The Bioethics in Science Fiction：Moral Inspiration of Happiness in Brave New World *

ZHAO Xiuhong WU Wenqing

Abstract： Bio-ethical exploration has always been a classic theme of modern science fiction.With the rapid development of life science and medicine，gene editing technology and its potential ethical dilemmas and choices have become the key points of science fiction in recent years.These works have captured the momentum of life science developments and potential risks through topics as “artificial person，”“transplants，” “l(fā)aboratory babies，” “gene editing，” “mind control，” and “genetic enhancements，” focusing on human gene editing techniques，as well as their strong impact on the traditional way of life and social ethics.Among these，the novel Brave New World by the British writer Aldous Huxley depicts the annihilation of human nature under the grinding influence of money and machine as material desires are satisfied by advances in science and technology，one of the root causes being the weak awareness of bio-ethical consciousness.In a world like this，love and responsibility are lost due to alienated material relationships among people，bio-ethical morality is trampled，and virtue awareness is discarded，all of which may cause inappropriate bio-ethical choices to recur and eventually lead to loss of happiness.In essence，the novel reflects the complex emotions and confused values of people pursuing the American dream in the era of scientism and hedonism after World War Ⅰ.Through the asymmetry of responsibility over freedom，as well as the relationship between the self and the other—following Levina’s ethical theory of “the other”—the other takes precedence over the self，with infinite absoluteness and transcendence.The novel serves as an opportunity for moral reflection and demonstrates that confirmation of the self lies in the presence of the other.Only in the process of cultivating responsibility and empathy for the other can self-subjectivity be revealed，materialism and technology be brought into full play as a means to an end，and “the self” and “the present” be transcended to experience the existence of happiness and meaning in life.

Keywords： Levina’s ethics of “the other”； Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World； responsibility； face；practical wisdom

New technologies such as genetic technology，3D printing，artificial intelligence，big data，nanotechnology and other emerging technologies，while bringing great convenience to human society，may also cause great ethical risks and challenges.The ethical impacts of emerging science and technologies are complicated by multifarious factors interwoven together.The possible ethical challenges are also difficult to accurately predict and avert because of insufficient related knowledge and experience，all of which may heighten the uncertainty of the application of the high-tech inventions.One of the salient examples is the application of synthetic biotechnology，which to a great extent can respond to and find solutions for the bulk of social problems concerning food，nutrition，resources，diseases and the like that have perplexed many countries for a long time.If synthetic genes are embedded in cells，diverse renewed products like newly biodegradable plastics，nutritious proteins，vaccines will be created in the domains of biofuel，bio-medical treatment，bio-energy，ecology and so on.Compared with the traditional tools，they are brand-new and also cleaner，cheaper and more effective.However，synthetic biotechnology is a double-edged sword，which can bring benefits as well as risks.That is to say，once maliciously used—even to develop a highly contagious virus—synthetic biotechnology will endanger the lives of human beings （cynically called “the inhumane use of human beings”）.Additionally，some scientists have managed to perform gene editing on human embryos，which aroused a heated debate over the rationality and feasibility of removing a single，even though defective，gene from a genome and then replacing it with another one to prevent disease.There is no denying that the rapid development of emerging technologies leads to the creation of new ethical problems，whereas the fact is that because emerging technologies are characterized by sophisticated equipment，complex technology and complicated knowledge structures，most researchers mainly focus on scientific and technical issues rather than pay more attention to the ethical，legal and other issues involved.In addition，some researchers may be driven by interests that lead to behavior that runs contrary to ethical norms.Despite the bio-experiment itself not having an ethical problem，nor crossing the ethical boundary，that boundary has nevertheless been touched.In recent years，ethics has become a concern in the scientific community，and the problems scientists would encounter should be investigated further before any type of practical application is begun.Therefore it is necessary to further strengthen the ethical norms and supervision of scientific research activities and effectively prevent the associated ethical risks.Besides that，the key point is the change from the requirements of society to the requirements of scientists’ self-consciousness.Thus，in order to better develop and utilize synthetic biotechnology，it is vitally important that there is ethical reflection on “whether human beings can be made，” “the essence of life，” “the traditional ideas of happiness itself，” “the relationship between self and others” and such issues.The “traditional” route of bioethics allows for serious moral and experimental argumentation mainly in terms of normative ethics，considering that the moral significance of narration in literature，as well as the importance of empathy and rational emotion in bioethics which can be stirred by narration in literature.Most importantly，the ultimate goal of bio-science is supposed to be directed toward the aim of happiness.The rational method of argumentation in this essay follows the philosophical discussion of ethics and literature to capture the significance of bioethics in the novelBraveNewWorldby Aldous Huxley.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The novelBraveNewWorldpenned by Aldous Huxley （1894-1963），a 20th century British modernist novelist，has been highly praised by both Chinese and Western readers since its publication in 1932.It presents us with a fictional society in the year 2532，in which materials are more abundant and technological progress more advanced than in any previous era.People appear to be leading happy lives of extreme material satisfaction，but underneath this happiness is psychological anxiety and a loss of emotions.Happiness is thus deconstructed，and human nature is subverted.The novel shows readers how the gene hatching technology takes control over all of mankind，and people are left with no freedom and no choice.The novel is intended to arouse people’s attention to their own value，deeply exploring the connotations of happiness，and awakening one’s sense of responsibility to others to build a harmonious，happier，and more humanistic society.

