Andrei Sakharov's legacy in his centenary year

I wish to talk about the concept of moral principles and intellectual responsibility of the scientists. In his 1981 appeal “The Responsibility of Scientists” Sakharov called the attention of the international scientific community  to the fate of their colleagues in the Soviet Union and in other countries where free exchange of ideas is fraught with persecution. Sakharov assigned a special place to courage, integrity, and honesty as essential to the fulfillment of one’s responsibility, as they make it possible to resist the temptations and habits of conformity. Sakharov was one of the very few to have the intellectual courage and idealism to speak his mind.

Today, the international scientific community faces new challenges. Ethical issues continue to be no less acute than in Sakharov's time. Scientific and technological advances continue not only to benefit humanity, but also to strengthen authoritarian regimes, fuel the arms race, or be used for irresponsible enrichment. A new challenge is presented by the need for Coronavirus cure. Another responsibility is to continue preventing our planet’s self-annihilation in a nuclear confrontation. And much like in the times of Sakharov, there still remains a duty to defend colleagues and others unjustly persecuted, wherever these injustices may be taking place.

Today this duty is particularly poignant and urgent as the future of Sakharov’s legacy in Russia is becoming more and more precarious.