The Imperative of Responsibility: In Search of an Ethics for the Technological Age

The Imperative of Responsibility: In Search of an Ethics for the Technological Age by Jonas, Hans. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780226405971.

A classic work of ethical philosophy that explores our options in an age of devatasting technological change Hans Jonas here rethinks the foundations of ethics in light of the awesome transformations wrought by modern technology: the threat of nuclear war, ecological ravage, genetic engineering, and the like. Though informed by a deep reverence for human life, Jonass ethics is grounded not in religion but in metaphysics, in a secular doctrine that makes explicit mans duties toward himself, his posterity, and the environment. Jonas offers an assessment of practical goals under present circumstances, ending with a critique of modern utopianism.