Jonas, Hans (1903-1993)

A German philosopher who, after having left Nazi Germany to join the Jewish Brigade in Palestine, under British command, definitively settled in the United States. In his main work, The Imperative of Responsibility, he outlines an ethical concept for use in the technological age which our societies have entered: before using a technology, it is imperative to envisage the harmful, even apocalyptic, consequences of its use, for the environment as much for the future generations. The ‘principle of precaution’ recommended by certain European directives is no stranger to this policy of warning.