Galileo Oath an allegiane to future

(wikipedia: Galileo was tried by the Inquisition)

Galileo Oath an allegiane to future

Today potential conflicts exist in many parts of the world and could become wars if politicians, scientists, technicians and people choose to follows the mechanical universal tendency of the concentration of power and money. This direction of events may result in a "clash of clan", and possible war between  "regional powers". There is, of course, a range of possibilities. But it is important to be aware of a less-than honest gradualism that is used to manipulate situations until in reality they come to oppose their stated objectives. In fact, from the beginning of history, society has proceeded toward globalization, displaying the character of a world empire, which will be without any further possibilities of expansion within the 21st century. Thus, it appear we have entered into a new era in which the old Cold War paradigm, that is, the struggle between two empires, the American and the Russian, is being reproduced in the struggle between the regional domination of a few.   Today these struggle are not between mechanical forces but rather they are struggle between human intentions. And that is why we talk about just and the unjust, of heroes and cowards.

But apart from studying those emerging conflicts and making the participants aware of the international games and the possible disasters, it is urgent to comprehend that future wars will not be sustainable in a global world. I could add to this, Today in the Middle East and in Africa we witness the enormous damage perpetrared against humanity. Over few years, theses wars have generated a massive movement of population.  On the others hands, the tendency towards dualism, dogmatism and growing irrationality is gaining ground in Europe, Americas, Africa, part of Asia and in the Middle East. It is not voices of reason we hear but the raised in dialectical opposition from neofascist and fanatic groups. These groups promote hatred and the devaluation of women. They imposed regimentation and relies on explanations that it is the diversity of culture and diversity of human being that places the elements of the system in dialect (cultural, religious and ethnic diversity). Theses groups are guided by a new irrationalism and unfortunately are gaining ground. Meanwhile the space for constructive action by progressive people is diminishing day by day as Europe response to the refugee crisis is a total mess. Europe has not provide protection to  refugees fleeding wars and persecution.

But in light of this background others social phenomenon have started to take place. One thing certain is today people suffocated more each day by their dependence on an inhuman system and institutions base on money. It seem that which has prevailed until now can no longer be maintained that is neither the present schemes of domination nor the formulas for struggle against them. Today, tens of millions of people have already express themselves and are still expressing there disagreement with the wars and the violence of the system. Student, workers, scholars, teachers, immigrant, refugees, parents, journalists and social activists are exchanging ideas and project by occupying public space in various cities around the world. They are asking social justice and a human society.  

Thus, I believe it is necessary to give a constructive orientation to theses phenomena, which will otherwise stagnate and remain nothing more than spontaneous protests. Some protest have lead to formation of various social and political groups. But I think for something new to happen, a dialogue about the fundamental factors of our social and personal life must begin in the heart of the community and in the heart of the human being. In sum, to give highest priority to human being, to meaning in life, to education, to health, to real democracy and to the right to preach ones ideas and beliefs, whether religious or irreligious. We need a flexible society that can adapt to constant change in harmony with the changing needs of the people.  

But as a university student, a scholar or technician how could one start this task of humanizing? Maybe those how work in science and technology could start with the direction of their research and discipline.  This Oath would be the main pillar of Science & technology Ethic of our time and should say something similar to this : the use of scientific and technical discoveries only serve the benefit of humanity as a whole.

 

In 2008 Swinden publish an important contribution for the advancement of Active nonviolence methodology : "From Monkey Sapiens to Homo Intentional", the Phenomenology of the Nonviolent revolution". Swinden, is a Medical MRCPsych. and has worked in fields of Internal Medicine, Psychiatry and Intensive Care. She campaigns on Human Rights and travels throughout Europe, Africa and the Americas lecturing and training teachers community leaders, students and other activists on Education for Nonviolence. Swinden propose various project to humanize science. In her book she explain the project of a common Oath committed to life proposed by Dr. Salvatore Puledda. 

We face an enormous task in humanizing science and technology. Meanwhile the path proposed by Swinden and Puledda corresponds to the needs of our time. In Today interconnected world with the Internet it's more than possible to start a global awareness campaign in universities, colleges and institution around the world.  To give reader the context of this project, I took the liberty to transcribe pages from Swinden book¹ . Dr. Swinden book is still available on various website. The  Henri Oscar Communication  have few copies for sale. Please visit website: www.educationnonviolence.ca to get more information

It is essential that scientists in all disciplines agree on a common Oath of commitment to life, such as the one proposed by Dr Salavatore Puleddar², the "Galileo Oath". Here is a fragment of his speech delivered at the opening ceremonies of the "2000 Without Wars"³  preliminary conference of scientists and academics help in 1996 at the University of California, Berkeley.