The story is set in the year 632 After Ford（2532 AD，far in the future）.The New World contrasts to the traditional Savage Reservation inhabited by some Indian tribes.The story unfolds around Bernard and Lenin （inhabitants of the New World） and John and his mother Linda（residents of the Reservation）.Bernard and Lenin meet John and his mother Linda during their visit to the Reservation.Linda，who used to reside in the New World，had fallen off a cliff during her visit to the Reservation，and stayed there ever since，giving birth to John.Bernard brought Linda and her son back to the New World for his own purposes，but Linda soon died of an overdose of Soma （a stimulant）.As his admiration for the New World turned to disgust，John hanged himself after a violent confrontation with the New World.

In addition to being a famous novelist，Aldous Huxley was a philosopher，social critic，playwright and poet.He wrote more than 50 books of various genres over his life in literature，philosophy，politics，art，religion，science and technology，includingBraveNewWorld，Point CounterPoint，EyelessinGazaandIsland.Hundreds of works have been published on Huxley，exploring and discussing his literary thoughts，writing techniques，dystopian themes，and integration of Eastern and Western cultures.BraveNewWorldhas been a consistent focus and hot spot among these works.The Western academic community generally considers it a dystopian novel on the negative social impact of the supremacy of scientific rationality.Phillip Thody once commented that in this book，Huxley decried the social crisis which was dominated entirely by reason and science.In order to achieve well-being and happiness，people give up art，philosophy and other humanistic ideas to the extent that they could no longer even call themselves human.1David King Dunaway, Aldous Huxley Recollected: An Oral History (Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press, 1999), 147.Here，BraveNewWorldasks a metaphysical question： what makes one human？ Other scholars have analyzed the novel from sociological and political perspectives，arguing that it is dystopian in nature.According to David Bradshaw，BraveNewWorldreflects Huxley’s desire for social stability and implies his ambivalence towards science.On the one hand，he was worried about the rapid increase in population quantity and decline in population quality.Believing that the arrival of mass society was a shock to the democratic system，he was inclined to control population artificially using eugenics.On the other hand，he was concerned that this approach，taken to its extreme，would lead to the death of civilization and the stagnation of society.2David Bradshaw, Between the Wars (Chicago: Van R.Dee, 1994), x.Western critics have done a great deal of research on the novel from the perspective of the ironic function of the character names，and the prophetic warning function of the novel，using feminism，psychoanalysis，comparative research and other approaches，drawing many insightful conclusions.The novel also has a large reader base in China.Meanwhile，domestic research in China on the novel mainly focuses on introducing and briefly commenting on the ideas of dystopia and opposition to science and totalitarianism.A cross-national review on the research status of the novel indicates that little attention has been paid to the existence of humanity itself.In fact，with its unique characteristics of timeliness，openness，creativity，and foresight，the novel reveals its profound exploration of human nature，the relationship between the self and the other，and the meaning of happiness.

Confusion of Scientism

In 1932，Aldous Huxley opened theBraveNewWorldwith these words：

A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories.Over the main entrance the words，CENTRAL LONDON HATCHERY AND CONDITIONING CENTRE，and，in a shield，the World State’s motto，

COMMUNITY，IDENTITY，STABILITY.3Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (New York: Harper & Bros., 1932), 1-8.

......

