Science, entrepreneurship and ethics: An inquiry into deliberation in ethically pioneering situations.

摘要

In this dissertation I carry out an inquiry into ethically pioneering situations within the biotechnology industry. The inquiry results in the thesis that we need to redescribe the role of the entrepreneur, moving away from an emphasis on decision-making through choice in order to maximize opportunity, and moving towards an emphasis of the role of deliberation in order to create harmonious opportunities for stakeholders. Furthermore, adopting a deliberative approach, based on the philosophy of American pragmatism, would enrich and reinforce the creative dimensions of entrepreneurship, help bridge the separation between the worlds of science and business, and integrate ethics into the entrepreneurial process. This pragmatic deliberation cannot only be supported by robust and persuasive philosophical arguments, mostly from the work of John Dewey, but it can also be supported by some distinct practices, tools and techniques which have been identified through the study of the problem-solving skills of expert pioneers. Two practices that are particularly critical to the art of deliberation are: the adoption of an inclusive stakeholder perspective, where stakeholder analysis is a metaphor for the inclusive consideration of others; and the art of dramatic rehearsal, where decision-makers unleash their imaginations to uncover hidden commitments, incompatibilities and opportunities to create harmonious new strategies that take into account their effects upon others.