Europe–Japan. Futures in Science, Technology and Democracy

177 Pages·1986·13.241 MB·English

by  M.C. Brierty

Europe-Japan
Futures in science, technology and democracy
Vincent J. McBrierty (editor)
Dean of Science, Trinity College, University of Dublin
Butterworths
London Boston Durban Sydney Toronto Wellington
Published on behalf of the Council of Europe
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, without the
written permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be
addressed to the Publishers. Such written permission must also be obtained before
any part of this publication is stored in a retrieval system of any nature.
This book is sold subject to the Standard Conditions of Sale of Net Books and may
not be re-sold in the UK below the net price given by the Publishers in their current
price list.
© Council of Europe 1986
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Europe—Japan: futures in science, technology and democracy.
1. Science and state. 2. Technology and state
I. McBrierty, Vincent J. II. Council of Europe
500 Q125
ISBN 0-408-02570-0
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Europe—Japan: futures in science, technology, and democracy.
Proceedings of the Sixth Parliamentary and Scientific Conference
of the Council of Europe held in Tokyo, Japan, June 1985.
1. Science—Social aspects—Congresses.
2. Technology—Social aspects—Congresses.
3. Science and state—Europe—Congresses.
4. Technology and state—Japan—Congresses.
5. Science and state—Japan—Congresses.
6. Technology and state—Japan—Congresses.
I. McBrierty, Vincent J. II. Parliamentary and Scientific
Conference (6th : 1985 : Tokyo, Japan) III. Council of Europe.
Q175.4.E871986 338.9406 86-8294
ISBN 0-408-02570-0
First published 1986 by Butterworth Scientific,
PO Box 63, Westbury House, Bury Street,
Guildford, Surrey GU2 5BH, England
Telephone: Guildford (0483) 31261 Telex: 859556 SCITEC G
Butterworths editor: Dr David Green
Phototypesetting by En to En, Tunbridge Wells
Printed and bound in England by Butler & Tanner, Frome, Somerset
Foreword
AT THE INVITATION of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors of
the Japanese Diet, the Sixth Parliamentary and Scientific Conference of the Council
of Europe was held in Tokyo in June 1985. With Ireland holding the chairmanship of
the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe at the time of this book's
publication, it is a particular pleasure for me to write the introduction to the edited
proceedings of the first of the European Parliamentary and Scientific Conferences to
be held outside Europe — a pleasure, both because of the importance of the
conference's theme 'Science and Democracy', and because of the happy coincidence
that the task of editing has been entrusted to a distinguished fellow Irishman.
As Prime Minister of one of the world's smaller democracies, I take pride in the fact
that throughout history small countries like Ireland have contributed out of all
proportion to their resources to the development of world science and civilization.
As a politician and a former university teacher, I am personally interested in the
themes discussed in Tokyo. I share the belief of many participants that the problems
of science and technology are global in character, and thus require a unified response
at international level. Such a response can only come if both the scientific community
and politicians work together in an open and forthright manner.
The Tokyo Conference is yet another example of the vigour displayed by the
Council of Europe — a 21-country organization quite distinct from the European
Community — in focusing our attention on the critical medium- to long-term issues
affecting man and society as this century draws to a close. Ireland takes a particular
pride in being a founder-member of this, the oldest of the European international
political institutions.
The pace of scientific and technological change in recent decades is a cause of
wonder, awe and respect, and of many benefits to mankind. But the shadows of
danger, death, environmental pollution and cultural domination have also entered
our consciousness. Politicians and scientists working together can do much to
alleviate widespread unease in relation to specific scientific and technological
developments, and together they can pave the way for continued progress and a
continued flow of benefits.
The Conference also addressed the challenges, as well as the advantages, which
information technology brings to our countries. Its significance for employment
means we must all — politicians, administrators and scientists — rethink our approach
to economic development, and even to the definition of work itself. It also provides
new opportunities for our citizens to be consulted and to exercise an influence on
decisions which directly affect their everyday lives — decisions from which they all
vii
too often today feel excluded. Such opportunities change our expectations of
democracy. Governments will ignore them at their own risk.