"... an enormous responsability falls on scientists and their technicians. If they could say NO to the destructive use of science, if a great movement were created against weapons and wars, born out of universities and research centers all overs the world, then politicians and the military would see the space for warfare adventures of any reduced to the limit."

Listening to this kind of idea, often we feel a flicker of enthusiasm which is , though, followed by a return to our everyday thinking: to the brutal reality of violence in far-away or nearby wars that television brings day after day into our homes. And then, once again we tell ourselves that that was a nice utopia and that reality tell us this: wars are a part of humanity, they cannot be eliminated.

Now, I would like to quote the man who perhaps has been the greatest scientist of our times : Albert Einstein. In 1948, at the time in which the possibility of destroying all forms of life on the planet with a nuclear war appeared on the horizon of human history, he said : 

 (Wikipedia:Academy of science Israel)

 Albert Einstein message in 1948 was only publish on 29 August 1996

"We, the scientists, whose tragic destiny has been that to make the methods of annihilation more horrible and efficient, must consider as our solemn and superior duty to do all that is in our power to prevent the use of those weapons for the brutal purpose for which they were invented. What other task could be more important ? What other social commitment could possibly be closer to our hearts ?"

"Unfortunately, there are no indications that show that governments are aware that the situation in which humanity finds itself forces us to take a series of revolutionary measures. The present situation has nothing in common with that of the past, therefore it is impossible to use methods and instruments that have proven sufficient in the past. We must revolutionize our way of thinking, our actions, and we must have the courage to radically change also the relationship among nations. The clichés of the past are not enough today and, in the future, they will no doubt be obsolete. To make sure that all human beings understand all of this is the most important and decisive social function that we, as intellectuals, must carry out. Will we have the courage to overcome the nationalistic ties until we convince the citizens of the whole world to change their most rooted traditions?

These words are extracted from the message that Albert Einstein wanted to address to the Conference of Intellectuals in Favour of Peace in 1948. The organizing committee prevented him from doing so, and the message was published by the press on August 29 of
this year³

I believe that the time have come to resume the path mapped out by Einstein, and later by Sakharov, to develop a science ethic, one according to which science cannot be used for destructive purposes and for the purpose of warfare.

In fact, today, science is riddled by an "ambiguity" that touches it in its most profound essence. On the one hand, science can make it possible, for the first time in history, to free a large majority of human beings form ills such as hunger, exhaustion and diseases, that have accompanied humanity among its long journey ; on the other, it can transform itself into an even more dreadful evil, since now we have the possibility to create a global catastrophe, a nuclear war or an ecological collapse.

There are weapon supermarkets. In Europe, we have the yearly scandal of the International Weapons Fair which is held alternatively in Paris and London.  There, are high military groups, meet to go shopping, and just like in a supermarket, there are various aisles - one aisle dedicated to aiming systems, another for intelligent bombs, a third one to tanks, combat helicopters, aeroplanes, and so forth. (notice this talk was given in 1996, 20 years ago. Today wars are more sophisticated and pernicious in various ways; they include electronic warfare equipment, drones, robots warfare and others miniature technology such as nano-droids, neurology, biotechnology, and others technology).

There are competitive prices, discounts for those who buy more, coupons, etc. An armoured tank costs millions of dollars, and that exact same amount could purchase all the medicine needed to eradicate malaria or infectious diseases that are the number one cause of death for the unfortunate African populations.

What can be done? In the last act of his perhaps most beautiful play, Life of Galileo, written during one of the times of greater tension between the West and the USSR, Bertold Brecht show us the father of Western science, already old and sick, who ponders on the meaning and the future of his discoveries with his young assistant, Sarti. Sarti is about to leave Italy, where scientific research has become impossible owing to the condemnation of the Church, taking with him the unpublished manuscripts of Galileo's discoveries. Research can be continued in Holland and in Northern Europe where the conditions are more favorable. Looking towards the future, Galileo sees that from his work will emerge "progeny of inventive midgets", ready to sell themselves to the best offer, willing to be used for whatever purpose by the rich and the powerful. But this progeny is born from his own mistake, his own example. If he, Galileo, had not surrendered to the Inquisition, if he had said no to power, perhaps his disciples, after him, would have done the same. Perhaps Science would have developed differently, perhaps it would have been possible to create something similar to the "oath" that Hippocrates, at the dawn of Western civilisation, created for Doctors: the Oath of using Science to benefit humanity.

