Invention (from the Latin invenire, to find or to discover) in a broad sense refers to any novel idea or the process of its creation. In the technological sense it means the identification of a science or technology potential matching a specific human need or the result of this process: a novel technical product.

Because any invention implies a use, it is intrinsically value-laden and thus of ethical interest. This applies to the intended purpose as well as to the unintended side effects of production or use, the possibilities of misuse, and of so-called dual use (when the function of a product may be employed for either good or bad use). The social promotion or regulation of the inventive process also has ethical dimensions.

Basic Distinctions

Originally there was no distinction between invention and discovery. Invention could refer to theoretical cognition as well as to technical designing. However...