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The article ignores the fact that e.g. Bohr and later also Oppenheimer had been discussing the ethical side of the atomic bomb a long time, and argued for full
by tgv 2y ago
The article ignores the fact that e.g. Bohr and later also Oppenheimer had been discussing the ethical side of the atomic bomb a long time, and argued for full openness and multilateral inspection to contain its consequences. An important part of motiviation was that someone would build an atomic bomb anyway, in which case it was best to have it first. The aftertaste was bitter, but it was not of technical sweetness, but rather of being in the unique position to develop it.
- tomxor 2y agoCame here to say exactly this. Oppenheimer was accutely aware of the ethical implications of the work, and struggled with it greatly. I've noticed this pattern more and more in recent years - for people to draw upon past events, technology and ideas with this kind of pseudo enlightened retrospective to support their theories.. while either completely missing the point or missing huge pieces of it's context, and yet researching such things has never been easier.