Ethical Aspects of Science and Technology

Group 13

WFR 8:30 – 10: 00

Ethics an idea or moral belief that influences the

behavior, attitudes, and philosophy of life of a group of people

moral beliefs, and rules about right or wrong

how men shall live with one another

Moral Vision

I. Ionian Greeks

techniques and

medicines and religions

versusreasonableness, evidence, moral satisfaction and

happiness

Moral Vision

II. European

Usual agricultural and nomadic idolatries to One God (God of all by virtue)

Nonpictorial nature of the new One God

Therefore, reason + morality.

“For knowledge itself is power”

- Francis Bacon

The knowledge given to us by science enables us to apply laws and principles, to do something

new and to obtain new technological products.

Human activity is the subject of ethical laws. The product of mechanical, chemical and electrical technology itself is neutral. It is our actions that are the

subject of ethical imperatives.

New science brings

NEW TECHNOLOG

Y!

New technology can be used in a

GOOD

WAY

BAD

WAY

OR

New science + resulting technology =

NEW ETHICAL

PROBLEMS!

German 1945 Syndrome

After the Second World War, after the murder of millions of people in the

concentration camps, too many German people either said that they did not know anything about the Holocaust or that they

had just been following orders.

Ethical Imperatives

The first ethical imperative of a responsible citizen is to be informed about the possibilities opened by science and technology and their potential dangers.

Ethical ImperativesThe second ethical

imperative is to participate in decision making in an informed way, with personal action or political influence, in her/his own city and in the world.

Debate and sometimes confusion about who is responsible for the misuse or abuse of power given us by science and technology

Examples: the atomic bomb

discrimination against people who carry defective genes

Atomic bomb Timeline:

Atomic bomb (1939) new phenomenon in physics--

explosion of atoms with a discharge of 200,000,000 volts of energy

(there was wrong prediction about how long it would take to apply the discovery practically)

Atomic bomb (1942) Manhattan

Project - President Roosevelt employed thousands of physicists and technicians to try to put Hahn’s discovery to practical use, to make an atomic bomb

Atomic bomb (1945) An American

aeroplane dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, destroying much of the city and many of its inhabitants. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, and on the same day Japan surrendered

Atomic bomb The initiation of

Manhattan project was justified by the fear that Nazi Germany would make an atomic bomb first and use it to overcome the free world.

The use of the bomb was justified by the fact that the enemy, Japan, refused to surrender and was inflicting many casualties among American soldiers. It was claimed to be an act of self defense.

Genetics Timeline:

Gregor Mendel

H. Smith

A. Maxam,W. Gilbert & F. Sanger

Thomas Morgan H. Muller

O. Avery, C. McLeod & M. McCartyr J. Watson &

F. Crick

S. Luria , M. Human, G. Bertani & J. Weigle

Genetics (1990) Human Genome Project was initiated

under the leadership of James Watson, with the aim of sequencing the human genome in 15 years. Many human genes have already been done, making it possible in some cases to determine if a person has a defective gene which will make them sick later in their life.

Genetics

Genetic screening - genetic screening can be used to discriminate against those who have a defective gene

30% of all applicants for individual health insurance in the USA are denied cover on medical grounds

Genetics

Code of codes - The consequences of the genetic revolution for individual health insurance are straightforward: people who are known to be at higher risk for genetic illness will be denied insurance or sold insurance that excludes the conditions most important to them.

Scientific knowledge can be used by society to do or make something:

generation of electricity using nuclear reactors

by cloning and sequencing human genes, it is possible to make medical products or to cure by gene therapy. By cloning and sequencing the very same genes, it is possible to advise potential carriers of defective genes

The moral obligation of scientists is to inform the general public of the possible ways that scientific knowledge can be

used and misused.

To stop scientific research is both impossible and unwise.

To slow down technological `progress’, may be very wise.

Science is necessary, technology not always..

The tendency to couple basic science as closely as possible with technology

will be possible to produce new technological products such as medicines, diagnostic tests, new plant varieties, more quickly

more technology means more money, the country with better for everybody will have less unemployment, so more technology is better for everybody.

Examples of Technologies that have gone Sour

Thinking seriously about the possible future effects of new technology

James Watson, as head of the Human Genome Project, decided to invest 3 percent of its funds to create a working group on its Ethical, Legal, and Social Implication (ELSI)

Global Marshall Plan (Al Gore)

He proposed five strategic goals:

1. The stabilizing of world population

2. The rapid creation and development of environmentally appropriate technologies, especially in the fields of energy, transportation, agriculture, building construction, and manufacturing

3. A comprehensive and ubiquitous change in the economic `rules of the road’ by which we measure the impact of our decisions on the environment

4. The negotiation and approval of a new generation of international agreements

5. The establishment of a cooperative plan for educating the world’s citizens about our global environment

What are the principal ethical issues created by modern biology?

Human embryo researc

hRelease of genetically engineered organisms

into the environme

nt

Misuse of

genetic screenin

g

modification of genes in the human germ-line

Important ethical issues should be decided by direct democracy

Introduction to Engineering Ethics

NASA Case: Launch of the Challenger

Professional engineering judgement

Professional obligation

versus

Roger Boisjoly

He believed that as an engineer, he had an

obligation to render his best technical judgement and to protect the safety

of the public.

Introduction Importance of:

engineering knowledge to the lives and well-being of the public

the consequent responsibilities that engineers bear (the responsibility to use knowledge in a way that protects and benefits the public)

All engineers will encounter situations requiring ethical reflection and decision

making so it is important to study professional ethics because studying

professional ethics will make engineers better professionals.

2 Kinds of Ethics

1. Professional Ethics: has to do with ethical standards adopted by a professional community

2. Personal Ethics

Although they are different, you cannot fully separate the two;

personal ethics is a foundation for professional ethics

National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)

concerned with non-technical matters [i.e. licensing, professional development, etc.]

Note: the NPSE code is the one used as the basis for this discussion

Professional Ethics

Professional Ethics as Role Morality

Role Morality?

Special obligations and prerogatives attached to a certain roles

(i.e parents: take care of children)

Note: obligations may conflict

For instance, a doctor may believe that medical confidentiality compels her to refrain from telling a woman that her future husband has a serious disease that can be transmitted through sexual intercourse and that he could have contracted it from someone else; in her role as an individual human being rather than a doctor, she may believe she should tell the patient about the danger

Issues in Engineering Ethics

WHAT SHOULD THE CODES SAY?

WHAT DIRECTION DO THE CODES GIVE IN PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES?

Sometimes there is not sufficient instruction as to what is to be done in particular situations.

Engineering Ethics As Preventive Ethics

Preventive Ethics: wherein one does not wait until something is obviously amiss before taking appropriate action; anticipates possible consequences of actions to avoid more serious problems later

2 Dimensions Of Preventive Ethics

1. Engineers must think ahead to anticipate possible consequences of their actions

2. Engineers must think effectively about those consequences and decided what is ethically and professionally right

Responsible engineering requires familiarity with the kinds of circumstance in engineering practice that call for ethical sensitivity and reflection

Also requires opportunities to gain a clearer understanding of the concept and principles that are essential to ethical reflection in engineering

BEFORE

Engineering did not emphasize on the

importance of including ethics as

part of the engineering curriculum

NOW

The Accreditation Board for Engineering

and Technology (ABET) requires it

Education in Preventive Ethics 5 main objectives:

1. Stimulation of the moral imagination

2. Recognizing ethical issues

3. Developing analytical skills

4. Eliciting a sense of responsibility

5. Tolerating disagreement and ambiguity

THANK YOU!