Standard men and women，standard groups.The employees in the factory might be the products of the same Bokanovsky process for egg processing.4David King Dunaway, Aldous Huxley Recollected: An Oral History, 15.

Since Descartes，traditional Western philosophy has emphasized the existence of human rationality and subjectivity，holding that rationality is one of the important attributes that distinguishes humans from other species.The overemphasis on rationality further leads to the prevalence of scientism.Scientism is a trend of thought that has had a profound impact on the West.Although it emerged late，it has gradually influenced how people think and act under the rapid development of science and technology in the 20th century，to such an extent that many people in the contemporary era believe that it can solve all problems in real life.Under the influence of scientism，the subjectivity of human existence has become increasingly prominent as another important category.Although it admits the existence of “the other，” the latter exists only to confirm the existence of subjectivity，and is eventually reduced to “identity” and dissolved.Rationalism or scientism and human subjectivity have become the main themes of the times.

Huxley’s novel explores scientism’s suppression of humanity and moral feelings in phenomenally detailed language.Science is paramount and dominates everything； New World babies are no longer conceived by parents，but hatched from “bottles” using scientific planning；the embryos are regulated by science，and classified into different grades.More ironically，the eggs of lower-grade embryos have to divide into multiple identical eggs in order to ensure sufficient workers in the future.Hence，there are many twins.“The bulging flanks of row on receding row and tier above tier of bottles glinted with innumerable rubies，and among the rubies moved the dim red spectres of men and women with purple eyes and all the symptoms of lupus.The hum and rattle of machinery faintly stirred the air.”5Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (New York: Rosetta Books LLC, 2000), 12.Words like “dim，” “red，” and “l(fā)upus”give the reader a feeling of melancholy and unhappiness caused by the extreme idolatry of science.Scientism not only eliminates many natural human attributes，but also alienates the moral consciousness and emotional characteristics of humans，who have been reduced to manufactures on the social production line.The New World invented the “perfect drug” to relieve its inhabitants of sorrow and pain，Soma，which produced “Euphoric，narcotic，pleasantly hallucinant...All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol； none of their defects”6Ibid., 43..Produced by high technology，Soma narcotizes people’s thoughts and emotions，causing them to lose their ego sensibility and stop meditating on and discussing the meaning of life.“Work，play—at sixty our powers and tastes are what they were at seventeen.Old men in the bad old days used to renounce，retire，take to religion，spend their time reading，thinking—thinking！”7Ibid., 44.Huxley’s satire of scientism allows the reader to see that its fantasy of using science to solve all social problems just leads to the abuse of science and complete negligence of natural human attributes，emotions，and social and moral requirements.It asks us to consider what the world would look like if scientism were allowed to develop unchecked.The ethical challenge posed by the novel first lies in： if the “copying” process allows manipulation and modification，does the ownership of the “copying” lie with the copier or the copied？ Does the replicator have the right to demand that the memory not be tampered with，or does the replicator have the right to make decisions for the replicator，choosing instead to make the replicator a passive “happy ignorant”？

In essence，science has indeed created unprecedented wealth and convenience for humanity，and should be fully respected and advocated as a means to make full use of Aristotle’s“practical wisdom.” According to Aristotle，the soul has three states： emotion，ability and quality.All three states of human existence are indispensable.Virtue belongs to “quality，” and can be further divided into moral and rational virtue.Phronesis （practical wisdom） falls under rational virtue.What is the relationship between practical and moral virtue？ InEthika Nikomachea，Aristotle identifies the following relationships between the two： one is the relationship between ends and means： “Virtue makes us achieve the end，whereas prudence makes us achieve the things that promote the end，”8Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, trans.Terence Irwin (Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, 1999), 258.the other is that between the potential and real.The existence of moral virtue is based on the application of practical wisdom，and moral virtue is a quality conforming to practical wisdom.Certainly，practical wisdom in the Aristotelian domain cannot simply be construed as knowledge or skills in dealing with things （e.g.synonyms of the calculation and politics of Niccolo Machiavelli and Francis Bacon），and “wisdom is a Rutgersian，truth-seeking practical quality associated with good and evil，”9Ibid., 89.a form of interpersonal knowledge about life practices.

