Philosophy of Space Exploration (PoSE)
There are periods of time in humanity when a true inflection point in advancement occurs. Consider the industrial revolution, the (first) space race, or the dawn of the information age. It is not an exaggeration to argue that we are entering another such period, that of the rapid exploration of both nearby and outer space. NASA is planning a return to the Moon (~2024) and then Mars and is in preparations to launch the $10B James Webb Space Telescope (December 18, 2021). New telescopes or probes could find evidence of life on distant exoplanets (planets around other stars) or solar system bodies (i.e., Mars, Europa, etc.) respectively in the coming decades. SpaceX has already revolutionized the launch industry, with the global industry expected to be a $1.1 trillion market by 2040 (or much sooner). Mining of asteroids, harvesting Moon resources, and militarization of space is planned.
But what are the ethical implications of these activities? How can the problems of past “frontier” exploitations be avoided? How can we protect even microbial life from terrestrial contamination (or annihilation), or should we care? What is the definition of life (there is no accepted definition), and what rights does it have? What are the ethics of billionaire joy-rides to space given their climate footprint? Such questions have been debated by scientists, philosophers, and novelists for thousands of years, but only now do we have the formidable science and technology to address them
Course Goals
- Develop a curriculum in philosophy of space exploration that promotes the principles of equity, accessibility and inclusivity
- Educate students on the complex scientific, and ethical questions pertaining to space exploration
- Help students develop distinctive and critical perspectives in examining and responding to such questions through methods of student-centered and experimental learning
- Design authentic assessments that spark creative thinking and encourage creative problem solving, while encouraging students to become lifelong learners by teaching them how to evaluate their own and peers’ performance.
Contact Profs Serife Tekin, Carmen Fies, or Chris Packham for more information.
Credits:
Created with images by Sergey Nivens - "Abstract planets on space texture" • grandeduc - "The final eclipse / 3D illustration of science fiction scene showing astronaut viewing solar eclipse from mountain surrounded by asteroids in space" • quickshooting - "Silhouette of woman with universe background" • Andrzej Tokarski - "colors of fall"