From cases to capacity? A critical re?ection on the role of ‘ethical dilemmas’ in the development of dual-use governance

The dual-use issue is often framed as a series of paralyzing ‘dilemmas’ facing the scienti?c community as well as institutions which support innovation. While this conceptualization of the dual-use issue can be useful in certain contexts (such as in awareness-raising and as part of educational activities directed at the scienti?c community) its usefulness is more limited when re?ecting on the governance and politics of the dual-use issue. Within this paper, key shortcomings of the dilemma framing are outlined. It is argued that many of the issues raised in the most recent debates about ‘dual-use’ bird ?u research remain unresolved. This includes questions about the trajectories of certain lines of research, as well as broader trends in the practice and governance of science. This leads to dif?cult questions about current approaches to the dual-use issue within the US, as well as internationally.