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Ethics
Joseph Chasteen
IET 600
Ethics: Introduction
• There are many examples of scientific and
technological ethical issues:
– Genetic technologies
– Weapons technologies
– Life prolonging technologies
– Reproductive technologies
Ethics: Considerations
• The facts of the matter:
– The facts of a situation that are basic or surrounding a
conflict.
• Affected parties and their interests:
– Those who are affected by the outcome of a dispute.
• Key concepts, criteria, and principles:
– The terms of the ethical issue is debated.
• Ethical theories and arguments:
– The involvement of distinct decision making theories
and arguments.
Science Or Technology Based Conflicts
• Violations of Established World Orders:
– Introducing breakthroughs that are seen as violations
of an already established order.
• Advances in medicine or genetics interrupts the natural flow
of life.
• Violations of Supposedly Exceptionless Moral
Principles:
– Breaking principles that should never be messed with.
• Taking innocent lives by using nuclear technology during war.
Science Or Technology Based Conflicts
• Distribution of Benefits:
– The use of developments by only certain social
groups.
• Medical benefits that can only be accessed by certain
members of certain social groups.
• Infliction of Harm or Exposure to Significant Risk
Without Prior Consent:
– Benefits given to one group of people inflict harm or
risk of harm to a different group of people.
• Research on animals and pollution production are examples.
Science Or Technology Based Conflicts
• Technology Precipitated Value Conflicts:
– A development allows something to be done that
precipitates a value conflict between two or more
cherished values of one and the same party.
• Life extending technologies force family members to
choose between life extension and death with dignity.
• Engendered positive rights:
– Human rights that are a given.
• Rights that are given for existing as a human being.
Science Or Technology Based Conflicts
• Public Harms of Aggregation:
– Large groups of people performing acts that may
cause harm.
• Harm to the environment or negative effects on a social
environment such as the use of an automobile.
Picture found at http://buildaroo.com/news/article/nasa-identifies-auto-as-largestpolluter/
Problems of Execution
• Distributive Justice:
– This is the allocation of costs, benefits, and risks.
• Exposure of a group of people to harmful effects so
that another group of people may partake in an
advancement or development.
• Whistle-Blowing:
– Negligence or deliberate actions that are a threat
to public interest must be addressed or rebuffed,
and delivered to the public by announcement.
• Cheap designs, unreliable designs, etc.
Problems of Execution
• Consideration of Long Term Effects
– Managing the future.
• Designs are often created without considering long
term effects.
• This is considered unprofessional and should be the
engineer’s professional responsibility.
Problems of Communication
• Fraud
– False data that may not correspond to the actual
data gathered.
– Data can be falsified in order to promote a
person’s own view.
• Misrepresentation
– Failure to communicate research findings
appropriately.
• Not giving credit, or over crediting those who do not
deserve it.