Commission on Threats to Civilization

The commission was established in 1998 on the initiative of Faculty III; its founder and first chair was prof. Andrzej Hrynkiewicz. It is an interdisciplinary commission whose members are drawn from various PAU faculties – from History and Philosophy to Creative Arts. Indeed, threats to the harmonious development of humanity should be a subject of interest and research not only for representatives of the exact sciences and technology, biology, and medicine, but also for historians, philosophers, lawyers, and even for writers and artists from other cultural fields. People associate hazards with the misuse of research results and the development of environmentally hostile technologies and industrial processes.
Yet the future of humanity is also jeopardised by climate change, population growth, and the emergence of new diseases. The ideologies that give rise to fundamentalism, lies, and hatred, which are the main causes of terrorism and wars, are hazards too. It should not be forgotten when stating this that in the twentieth century humanity achieved the capacity for self-annihilation. Ethical evaluations do not apply to the findings of scientific research.
Instead, truth is the criterion by which their value is measured.
The evil lies within us and it is this that results in the use of research results to the detriment of humanity.The proliferation of pseudo-science, which amounts to a denial of rationalism and is replacing many people’s lost faith in the value of scientific progress, is leading us up a blind alley. It is necessary to persuade the public that only further development of science can prevent the effects of emerging threats.Scientific truth and love of one's neighbour are fundamental if humanity is to develop harmoniously and survive.
The commission considers emerging risks and provides reliable information on their causes and how they can be prevented.
In addition to its own regular meetings, the commission has organised public lectures for a broad audience and sought to reach the public through the mass media of press, radio, and television.
The commission has published seven volumes of "Proceedings".

Commission Members