TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2010//
TI  - Universalist ethics in extraterrestrial encounter
JO  - Acta astronautica
A1  - Baum, Seth D.
SP  - 617
EP  - 623
VL  - 66
IS  - 3-4
N2  - If humanity encounters an extraterrestrial civilization, or if two extraterrestrial civilizations encounter each other, then the outcome may depend not only on the civilizations' relative strength to destroy each other but also on what ethics are held by one or both civilizations. This paper explores outcomes of encounter scenarios in which one or both civilizations hold a universalist ethical framework. Several outcomes are possible in such scenarios, ranging from one civilization destroying the other to both civilizations racing to be the first to commit suicide. Thus, attention to the ethics of both humanity and extraterrestrials is warranted in human planning for such an encounter. Additionally, the possibility of such an encounter raises profound questions for contemporary human ethics, even if such an encounter never occurs.  2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p /> 
LA  - 
SN  - 0094-5765
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2009.07.003
ID  - ref1
ER  -