Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-m8s7h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-22T09:32:52.466Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Moral challenges of going to Mars under the presence of non-intelligent life scenario

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2019

Octavio A. Chon-Torres Open the ORCID record for Octavio A. Chon-Torres [Opens in a new window]
Octavio A. Chon-Torres*
Affiliation:
Programa de Estudios Generales, Universidad de Lima, Lima, Peru
*
Author for correspondence: Octavio A. Chon-Torres, E-mail: ochon@ulima.edu.pe
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Much is discussed what would be the ideal position in terms of our ethical treatment with respect to other forms of life, particularly those that can be discovered in other worlds, in addition to our role in terms of the expansion of terrestrial life in the universe. This represents a great philosophical challenge, but what if we should make a moral decision in the face of the inevitable situation of being forced to colonize, for example, Mars? Is there a position in which we can feel safe to act legitimately? This paper tries to force us into a mental and conceptual exercise about what can really be worth beyond the concept or the positions we may have and analyse them in light of the practicality that decision making requires in this problem.

Keywords

Astrobiological ethicslifemental experiment
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , February 2020 , pp. 49 - 52
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baum, S (2016) The ethics of outer space: a consequentialist perspective. In Schwartz, JSJ and Milligan, T (eds), The Ethics of Space Exploration. Berlin: Springer, pp. 109–123.Google Scholar
Chon-Torres, OA (2018 a) Disciplinary nature of astrobiology and astrobioethic's epistemic foundations. International Journal of Astrobiology, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S147355041800023X.Google Scholar
Chon-Torres, OA (2018 b) Disciplinary challenges of today science. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research 3, 3634–3635. https://doi.org/10.26717/BJSTR.2018.03000979.Google Scholar
Chon-Torres, OA (2018 c) Astrobioethics. International Journal of Astrobiology 17, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550417000064Google Scholar
Ćirković, MM (2002) Cosmological forecast and its practical significance. Journal of Evolution and Technology 12, 1–13. https://www.jetpress.org/volume12/CosmologicalForecast.htm.Google Scholar
Cockell, C and Horneck, G (2004) A planetary park system for Mars. Space Policy 20, 291–295.Google Scholar
Levin, SR, Scott, TW, Cooper, HS and West, SA (2019) Darwin's aliens. International Journal of Astrobiology 18, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550417000362Google Scholar
McKay, CP (1990) Does Mars have rights? An approach to the environmental ethics of planetary engineering. In MacNiven, D (ed.), Moral Expertise. London: Routledge, pp. 184–197.Google Scholar
McKay, CP (2009) Planetary ecosynthesis on Mars: restoration ecology and environmental ethics. In Bertka, C (ed.), Exploring the Origin, Extent, and Future of Life: Philosophical, Ethical, and Theological Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 245–260.Google Scholar
McKay, CP and Marinova, MM (2001) The physics, biology, and environmental ethics of making Mars habitable. Astrobiology 1, 89–109. https://doi.org/10.1089/153110701750137477Google Scholar
Milligan, T (2015) Nobody Owns The Moon: The Ethics of Space Exploitation. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company.Google Scholar
Naess, A and Sessions, G (1984) The Deep Ecology Platform. In Foundations for Deep Ecology. Available at http://www.deepecology.org/platform.htm.Google Scholar
Race, MS and Randolph, RO (2002) The need for operating guidelines and a decision making framework applicable to the discovery of non-intelligent extraterrestrial life. Advances in Space Research 30, 1583–1591. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1177(02)00478-7.Google Scholar
Smith, KC (2009) The trouble with intrinsic value: an ethical primer for astrobiology. In Bertka, C (ed.), Exploring the Origin, Extent, and Future of Life: Philosophical, Ethical and Theological Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 261–280.Google Scholar
Smith, KC (2014) Manifest complexity: a foundational ethic for astrobiology? Space Policy 30, 209–214.Google Scholar
Sorensen, R (1992) Thought Experiments. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Thomson, JJ (1971) A defense of abortion. Philosophy and Public Affairs 1, 47–66. Available at https://eclass.uoa.gr/modules/document/file.php/PPP475/Thomson%20Judith%20Jarvis%2C%20A%20defense%20of%20abortion.pdf.Google Scholar