Ability and emotion，guided by practical wisdom，are the other two states of the soul.Only in this way can a person truly move towards the realm of fusion between truth and goodness.With the continuous expansion of scientific rationality，however，“truth” （equivalent to “ability”among the states of the soul） has gradually become the sole purpose of scientific activity，while“goodness” is subordinate to truth，and is gradually declining.There are many reasons.One is a lack of moral consciousness among relevant researchers—specifically，a lack of attention to the impact and potential risks of scientific activities on humans from an ethical perspective，and the lack of exploration into solutions to increasingly prominent dilemmas from an ethical dimension.Huxley’sBraveNewWorldalso reflects the same concern.The seemingly utopian society is full of science in all aspects of life.Not only do social products come from high-tech production lines，but also humans are hatched from instruments with no feelings or moral consciousness.As described and satirized in the novel，the researchers and submissive students，including citizens of the World State，are convinced that science is omnipotent，accustomed to the lack of emotion and moral consciousness caused by scientism.The purpose of scientism is to create a comfortable，beautiful and happy life for world citizens，so that science better serves humanity.However，the scientism believers in the novel fail to realize that science should be correctly guided.Even the leaders of the New World later realize that “science is dangerous，and we must bridle and rein it in very carefully.”10David King Dunaway, Aldous Huxley Recollected: An Oral History, 304.Although the novel does not mention what the means might be employed to do so，the essence should be the purpose of perfection （happiness） and guidance by practical wisdom.Second，the social atmosphere，which promotes the supremacy of instrumental rationality and an estrangement between technical and ethical value，has a subtle negative impact on the separation between truth and goodness.The pursuit of comfort and sensory pleasure is an essential feature of the utopian society： the helicopters driven by the alphas，fragrance instruments and “synthetic music” intoxicate people into a fantasy world.More brilliantly，sensory movies have no complex plot or profound ideological significance； their main purpose to stimulate the audience’s senses and deliver sensory effects.Huxley not only anticipated the emergence of three-dimensional movies，but also criticized and ridiculed the passivity of the audience and superficiality of the movies.He pointed out that in such an era，science is not only embedded in all aspects of personal and public life，but also paralyzes and enslaves human emotions and moral consciousness.People no longer need active thinking to comprehend the significance of music.Science，previously dominated by man，starts to dominate man，thus man becomes alienated by science.Marcuse described alienated people as“one-dimensional men” in his representative workOne-DimensionalMan，and pointed out that the “‘one-dimensional man’ has lost，or is losing，individuality，freedom，and the ability to dissent and to control one’s own destiny.”11Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society (Boston: Beacon Press,1991), xxvii.

From another perspective，the coordination of practical wisdom is crucial.According to Aristotle，there are roughly three kinds of wisdom： theoretical，production and practical wisdom.Theory is commonly referred to as science； Logos or Neos is the wisdom of science.Science originally fell into the theoretical category of the necessary study of universal patterns.In modern times，F(xiàn)rancis Bacon transformed it into a narrow concept of empiricism，bringing together science and theory and combining them with practical technical application.Science was narrowly understood as a technical principle，and its true connotations were distorted； skill is wisdom of production，practice usually involves interpersonal social activities，and intelligence is wisdom of practice.Skill and intelligence are wisdom in change，and as science depends on proof，skill and wisdom are associated with things that can change.This shows that theoretical，production and practical wisdom have different areas of concern，but practical wisdom has a unique significance before theoretical and production wisdom.Theoretical wisdom，or scientific knowledge，can be taught and learned，that is，one has scientific knowledge only when one is convinced in a certain way and fully understands the starting point on which a conclusion is based.In addition to the initial meaning of knowledge，the “starting point” also refers to the initial purpose of research.This is similar to production wisdom.The purpose of production lies in the production of products outside the activity，while scientific research is first about scientific wisdom itself.This point is similar between the two.The purpose of practical wisdom lies in the activity itself.That is to say，in contrast to production and scientific research，practical activity is a purpose unto itself.Thus，scientific research and production only have segmental functions，and the purpose should exist before the means.What is that purpose？ How is it established？Aristotle startedEthicaNicomacheawith these words： “Every craft and every line of inquiry，and likewise every action and decision，seems to seek some good； that is why some people were right to describe the good as what everything seeks.”12Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 1.InEthicaNicomachea，“eudaimonia”refers to “l(fā)iving well and doing well”13Ibid., 10.and “results from virtue.”14Ibid., 12.Furthermore，Aristotle also emphasized the ultimate value of happiness： “If happiness is activity in accord with the supreme virtue，which will be the virtue of the best thing.”15Ibid., 164.Thus，honor，money，power，consumer goods，technology and other external good things only exist as a means to an end，and cannot usurp the purpose of the value nature of happiness.Happiness （living well and doing well）implies that happiness is doing and being good，which stipulates that the means must also be virtuous.

