Resumo

VERRAX, Fanny. Nanotecnologías, tierras raras y ética: la defensa por un giro ético. Mundo nano [online]. 2013, vol.6, n.11, pp.85-95.  Epub 23-Jun-2021. ISSN 2448-5691.  https://doi.org/10.22201/ceiich.24485691e.2013.11.50008.

This paper explores the links between nanotechnologies and rare earth elements from an ethical point of view. While the field of nanoethics has emerged as a well-investigated area with many scholars addressing ethical and social issues raised by nanotechnologies, rare earth elements have been rather understudied by philosophers and ethicists. The paper claims that this dichotomy in terms of research interest illustrates an unfortunate tendency in the field of applied ethics today that prefers to focus on “what if?” questions rather than on “hic and nunc” issues. I draw a parallel between this tendency and the well-known dichotomy in moral philosophy between morality and situatedness, and propound to use the latter in our grasping of ethical issues raised by technoscience.

Palavras-chave : rare earth; nanotechnology; tecnoscience; morality; ethics.