Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Astrobioethics

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

  • 7 Accesses

Synonyms

Astroethics; Ethics of astrobiology

Definition

Astrobioethics is the study of ethical questions in connection with astrobiology.

Overview

In addition to being concerned with the same ethical issues as science and academia in general, for instance research ethics, discrimination, etc., astrobioethics also includes questions that are particular to astrobiology or have an added twist or dimension when applied to astrobiology. Among the key issues, we find the following:

  • The moral for status of extraterrestrial life and its implications, for example, planetary protection and experimentation.

  • How to interact with extraterrestrial life, including a wide range of issues ranging from what kind of experiments would be acceptable on different types of extraterrestrial life-forms, to who should speak for Earth when interacting with extraterrestrial intelligent life.

  • How to handle risks to humanity and other Earth life when interacting with extraterrestrial life, including risks of...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 2,499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References and Further Reading

  • Almár I, Race MS (2011) Discovery of extra-terrestrial life: assessment by scales of its importance and associated risks. Phil Trans R Soc A 369:679–692

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Atri D, DeMarines J, Haqq-Misra J (2011) A protocol for messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence. Space Policy 27:165–169

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Callicott JB (1986) Moral considerability and extraterrestrial life. In: Hargrove EC (ed) Beyond spaceship earth. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, pp 227–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Callicott JB (1999) Beyond the land ethic. State University of New York Press, Albany

    Google Scholar 

  • Carruthers P (1994) The animals issue. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Chon-Torres (2018) Astrobioethics. Int J Astrobiol 17:51–56

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • de Vladar HP (2013) The game of active search for extra-terrestrial intelligence: breaking the ‘great silence’. Int J Astrobiol 12:53–62

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Descartes R (1960) Discourse on method and meditations. The Liberal Arts Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gartrelle GM (2015) Unknown caller: can we effectively manage the announcement of discovery of extraterrestrial life? Int J Astrobiol 14:577–587

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Goodpaster K (1978) On being morally considerable. J Philos 75:308–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson LE (1991) A morally deep world. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson LE (1992) Toward the moral considerability of species and ecosystems. Environmental Ethics 14:145–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kant I (1998) Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Musso P (2012) The problem of active SETI: an overview. Acta Astronaut 78:43–54

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Neal M (2014) Preparing for extraterrestrial contact. Risk Manage 16:63–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Persson E (2012) The moral status of extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology 12:976–984

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Regan T (1983) The case for animal rights. University of California Press, Berkeley

    Google Scholar 

  • Regan T (2001) Defending animal rights. University of Illinois Press, Urbana

    Google Scholar 

  • Rolston H III (1986) The preservation of natural value in the solar system. In: Hargrove EC (ed) Beyond spaceship earth: environmental ethics and the solar system. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, pp 140–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Rolston H III (1999) Ethics on the home planet. In: Weston A (ed) An invitation to environmental philosophy. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 107–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Schweitzer A (1989) The ethic of reverence for life. In: Regan T, Singer P (eds) Animal rights and human obligations. Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall, pp 133–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Shostak S (2013) Are transmissions to space dangerous? Int J Astrobiol 12:17–20

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Shuch HP, Almér I (2007) Shouting in the jungle: the SETI transmission debate. J Br Interplanet Soc 60:142–146

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Singer P (1993) Practical ethics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer P (1995) Animal liberation. Pimlico, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith KC (2009) The trouble with intrinsic value: an ethical primer for astrobiology. In: Bertka CM (ed) Exploring the origin, extent, and future of life. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 261–280

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor PW (1986) Respect for nature. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Traphagan JW (2019) Active SETI and the problem of research ethics. Theol Sci 17:69–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vakoch DA (2016) In defence of METI. Nat Phys 12:890

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wisian KW, Traphagan JW (2020) The search for Extraterrestrial intelligence: a realpolitik consideration. Space Policy 52

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaitsev AL (2011) METI: messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence. In: Such HP (ed) Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. Springer-Verlag, Berlin/Heidelberg, pp 399–428

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Erik Persson

Authors
  1. Erik Persson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erik Persson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  2. Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    William M. Irvine

  3. Centro Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  4. Analytical, Environmental, Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium

    Philippe Claeys

  5. Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan

    Henderson James Cleaves

  6. Radio Astronomy, Paris Observatory, Paris, France

    Maryvonne Gerin

  7. LESIA, Observatoire de Paris-Site de Meudon, Meudon, France

    Daniel Rouan

  8. International Space Science Institute, Bern, Switzerland

    Tilman Spohn

  9. Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques de Nantes, Centre François Viète d’Histoire des Sciences et de Techniques EA 1161, Nantes, France

    Stéphane Tirard

  10. Innovaxiom, Paris, CX, France

    Michel Viso

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Persson, E. (2023). Astrobioethics. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_5356

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation