On February 23, the Pope received in audience the delegation of the Max Planck Gesellschaft from Germany. Several thousand members of this society work in universities and other science-related institutions.
Inese Steinert – Vatican
The Holy Father called on the society to continue to take care that science maintains its highest standards of integrity, so that it remains independent of political or economic influence. “Without taking anything away from applied science, we must recognize the social nature of pure science, the results of which must be put at the service of the common good,” said the Pope.
Francis expressed concern about so-called “hybrid thought,” the result of biological and artificial thought, which would allow artificial intelligence to supplant the human. This raises important questions both ethically and socially. The Pope called for awareness that the fusion of the human mind and technological capabilities would significantly change the “homo sapiens” species.
“If those who support the ‘transhumanist’ project are unconcerned by all this, the same cannot be said for those who do their best to put forward a ‘neohumanist’ project, according to which it is impossible to accept the gap between action and intellect,” noted Francis. He pointed out that “when the ability to solve problems is separated from the need to be endowed with reason to do so, then the intentionality of action is abandoned, and therefore ethics.”
The Pope reminded that in the era of “second modernism” the principle of “technical” responsibility has started to spread in the scientific environment, in which there is no place for moral judgment about what is good and what is bad. Thus, action, especially that of large organizations, is evaluated solely according to a functional approach, as if everything possible were ethically acceptable. The Holy Father emphasized that the Church will never be able to accept such a position, the tragic consequences of which are already well documented.
At the center of modern culture, Francis called for responsibility, care for one’s neighbor. “A person is responsible not only for what he does, but also for what he does not do, even though he could do it,” said the bishop of Rome at the end of his address.
