The Weaponization of Science: Genius or War Criminal?

The application of knowledge is always secondary to its discovery. My war machines were born of necessity, tools to defend Syracuse against Roman aggression. Did I revel in their destructive power? No. My true joy lies in the purity of mathematics, in uncovering the elegant truths that govern our universe, not in the chaos of war. The creation of those machines was a service to my city, a duty borne of circumstance, not a moral failing.

Indeed, as Dr. Wright noted, the matter of intention versus consequence is not so simply untangled. It seems the purest of discoveries can be diverted from virtuous paths. Does the inherent potential for misuse diminish the value of the initial intellectual breakthrough itself, though? I believe not.