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Abstract
The activity of the scientist is subject to strong social control – exerted by the scientific communities – which derives its legitimacy from the intrinsic value system of science, the Ethics of Science. Here emphasis is placed on the following questions: Why does the scientist accept this normative code as compulsory? Can the normative code be formulated explicitly and made operational in a way that it may serve as a moral stronghold for the scientist in his daily work? Is there a tran-scientific justification for the Ethics of Science? Can and should the Ethics of Science, orginally conceived as a partial code of conduct, be extended to society? Can the obvious threats to the Ethics of Science be overcome? It is concluded in this essay that our most urgent task is to restore the confidence of the public in the trustworthiness of the natural sciences. Science is no longer a matter of course. The scientific enterprise – objective knowledge as the supreme good – must remain trustworthy beyond any serious doubt or it will perish, at least as a cultural force.