In this regard，training researchers and giving play to their practical wisdom in contemporary society so that they can use the principle of moderation in science，and stimulating their ethical consciousness so that they can weigh pros and cons and properly judge rational value in the face of ethical conflicts according to the specific situation，can also help promote the practice of “wealth for good” and “science for good” at the national level，promptly curb the rupture of instrumental and value rationality，and fully integrate the values of “true” and “good”to actively guide the public’s happiness value orientation.

Transcending the Self

Scientism controls people at a technical level，resulting in alienation.Guided by practical wisdom，however—and，following the doctrine of the mean，in which man has the ability to perceive and act at the right time，on the right thing，with the right person，for the right purpose and in the right way，improving the quality of individual moral consciousness and personality，and proposing a happy，ethical life—it can surely play a positive and beneficial role as a means to an end.Furthermore，Huxley was brilliantly insightful and critical of totalitarianism.The 1920s and 1930s，whenBraveNewWorldwas written，were an era of great transformation in Western values.The aftereffects of World War I lingered on，followed by a global economic crisis.Moreover，Mussolini and Hitler were ready to act on their fascism.These factors inspired Huxley to sharply satirize egoism and totalitarianism through his writing.In particular，he expressed his deep concern over the crisis of human nature they caused，the existence of “the other，” and disregard for respect.In Western academic circles，the word totalitarianism is usually used to generalize German Nazism and Italian fascism.In the contemporary context，the connotations of the word have been extended，no longer confined to wartime fascism，but to the neglect or even absolute control over the existence and interests of “the other” in society—an extreme representation of traditional egoism.According to Arendt，totalitarianism is not for the benefit of a certain portion of mankind，but is thoroughly against all mankind，all humanity and all civilization.Huxley possessed critical thinking and keenly captured the social-spiritual crisis of the Western world，deeply doubted Western civilization and human existence，and philosophically explored the essence of human existence and the meaning of life.

BraveNewWorldincludes two artificially divided zones： the World State and the Barbarian Reservation.Citizens of the World State believe they live in a highly civilized world，as opposed to the “barbarians” who live in the reservation and are considered “aliens.” The barbarians still maintain their traditional way of life； fetuses are still conceived in the womb，science and technology are only found in a few aspects of life，and interpersonal relations are held together mainly by morality and customs.The Barbarian Reservation strongly contrasts with the World State.The latter is completely dominated by technology； technological forces are found everywhere and control nature，interpersonal relations and even human emotions and brains.John and his mother Linda （who was previously a citizen of the World State，but lived in the Barbarian Reservation and gave birth to John after falling off a cliff） returned to the World State from the reservation.Linda soon died from an overdose of Soma，and John committed suicide due to inability to bear the “taint” of the “civilized” world.

Huxley reflected the bewilderment of scientism and the crisis of human nature，and the substantial destruction of happy life it had brought.More importantly，he implicitly reflected on the relationship between the self and the other，and called for ethical care for the other through his sharp and sarcastic writing style.What seems to be the novel’s criticism of egoism and totalitarianism is in fact a lack of emotion and awareness of “responsibility” or moral concern for the other，which is also consistent with the ethical philosophy of Levinas.Since modern times，especially since Descartes’ theory of dualism between subject and object，Western culture has always emphasized the subjectivity of humans，believing that although the other is separate from the self，it will eventually be reduced to the self or be dissolved by its identity.InBraveNew World，the relationship between the two can refer to the relationship between the World State and the Barbarian Reservation，the relationship between people within or between the two zones，or the relationship between “civilized” society and individuals.Therefore，Huxley’s implicit morality of “responsibility for the other” inBraveNewWorldand his vision of building an altruistic ethical society will be deeply analyzed here from the perspective of Levinas’ ethical thoughts on the other.

