Jay D. Aronson, PhD
Professor of Science, Technology, and Society
Director of the Center for Human Rights Science
Carnegie Mellon University 

Dr. Aronson recounts that “in this informal talk, I will focus on a few of the many ethical and moral dilemmas that I’ve faced working at the intersection of social science-oriented research and human rights practice for the past fifteen-plus years. Examples include my obligations to people I am interviewing about very painful moments in their lives (i.e., the deaths of loved ones); feelings of recurring regret (though I’m not even sure that’s the right word) about advancing my own career through the gathering and analysis of other peoples’ suffering; and, more generally, my responsibilities to the people I interact with who are in far more precarious positions than I am. Part of what I hope to accomplish during our hour together is just to clarify the actual ethical principles that underlie what I experience as feelings or thoughts that ‘keep me up at night.’”  

Research, Ethics and Society Seminar Series

Catalog of Opportunities Event