Abstract:
In this essay, He examine the role of ethics and other values in our evaluations of risk.  The attempt is made to explore first briefly the various notions of risk that are prevalent and subsequently how the notion of risk is connected to the notion of uncertainty.  Since the notion of risk is also related to the notion of harm, He explore what are the ethical and other value repercussions that (should) enter in our account of understanding of risk.  He explore the issue of consent in our account of risk associated with the introduction of a new technology. Although He do refer to discussions on risk both from general perspective and sometimes specific perspectives, e.g. medical or health, the reference is to help illuminate the point that arises in the discussion on risk in any convergent technology context.

About the speaker:
Dr Prajit K. Basu (Ph.D (IISc, Bangalore), Ph.D (Iowa) is a Professor and Head of the  Department of Philosophy at the University of Hyderabad. He has been a faculty member at the I.I.T. Delhi and the I.I.T. Bombay until 2000. He holds a joint faculty position with the Centre for Cognitive Science and the Centre for Science, Culture and Innovation Studies, University of Hyderabad. His research interest is primarily in the area of History and Philosophy of Science. His other research interests include Social Studies of Science and Technology and the interface issues between Cognitive Science and Philosophy of Science. He has published in various journals and anthologies. His authored book and an anthology are: Epistemology, Science, and Cognition (Co-author S. G. Kulkarni), 2011, “Some Aspects of India's Philosophical and Scientific Heritage,” (Project of History of Indian Science, Philosophy, and Culture), 1995.