Philosophy is not about abstract argumentation.Its language should not be dry，and it also has its own story，language and imagery.Plato’s story of the cave provides a perfect footnote for his interpretation of the truth of his ideas，while his trinity theory of reason，will and desire is conveyed by the image of the “carriage.” “Achilles can never catch up with the tortoise” became Zeno’s most convincing paradox.Levinas’ ethical principle of responsibility for the other is also derived from his unique life story； his Jewish identity and life in Auschwitz triggered his philosophical reflection on human existence and responsibility，and his childhood love and memory of Russian literary works （Pushkin，Lermontov，Gogol，Turgenev，Dostoevsky，etc.）laid the cultural bedrock for his philosophical thinking.In Levinas’ opinion，appreciation of literary works means exploration into the basic problems of philosophy.Russian literature can be said to be Levinas’ initial philosophical enlightenment.The integration of multiple cultures（phenomenology，ethics，and literature） endowed Levinas with extraordinary thinking power，vision and mind.Therefore，it is not surprising that Levinas’ principle of responsibility for the other has great appeal in French philosophy，and in both Eastern and Western academic circles.

According to Levinas，beginning from Plato’s philosophy and Aristotle’s theory of ontology，and onto the logic of Hegel and fundamental ontology of Heidegger，ontology stands tall as the first philosophy； with the inherent model of “identity” and “generality，” it tries to look on all things from both “general” and “panoramic” points of view.Schelling’s “identity，”Hegel’s “absoluteness” and Jaspers’ “totality” all show this deep-rooted way of thinking.Brave NewWorldalso reflects the same “identity” dimension of thinking，and it is a literary portrayal of the “subjective，” “general” and “identity” models of narrative stories.First，the World State requires its citizens to uphold the beliefs of “conformity，” “identity，” and “stability，” and always reminds people to follow the established social requirements and abandon personal desires.The ideological shackles on the identity of citizens through technology and hypnotic education are precisely the World State’s absolute domination over the identity of the “citizen”other.In addition，“self-centered consciousness” is the inner portrayal of the World State citizens.Individuals gradually lose their sense of freedom，responsibility，active social responsibility，and care and respect for others as they are made “identical.” The World State society becomes a society of strangers，and moral indifference becomes a common social phenomenon.Only John from the Barbarian Reservation，the other inBraveNewWorld，protests： “But I don’t want comfort.I want God，I want poetry，I want real danger，I want freedom，I want goodness.I want sin.”16David King Dunaway, Aldous Huxley Recollected: An Oral History, 323.“If I continue to be used as a guinea pig，I will be screwed.”17Ibid., 326.Here，Huxley intends to show the negative impact of subjectivity on the “identity” of the other，the restraint of human nature，the misinterpretation of freedom，and the narrow anchoring of happy life as consisting only of technology.Surely，the fundamental purpose of Huxley’s criticism of scientism and totalitarianism is to call for a return of the humanistic spirit，calling people’s attention to the deep problems of human existence and society，especially responsibility for “the other.” This coincides with the philosophical thought of Levinas.

The reason that Levinas has such appeal to today is possibly due to the lost spiritual world in the present world，highlighting the importance of moral responsibility.Alternatively，the emergence of egoism and totalitarianism—after subjectivity made the other identical in the age of generalization—have induced longing for a society of universal love，kindness and real respect for other individuals.Levinas’ unique philosophy and the core of his ethics of “responsibility for others”—responsibility for others，unpaid love and eternal outlook—awaken the ethics of human beings.

First，Levinas argues that true subjectivity is constructed by the other.Levinas reverses the priority of “the self” over “the other，” emphasizing the infinity，absoluteness and transcendence of the other，which can never be dissolved into the self or identity.According to him，existence is more than just existence.The self and other are subjects of each other.Only when the self gives up its own priority，listens attentively to the voice of the other，bears its social responsibility to the other and improves its personal quality can the meaning of its own existence and subjectivity be revealed.Hence，Levinas says that “subjectivity is not for itself； it is，once again，initially for another.”18Emmanuel Levinas, Ethics and Infinity, trans.Richard Cohen (Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1985), 96.

