Published in II UNESC Seminar of Medical Humanities

Keywords: Axel Honneth, Conflict of interest (COI), Research integrity, Theory of Recognition.

Conflicts of interest (COI) is a set of conditions in which professional judgment concerning a primary interest tends to be unduly influenced by a secondary interest. In biomedical research, for example, secondary interests may affect research participants and bias research results. From a Honnethian perspective, struggles for recognition of COIs can be seen as a moral force driving social development with a focus on human dignity. Accordingly, Vasconcelos et al. have shown that in the last decades, the dialogue between science and society has reflected concerns over COIs and management of these conflicts in the realm of scientific publications. In this context, research supported by the pharmaceutical industry, for example, is a case in point. Although the extent to which this funding influences the behavior of researchers is not fully understood, there has been an increase in research misconduct in the last decades, and COIs play a role in many cases. As part of an ongoing doctoral project, this contribution makes a case that the training of Brazilian researchers in the health sciences and their understanding of science and society need to be revisited. We will address the process of construction of scientific knowledge and the ethical dilemmas encountered by these researchers when it comes to COIs in their professional and academic activities. Using elements of Honnethian philosophy, we aim to identify whether notions of COIs among this group arise from a mistaken understanding of public management of the research sector, resulting in social disrespect, reifying individuals in the process of participation in social control of the resources involved in research.