The European Physical Society (EPS) is an independent body funded by contributions from National Physical Societies, other bodies and individual members. It has over 80,000 members and can call on expertise in all areas where Physics is involved.

1. Aim of this Position Paper
The aim is to strengthen the case for a code of ethics for physicists, and indeed all scientists. It is put forward in the hope that international scientific bodies will take on board the need for such a code - perhaps in the form of a 'Scientists' Oath'.

2. The Rewards of 'Discovery'
One of the joys of being a physicist, and particularly a 'researcher', is that of making discoveries - of 'going where no one has gone before'. The thrill of curiosity - driven research, and of applied research, too, is hard to beat.

The rewards of discovery, in both tangible and intangible, form are usually well-deserved.

However, there are responsibilities, too, as will be described.

3. The Need for Honesty
The first responsibility concerns honesty. The temptations to make unwarranted claims, to be biased in the selection of data or even to falsify results can be very great. However, scientific method will always eventually show up these unethical practices. Dishonesty leads to the loss of faith in both the individual and the profession.

4. The Applications of Research
The second responsibility concerns the use of one's research. It has always been the case that new discoveries can be used for good or bad. Civilization has progressed considerably because of the good use to which new developments have been put. Examples abound, from the wheel to the jet engine, from electricity to the computer, from the discovery of the atom to X-ray therapy and so on.

A long list can also be made for the 'bad' but, so far at least, the good has outweighed the bad. Our continued presence on the earth points to this fact.

5. The Changing Perception of Scientists
What is clearly changing, however, is the potential that we have, now, for the bad being catastrophically bad. A further, and indeed related, worry is the increasing suspicion that the public have of the activities of many scientists, not excluding physicists. For the physicist there is the fear (irrational though it may be) of matters nuclear and, for the biologist, genetic manipulation and modification are corresponding worries.

The recent closeness of a full-scale nuclear war is an example of what the initial developments in physics could have led to. Less obviously dramatic, but with possibly equal long term effects, is the problem of Global Warming.

6. The Scale of Potential Damage
It could be argued that the problems of good and bad applications of research findings have always been with us and always will be. However, this is to miss the point, which is one of scale. Until recently, the scale of potential damage was always small in comparison with the size of the human population but this is no longer true; a watershed has been reached. Action is necessary.

Our proposal is based on heightened personal responsibility of scientists, and not a centralised legislative obligation imposed imposed by a 'World Government'.

7. The Proposed Scientist's Oath
The proposal is that there should be a Scientist's Oath to which all scientists would, hopefully, subscribe. It is appreciated that this is not a new idea but we believe that its particular formulation may well be new. It is designed not to stifle research but rather to ensure that the individual research has a continuing commitment to monitor the use to which such research results are put.

We are not so naive as to believe that adoption of such an oath would solve all the world's science-induced problems but an oath - no doubt improved over our draft, given below - might help. Certainly, it would give the public a measure of confidence in the scientific community which seems to be increasingly lacking at the present time.

8. The Mark-1 Version of a Potential Scientist's Oath

(i) In all my scientific work I will be honest and I will not do anything which in my view is to the obvious detriment of the human race.

(ii) If, later, I find that my work is being used - in my view - to the detriment of the human race, I will endeavour to stop these developments.

9. Potential Difficulties
It is self-evident that such an Oath would be difficult to put into practice, to monitor and so-on. However, this is surely not an excuse for not trying to improve its formulation and devising methods of monitoring it, etc. After all, most of what we do is difficult - and some of it very difficult indeed; but we persevere.

Our responsibility to the public, and, indeed to the planet, requires some serious action.

10. The Way Forward
International scientific bodies - and other World instituions - should take these proposals seriously and endeavour to work out a realistic, acceptable scheme.

The EPS Executive Committee