The scientists Hippocratic Oath?

Question

I'm just wondering if scientists have an Oath like doctors. Please help.

Answer 1

The Hippocratic Oath was originated by Hippocrates, a Greek physician, in the 4th century BC. This was long before science as we know it existed. So, its really a hang-over from the ancient world and is no longer compulsory. Science, as a discipline, is relatively modern, being only a couple of hundred years old and so has no oath connected with it.

Answer 2

No.  If you ever wondered why something is the way it is and tried to look for a reason, that makes you a scientist. There is no special school to be called a scientist. There are plenty of science degrees out there, but unless you are involved in patient care, like physicians are, then you do not need to take any sort of oath.

Answer 3

There is no overarching sort of Hippocratic Oath for scientists, no, but you will find that most scientific disciplines have some sort of ethical guidelines.

In the field of psychology, for example, there are codes of ethics regarding professional-patient relationships (similar to that of doctors and patients).  This includes matters of confidentiality and when confidentiality can be broken.  Furthermore, psychologists cannot enter into relationships with patients while they're receiving treatment.  I really don't have all the specifics, because they're bound to vary from place to place, but in general, these sorts of ethical codes exist and are readily enforced.

In areas of research, similar guidelines govern researcher-subject relationships, and in areas that require animals for research, there are guidelines for how the animals are to be treated.  When the subjects are human, they must give consent, they must not be maliciously misled, and they must be given disclosure of the experiment once it is completed.

So again, there's no broad oath taken by all scientists, but you find a number of consistent themes within the ethical guidelines of individual disciplines.  Some are designed to reduce human interference and promote objectivity, while others are designed to minimize any harm that might come to others during the scientific process.