Astrobiology

It should be emphasized that the idea that the human being has value in himself, according to Kant’s argument, comes mainly from the fact of his being a rational being. We do not expect in the short term to meet beings from other planets with intelligence and use of reason, so we will subtract from this thought only the notion of value in itself, since an authentic use of Kantian morality has no place here. Taking into consideration that we think that non-intelligent extraterrestrial life forms cannot defend themselves or have a way of communicating with us in any way, to what extent can we give them some value? The value we could give a non-intelligent extraterrestrial life forms is perhaps as the only galactic companions we know, and that neglecting them or not treating them properly, would then make us alone in the known universe. Here you can enter the word coined by Charles Cockell, which is that of “teloempathy.” What does it mean? Basically, to have empathy for other terrestrial and non-terrestrial life forms because they have interests. What is that interest? That of not being destroyed [1.12] [1.13] [1.15].

However, when we start talking about interests, we are moving away from Kantian morality, so it is more convenient to talk about an astrobioethics with utilitarian rather than Kantian tendencies,

“…if we really want to consider a ‘universal’ ethic in the most real sense possible, it should be based on the experience and the cases studied, so that we avoid a metaphysical attempt that can bring us difficulties rather than solutions [1.7].”

Considering a form of universal ethics would be inconvenient if we put it in front of the transdisciplinary nature of astrobioethics discussed ages ago. The a posteriori form of work that involves the process of astrobiological discovery does not have a universal common theoretical framework to establish a univocal criterion, so our moral reflection is more about the interest that an object may have for us, or, to the contrary, the value that the object of study may have in itself; in this case, an extraterrestrial life form.

If the extraterrestrial life we find has extrinsic or instrumental value, is it really a moral act? If we think of it in terms of the value to humanity that results from research, perhaps yes, but the status of extraterrestrial life places it on an axiological plane different from that of experimenting with other forms of terrestrial life. While teloempathy is an extension of the ecological morality existing on Earth, dealing with the intrinsic value of an extraterrestrial life form can place it in a different position. What happens if in space mining we also find extraterrestrial life forms and that, in addition, the removal of the minerals present in them is of great importance for the Earth? Perhaps it would be more appropriate if this thought was taken to the extreme: What would happen if, after having studied it enough, this way of life does not represent greater scientific value for humanity and there is pressure to use its environment for space mining?

If we only entertain the idea that protecting an extraterrestrial microbial life form has value because it is important for research, then when that value no longer exists, we will have no fear of intervening. Perhaps we could think of places of planetary protection as large reserves, special places where it is forbidden to intervene [1.14]. We should not repeat the ecological damage we have caused on planet Earth in other planetary environments where life may exist. May this new small step for mankind not be the start of trampling life in the universe, as we did with nature on Earth. To avoid this, our value system must be rethought not only on a theoretical but also practical level.

For this reason, an instrumental ethic that only values extraterrestrial microbial life for its usefulness to science is a pseudomorph since in turn it will only be a matter of time for that value to cease to exist. Then, we will have no other reason not to intervene and give it up to be used for the interests that some company or state might have for that place. It is an issue that sooner or later will occur, if not in this generation, the next or subsequent generations. Therefore, it must be considered with the seriousness necessary to achieve a consensus.

However, we could press the question of what to do in a crucial situation where it is imperative to intervene in an environment which has the potential for life or where life has already been confirmed. If it is a potential environment, the pressure might be less than if it is a place with the confirmed presence of life. Let us not forget that we are thinking of an extreme situation, where all other options to avoid landing there have been exhausted and we cannot prolong the decision any longer. In this case we could evoke the third principle of deep ecology, as presented in the book The Basic Principles of Deep Ecology written by Naess and Sessions [1.22], which states that humans have no right to reduce the richness and diversity of natural life except to meet vital needs. How could this be understood in the framework of astrobioethics and special exploration?

“…it does not matter how safe we are that we have established plots of land where we can land and settle, or promote some form of terrestrial life, there is always the difficulty of not being totally sure of avoiding some kind of collateral damage, at least with the current technology [1.9].”

In a situation where we must make a decision that involves some risk to native life forms, the third principle adapted in this scenario may be our guideline for how we should behave. Having exhausted all possible resources to avoid compromising extraterrestrial microbial life, what can be done is to safeguard it in the best possible way. Thus, the genuine value that native life forms have is always respected.

On the other hand, if our moral maxim is that we should not interfere or land where native life forms are under any circumscription, then there will be no exception to justify our actions. It is difficult to think of such an absolutist circumstance, and that is why I have decided to develop the option of the extreme situation to be able to highlight what our options would be. However, we must not forget that the decision we take must be in consensus with the countries involved. It is possible that what is considered inviolable for one country, may not be for another, so a common voice is necessary to be able to make such decisions.

From an epistemological aspect, it can be inferred that the fact of being able to elaborate an ethical theoretical framework involving other forms of life represents a gnoseological challenge. Therefore, it is also a transdisciplinary challenge to be able to connect different disciplines and thus to develop an appropriate normative moral framework. The implication that so many disciplines have from social to natural, makes astrobioethics an authentic exercise between disciplines. However, as much as we want, the ontological frontier is always present, reminding us that we cannot leave our human brains and our carbon-based nature.

From an astrotheological aspect, it is interesting to think that perhaps there may be religions more likely to accept life on other worlds. It is important to have a discussion-based perspective among different religious leaders. It is inevitable that the subject of religion will be dealt with once life is found in other worlds; and yet, depending on the type of discovery, we might see different reactions from religion. However, it seems obvious that religion will have to adapt its worldview to the new component: life on other worlds.

Regarding the aspect of Interplanetary issue, we see that instrumental ethics is not sustainable over time since the value of extraterrestrial life depends on its usefulness for scientific research. On the contrary, if we assume a teloempathic position, this changes because we will try as much as possible to look after the interests of these discovered beings—always assumed to be microbial forms—and generate large planetary reserve parks. However, there is always the extreme imaginary challenge where we are asked if it is necessary to intervene in an inhabited place, and it is here that the third principle of deep ecology comes into play. This principle allows exceptions to the rule of respect for diversity of life. It is important to keep this in mind so that we do not have to spoil an ecosystem that we may never discover again, and not repeat the disaster we have caused in nature on Earth.