Ethics of Chemical Weapons Research: Poison Gas in World War One

摘要

This paper first provides a brief narrative of the research, development,and deployment of poison gases in WWI as well as of the subsequenthistory of chemical warfare and international conventions to ban it. Becausechemical weapons research is still allowed by national and international laws,and indeed widely conducted, it is a primary case for ethical investigation. Theanalysis shows that chemical weapons research is morally wrong by all majorethical theories, i.e. by both utilitarianism and deontology. That conclusionhas frequently been blurred by confusions, such as between patriotism andethics and between weapons research and deployment, which are clarified. Thechemical communities who have honored the heroes of poison gas researchseem to disregard ethics in their honoring system.