I am happy that the Conference should have enabled Council of Europe countries
to mark their desire to develop closer scientific and technological ties with Japan. It
alsotenabled the European participants and their Japanese hosts to express their
shared commitment to the ideals for which the Council of Europe stands — the
pursuit of peace based on international justice, human rights and individual freedom,
political liberty and the rule of law.
The Tokyo Conference provided an equal intellectual and practical challenge to
politicians and scientists: how can the process and application of scientific discovery
be made to work to the benefit of all members of our societies — and indeed of all
people on this planet? I commend the contents of this book to those who are already
taking up this challenge, and even more particularly to those who feel it to be a
challenge which they should no longer ignore.
Dr Garret FitzGeraldy TD
Prime Minister of Ireland
viii
Preface
THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND the Council of Europe's series of parliamentary and scientific
conferences is to promote dialogue between parliamentarians, scientists and other
concerned interests both in Europe and in those nations that share a common
concern about developments, or, indeed, a lack of them, in the increasingly complex
arena of science and politics. Science and technology is evolving at such an
unprecedented pace and its impact on society is so profound that serious efforts are
required to improve our understanding of the issues and inter-relationships involved.
In retrospect, therefore, the Council of Europe has shown remarkable foresight
and wisdom in having initiated this series of conferences some 25 years ago. It is also
significant that the Sixth Parliamentary and Scientific Conference was held on this
occasion in Tokyo, thereby recognizing Japan's central contribution in world affairs
today.
After three days of intensive discussion on a variety of related themes, enhanced by
a visit to the impressive Tsukuba Exposition, the Conference adopted a series of
recommendations (see Chapter 6) which embodied in large measure the combined
European and Japanese thinking on the implications of scientific and technological
developments for society and democracy.
Why should an account of the proceedings be published? As the General
Rapporteur, Sir Hermann Bondi, pointed out, 'the parliamentarians and scientists
who come here are those who, perhaps, do not need the education of this conference
quite as much as their colleagues do'. On issues as important as those discussed in the
conference, wide dissemination of the proceedings will help to dispel, at least in part,
the latent fear of science and its implications in the minds of so many of the public. It
was also recognized by the Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee,
Lennart Pettersson, that 'this conference, like its predecessors, is in essence an
extended working meeting'. It is therefore essential to maintain a sense of continuity
with earlier discussions.
Information was disseminated at the conference through keynote addresses,
position papers and information documents, which were previously circulated, and
through direct interventions from the floor. Editorial judgment was an inevitable
consequence of constraints on the overall length of the book. Consequently, position
and information papers were extensively synopsized, keynote addresses less so and
direct interventions, for the most part, substantially retained. The decision to proceed
in this way was influenced by the fact that the Secretariat of the Council of Europe
was preparing for consideration by the Parliamentary Assembly an official but not
exhaustive record of the proceedings in which interventions from the floor received
IX
only cursory mention. Direct speech was retained as far as possible in order to
preserve the spirit and flavour of the discussion.
Again, in view of the time constraints in meeting publication deadlines, it was not
possible to circulate the text to the various contributors for their final approval. For
this I beg their indulgence.
Before concluding, I would like to convey my appreciation to our Japanese hosts
for a memorable stay in Japan and to the Secretariat of the Council of Europe, in
particular John Hartland and Mario Martins and the secretarial staff in Trinity
College, Norah Kelso and Heather Browne, for their help in the preparation of the
text.
Vincent McBrierty
Dublin, 1985
x
Biographical summaries
Lennart Pettersson is chairman of the committee on science and technology of the
Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (a body of nationally elected
parliamentarians from 21 countries, inspired by the principles of human rights and
democracy). Formerly a university lecturer in business administration, he has written
books on company strategy and the Swedish stock market and numerous articles on
the ethical and social aspects of scientific and technological advance. Entering the
Swedish Parliament as a Social Democrat in 1969 he has been appointed to
government commissions on information technology, energy policy and international
trade.