Leaving aside the metaphor the Brecht's play proposes, I believe that this must now be the main pillar of a Science Ethic : the use of scientific discoveries only to benefit humanity. But, how to develop and implement this ethic? I think that the international scientific community must direct great efforts towards creating new and different organisational ways to put into practice that fundamental principle. It could be a solemn Oath taken by all those who enter the field of research. It could be the creation of ethical committees - similar to those in bioethics that already exit in the field of genetics - in each university, by which they denounce and reject research with warfare purposes, or the establishment of national committees to work in the political arena to flight against the armament lobbyists, etc. Basically, a creative effort to build the human science of the third millennium.

"UNESCO and some universities are at  present studying proposals by various scientific bodies concerned with ethical issues in order to ensure that the ethics of using scientific knowledge of the development of weapons of war and mass destruction, and other misuses of science, are clearly and effectively condemned by scientific community."  

In this way Puledda concluded his address. Since 1996 UNESCO has set up a website on the theme of an ethical oath for scientists Prof. Joseph Roblat' peace Nobel Prize winner proposed to Students Pugwash the creation of an Oath which has already been taken by many science students around the world and the AAA (American Association for the Advancement of Science) appears to be stimulating debate about this issue.

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Note and references

1: Transcription from  book :Sylvia Swinden, From Monkey Sapien to Homo Intentional', the phenomenology of the Non-violent revolution, Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd, London UK, 2006, p. 90, 91, 92.

2: Salvatore Puledda, doctorate in chemistry from University of Rome, a contributor to the New Humanism Series, he is the author of The Tokarev Report, a science fiction-fantasy novel and On being Human, Interpretations of Humanism from The Renaissance to the Present. (Puledda book are available in French - Henri Oscar Communication Editor : www.educationnonviolence.ca ) 

3: "2000 Without Wars" - is international organization. Today the organization is called World Without Wars & Without violence (WWW&V). WWW&V organizes the first ever World March that travels the world asking for the end of wars, the dismantling of nuclear weapons and for an end to all forms of violence (physical, economic, racial, religious, cultural, sexual and psychological). The World March give the opportunity for Active nonviolence to develop as a global consciousness. www.theworldmarch.org 

Today World without Wars & Without Violence base team from various universities in the Americas are launching project similar to an ethical oath for student, scientist and technician.

4: Although Puledda quotes from an article he saw on 29 August 1996, Einstein had began in 1930 to exhort his fellow scientists not to work in war-related research.

Photo wikipedia 

1: Galileo was found "vehemently suspect of heresy" and forced to spent the rest of his life under house.

2: Einstein founded The Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists (ECAS) was founded with Leo Szilard in 1946. Its aims were to warn the public of the dangers associated with the development of nuclear weapons, promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The Committee was established in the wake of the  "Szilard petition (July 1945) to US president Harry Trumman opposing the use of the atomic bomb on moral grounds, which was signed by 68 scientists who had worked on the Manhattan Project. A majority of scientists working on the Manhattan Project did not know entirely what they were creating at the time.

Reference Wikipedia:

Galileo Galilei (15 February 1564– 8 January 1642), was an Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher, and mathematician who played a major role the scientific revolution during the Renaissance.

Pugwash : the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs is an international organization  that brings together scholars and public figures to work toward reducing the danger of armed conflict and to seek solutions to global security threats. It was founded in 1957 by Joseph Rotblat and Bertrand Russell in Pugwash, Nova Scotia Canada, following the release of the Russell Einstein Manifesto in 1955. www.pugwash.org

The Russell–Einstein Manifesto was issued in London on 9 July 1955 by Bertrand Russell  in the midst of the Cold War. It highlighted the dangers posed by nuclear weapons  and called for world leaders to seek peaceful resolutions to international conflict. The signatories included eleven pre-eminent intellectuals and scientists, including Albert Einstein, who signed it just days before his death on 18 April 1955. A few days after the release, philanthropist Cyrus S. Eaton offered to sponsor a conference—called for in the manifesto—in Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Eaton's birthplace. This conference was to be the first of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, held in July 1957.