moral landscape can be difficult. We rely on ethical touchstones, but it isn’t always easy to apply them to new cases. General ethical principles can bump into cultural conventions. Most people want to and do behave with integrity, but we must sometimes deal with those who don’t.
QUICK TAKE
- In ancient Greece, an agora was an open area used for many purposes, including dialogues and debates. The scientific conference can be seen as a modern type of agora.
- Issues related to research integrity can be complex in novel and cross-cultural contexts, but vigorous deliberations at conferences can help resolve differences.
- Going beyond a correctional approach, a virtue-based, aspirational cultivation of a scientific mindset can foster a flourishing research culture.
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