Hiroshi Inose is chairman of the OECD committee for scientific and technological
policy - a committee whose secretariat traditionally works in informal partnership
with the Council of Europe in preparing the latter's 'Parliamentary and Scientific
Conferences'. Professor of electronics at Tokyo University since 1961 (and currently
Director of its Bibliographic Information Centre), he has published widely on digital
communications technology and road traffic control. Recipient of many distinctions
(Marconi International Fellowship, Japan Academy Prize), he is President of the
Institute of Electronics and Communication Engineers of Japan, a fellow of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and a Foreign Associate of
the US National Academies of Science and of Engineering and of the American
Philosophical Society.
Chairman of the committee on science and technology of the Council of Europe's
Parliamentary Assembly from 1980 to 1984, Wolfgang Blenk was chairman of the
organizing committee for the Sixth Parliamentary and Scientific Conference.
Director of the foreign trade section in the federal economic chamber in Vienna, he
entered the Austrian Parliament in 1970 and is chairman of its committee on science
and research. He is a member of the Austrian Academic Council and President of the
Christian Democrat political group of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary
Assembly.
Vincent McBrierty agreed to edit this book after being a member of the Irish
delegation to the Council of Europe's Sixth Parliamentary and Scientific Conference
(Tokyo/Tsukuba, 3-6 June 1985). Professor of polymer physics and Dean of Science
at the University of Dublin, he has represented Ireland at EURATOM and the
XI
European Science Foundation and has served on national advisory bodies on the role
of innovation in tertiary education. A consultant to the Bell Telephone Laboratories
since 1968, he is a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin, of the Institute of Physics and of
the American Physical Society. A Member of the Royal Irish Academy he has also
published works on local history.
xn
kìk \t /h *fΛ hfl· $%.% ι ΐ'-κ
^ Λ Κ Ο & Ι -* It'-l'in·**
'Mankind now has God's skills but not God's wisdom; herein lies the problem'
Koji Fushimi
xm
Introduction and opening addresses
'IT IS THE FIRST TIME that the 21 countries of the Council of Europe, through the
instrumentality of the Parliamentary Assembly, will have joined forces to stage a
major parliamentary event — or Europe, a major science policy conference — so far
beyond the geographical limits of our continent.'
Professor Sir Hermann Bondïs words aptly describe the uniqueness of the Sixth
Parliamentary Conference held in Tokyo on 3—6 June 1985. Another significant
feature was the visit, on the third day, to the Tsukuba International Exposition with
the theme, 'Dwellings and Surroundings — Science and Technology for Man at
Home'.
Mr Lennart Pettersson, Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, presided over this first session
and, in declaring open the conference, he stated:
'It is a signal honour for my Committee to be organizing this Conference in Japan.
We owe this honour to an invitation extended to us by the Japanese Diet following Mr
Komiyama's important contribution to the Fifth Council of Europe Parliamentary
and Scientific Conference in June 1981 in Helsinki.1 We are now at our Sixth
Conference in a series which next year will mark its 25th anniversary. This
Conference, like its predecessors, is in essence an extended working meeting which
will help us to develop proposals for the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.
Although each of these conferences deals with a different theme, a strong element of
continuity is apparent: each is essentially concerned with the effects of science and
technology on the function of democracy and on safeguarding human rights. The
conferences provide the opportunity for dialogue between legislators and
researchers enabling both sides to improve and deepen their understanding of the
other's approach and to assess, together, the consequences of scientific and
technological innovations for individuals and societies. That is the continuing
concern of our parliamentary and scientific conferences.
'The fact that our meeting is in Japan is of great significance for the Council of
Europe and for Finland and the Holy See, which are closely associated with our work,
particularly in the fields of science and culture. It is the first time that Europe has
staged a major parliamentary event or a major conference on science policy in Japan.
The significance is historical, cultural and political. We are here today as guests of
those great institutions of democracy, the House of Representatives and the House of
Councillors of the Japanese Diet. It is with thanks and appreciation then, that I invite
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Michita Sakata to address us.'
l