--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People ask, 'Is the science going to run…" description: "\"People ask, 'Is the science going to run ahead of the ethics?' I don't think that's always the problem. I think it's that the science runs ahead of the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/arthur-caplan-37880_asks_people-ask-is-the-science-going-to-run-a_2104373.jpg" --- # People ask, 'Is the science going to run ahead of the… ![“People ask, 'Is the science going to run ahead of the ethics?' I don't think that's always the problem. I think it's that the science runs ahead of the politics. Bioethics can alert people to something coming down the road, but it doesn't mean policy and politicians are going to pay attention…” quote by Arthur Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/arthur-caplan-37880_asks_people-ask-is-the-science-going-to-run-a_2104373.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/arthur-caplan-37880_asks_people-ask-is-the-science-going-to-run-a_2104373.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/arthur-caplan-37880_asks_people-ask-is-the-science-going-to-run-a_2104373.jpg) > “People ask, 'Is the science going to run ahead of the ethics?' I don't think that's always the problem. I think it's that the science runs ahead of the politics. Bioethics can alert people to something coming down the road, but it doesn't mean policy and politicians are going to pay attention. They tend to respond when there's an immediate crisis. The job of the ethicist, in some ways, is to warn or be prophetic. You can yell loudly, but you can't necessarily get everybody to leave the cinema, so to speak.” [Arthur Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-caplan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science often outpaces politics; ethicists can warn but lack power to force change. **In simple terms:** Science outruns policy; ethicists warn. Key Takeaway Advocate for proactive policy informed by ethics. Themes ethics science politics policy Mood concerned urgent Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - legislative drafting - public health crises - technology regulation - academic research Key Concepts bioethics public policy future forecasting Questions to Reflect On - How can ethicists gain influence? - What mechanisms ensure timely policy response? 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I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-graynor/there-s-pressure-to-come-up-with-something-genius-every-time-i-feel/) [Ari Graynor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-graynor/) > [The apostolic writings are of three kinds: historical, didactic, and prophetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/the-apostolic-writings-are-of-three-kinds-historical-didactic-and/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) > [“Only God - only Love gets to define us. Anything else is a mere shadow at best and an outright lie at worst.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-toon/only-god-only-love-gets-to-define-us-anything-else-is-a-mere-shadow/) [Catherine Toon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-toon/) > [True artists are prophets. I don't want to be that prophetic in that sense because it's so lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/true-artists-are-prophets-i-don-t-want-to-be-that-prophetic-in-that/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [“All but a prophetic few must go about God's work in very quiet, very unspectacular ways. And as you labor to know Him, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/all-but-a-prophetic-few-must-go-about-god-s-work-in-very-quiet-very/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Jeremiah Wright is one of the greatest prophetic preachers that black America has produced. 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It's still not clear you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-caplan/the-more-you-start-prohibiting-donors-the-more-you-are-going-to-have/) [Arthur Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-caplan/) > [The challenge is for bioethicists to position themselves to be on panels, boards and other decision making bodies where oublic policy positions wil be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-caplan/the-challenge-is-for-bioethicists-to-position-themselves-to-be-on/) [Arthur Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-caplan/) > [With terminal illness, your fate is sealed. Morally, we're more comfortable with a situation where you don't cause death, but you hasten it. 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And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. 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