Abstract
The article examines the ethos and motivation of the scientists of the Manhattan Project within the framework of their development of nuclear weapons. The empirical information is compared to R.K. Merton’s concept of scientific ethos, as well as L.M. Dmitrieva’s concept of truth-seeking and responsibility of scientists. The recollections of the leading scientific personnel of the Manhattan Project make up the main source of the research. The article consists of three parts. The first part examines the motivation of the scientists who participated in the Manhattan Project. The second part analyzes the relevance of the actions of the Manhattan Project scientists to R.K. Merton’s concept of the ethos of science. The last part of the article specifies the fundamental bases of scientific ethos with the help of L.M. Dmitrieva’s concept and compares the actions of the scientists of the Manhattan Project with the specified essentials. The research concludes with an outline of the main set of moral and ethical norms in scientific activity in the course of the Manhattan Project. The conclusions of the research are particularly relevant in the context of increasing international tensions and deep involvement of the scientific community in the process of improvement of both conventional and mass destruction weapons.
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