Ethics, Empathy and Evidence: Humanizing Science for Global Peace, Security and Sustainable Development

Abstract

This article takes a critical-analytical approach to assess the need to humanize the sciences for peace, security and sustainable development in a technology-based global society. Arising from the linkage between the sciences and the global challenge of insecurity, this paper emphasizes the relevance of humanistic approaches and methods to the sciences in light of the skills and invaluable insights of the humanities, which can help to proffer both ethical and value-laden creative solutions to myriad problems facing humanity in a globalized world. This paper considers the importance of humanizing the sciences not only for humanity’s survival and well-being, but also for establishing a viable relationship between science and society. The paper further argues that synergy between the sciences and humanities, and integrated efforts across the two fields, would help address global challenges that threaten human existence. It concludes that the pursuit of human moral refinement must be the central focus of our education in order to achieve realistic sustainable development in this age of globalization.