Second，the other is the starting point of Levinasian ethics； the “face” of the other is the basis of his theory，because this is how the other is presented to us.Face has the following meanings，which give Levinas’ ethics different metaphysical significance from traditional ontology.First，face is non-empirical，and can’t be understood by intuition and epistemology.In other words，it refuses to be “identical” or “possessed” by another，and cannot be objectified.The face is presented by means of metaphor.Second，the face must be answered，both verbally and behaviorally.Therefore，one responsible for the other has the passivity of an ethical subject.Certainly，the independence，initiative and subjectivity of the subject seem to have been dissolved.In the opinion of Levinas，however，it is the confirmation of subjectivity，bringing the other into the scope of subjectivity.Although shouldering infinite responsibility for the others seems to be passive，it proves the real subjectivity of the self-the subjectivity of the other-which is precisely the exaltation of subjectivity.“It is I who support the other and am responsible for him......My responsibility is untransferable，［...］ In fact，it is a matter of saying the very identity of the human I starting from responsibility，”19Emmanuel Levinas, Ethics and Infinity, 100-101.that is to say，responsibility towards others confirms the occurrence of the self.

Finally，in contrast to Sartre’s existentialist ethics of individualism and egoism，which regards the other as hell，Levinas established an ethic of altruism that assumes infinite obligations and responsibilities to the other.This can be said to be a landmark turning point in the history of ethical theory.Levinas often quotes Dostoevsky inTheBrothersKaramazov： “...［T］hat every one of us is undoubtedly responsible for all men and everything on earth，not merely through the general sinfulness of creation，but each one personally for all mankind and every individual man.”20Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, trans.Constance Garnett (New York: the Lowell Press, 2014), 119.These sentences are a vivid embodiment of the way Levinas gives the subject a kind of ethical thought.Starting from the other，Levinasian ethics regards responsibility for the other as a mission that the self cannot shirk，and comes to the shocking conclusion that the self is the ethical subject who undertakes responsibility，which is also an important reason why his thought shook Western philosophy.

In short，Both Levinas’ ethics and Huxley’s work emphasize the importance of the other.Levinas’ altruistic ethics centered on the other replaced the egoistic ethics centered on the self.In his novelBraveNewWorld，Huxley called for a vision of an ethical society in which individuals are perfectly moral，inclusive and caring for others，and are subjects of each other，through such problems as the crisis of human nature，the crisis of survival and the destruction of happiness caused by scientism and totalitarianism.Levinas’ altruist ethics has not only a complete theoretical argument structure，but also a function of social practice.Under the correct guidance of wisdom in the practice of responsibility for the other，technological and economic development will positively，effectively and reasonably promote social progress and the realization of happiness.

Conclusion

Since the turn of the 21st century，information technology and life sciences have become the new drivers of scientific development，and technology has boosted socio-economic growth and people’s well-being to unprecedented levels.The unexpected global outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 amid a new wave of rapid advances in cutting-edge technologies，however，has once again drawn attention to the ethics of science and “the other.” The CPC Central Committee and Chinese government with General Secretary Xi Jinping as the core attach great importance to ethical guidance for science and technology.General Secretary Xi clearly emphasized “improved ethical governance for science & technology” in the “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Major Issues Concerning Upholding and Improving the Socialist System with Chinese Characteristics and Promoting Modernization of the National Governance System and Capacity”adopted at the 4th Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee.

Contemporary information technology and life science create several issues.First is the interpretation of “subjectivity”： how to control gene duplication technology，or to define the social attributes of “produced” individuals.Can artificial intelligence “robots” be regarded as ethical “subjects” with social attributes？ How should their relationship with human beings be defined？ Second is the ethical relationship between the self and other，society and citizens following technological development.How should we follow ethical standards in application of technology and promote good from science？

With the rapid development of emerging technologies，ethics workers cannot sit by and prattle about the problems in the development of science and technology，but should connect theory with practice，making use of the concepts and methods of ethics to analyze and study.We can first conduct research and formulate a set of preliminary and temporary ethical norms and management measures，which can then be continuously adjusted and improved upon as we accumulate the relevant knowledge and experience so as to minimize the ethical risks that may be caused by emerging technologies.In addition，the self-monitoring of scientific and technological researchers and scientific communities should be organically combined with the supervision of competent government departments and relevant legislative bodies.Systems of accountability and openness should be strictly implemented to effectively deal with the ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies.Most importantly，a cautious attitude，or rather，prudence or practical wisdom in Aristotle’s ethics together with the thought of “others” by Levinas are playing a vital role in cultivating the virtues of scientists and then in a broader sense make sense of a life with true happiness herein.The unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 has caused people to re-examine the ethical relationships between themselves，society and the other，further demonstrating the indispensability of ethical responsibility.Rapid R&D in life sciences requires advocacy and the practice of good science，as well as awareness of community responsibility，so that humans can overcome their difficulties and conquer the virus together.