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It takes two to tango: toward a political concept of responsible innovation

It takes two to tango: toward a political concept of responsible innovation

Von Schomberg, Lucien ORCID: 0000-0003-2299-8812 and Blok, Vincent (2023) It takes two to tango: toward a political concept of responsible innovation. Journal of Responsible Innovation, 10 (1):2264616. pp. 1-23. ISSN 2329-9460 (Print), 2329-9037 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2023.2264616)

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Abstract

This paper proposes a political concept of Responsible Innovation (RI). As a first step, we diagnose the RI discourse with a conceptual ambiguity, struggling to accommodate both private and public interests. To address this ambiguity, we distinguish between weak RI, which seeks to govern a techno-economic concept of innovation; and strong RI, which seeks to conceive a political concept of innovation beyond techno-economic ideology and practice. Secondly, we consult The Human Condition, in which Hannah Arendt articulates a threefold distinction between the activities of labor, work, and action. Although Arendt does not explicitly address the topic of innovation, her equation of politics with the human capacity to “begin the unexpected” inspires a political concept of RI which fundamentally empowers the public sphere and drives radical novelty. Finally, we account for how this political concept of RI can be operationalized, advocating for its integration at both substantive and procedural level.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: responsible innovation; philosophy of technology; Hannah Arendt; innovation governance; science and technology studies
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Business
Last Modified: 13 Oct 2023 08:36
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/44441

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