What Can Be Learned from DuPont and the Freon Ban A Case Study杜邦和氟利昂禁令的启示：一个案例研究.pdfVIP

What Can Be Learned from DuPont and the Freon Ban: A Case Study Richard P. Mullin ABSTRACT. Between 1974 and 1988, executives A characteristic of educated people is that they of DuPont, the world’s largest producer of CFCs, do not expect more from a science than a science were confronted with emerging evidence that CFCs can deliver. This paraphrase of Aristotle’s remark were destroying the stratospheric ozone layer. The about ethics applies to contemporary empirical difficulty that executives face in such cases is that science. Yet there is a tendency to think that scientific knowledge develops over time and does scientific judgments should be certain, and that not necessarily proceed in a straight line toward true otherwise they are not scientific. The problem conclusions. At the beginning of a new field of research, there is much uncertainty and disagreement that vexes policy makers, in industry as well as among the experts. The solution of the ozone in government, is that scientific knowledge problem required a remarkable cooperation among develops over time and does not necessarily science, business, and international governments. proceed in a straight line toward true conclusions. After looking at the role of DuPont executives in this In science, there are often many unknown factors drama, and the difficulties facing any executive dealing that lead to uncertainty and disagreement among with uncertain science, the paper turns to an evalu- the experts, esp