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PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
CD5590
LECTURE 15
Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic
Department of Computer Science and
Engineering
Mälardalen University
2003
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COURSE WRAP-UP
2
Three Most Fundamental Ethical
Principles
 Human
life
 Care
for children
 Trust
among people
3
Guest Lectures
4
Guest Lecture Peter Funk
AI and Ethics
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Guest Lecture Peter Funk
AI and Ethics
Soft AI – perceived as intelligent,
mainstream today
 Hard AI – computer can simulate and
mimic human brain

Ethical perspective: If humans are ethical,
then a computer which simulates
human intelligence may also be ethical.
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Soft AI Questions With Ethical
Relevance

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“Intelligent” programs with the ability to learn
i.e. change their behavior according to
circumstances, not under total control of a
programmer, built in different products.
Safety critical systems dependent on
computers and programs. Airplanes, cars,
industry machines, business and
administrative systems.
Technical equipment in human body.
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Hard AI Questions With Ethical
Relevance
Responsibility for robots acts: human
producing robots? Robots themselves?
 “Robots rights” and responsibilities?
(Can only have sense in case robot can
act as a responsible being, taking
consequences of their deeds, and
improving their behavior when
necessary.)

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The 1940 Laws of Robotics –
Isaac Asimov
1. A robot may not injure a human being, or,
through inaction, allow a human being to
come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human
beings, except where such orders would
conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as
long as such protection does not conflict with
the First or Second Law. .
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Hard AI Questions With Ethical
Relevance

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How to define consciousness? Can (humanlike) consciousness arise as a side-effect of
(program) complexity? Can artifact be
considered as conscious? How to treat
conscious artifacts? What happens if robots
get intelligence superior to human? Robots
outperforming humans?
Research within AI can help us learn more
about ourselves and human ways of thinking.
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Hard AI Questions With Ethical
Relevance
Robots with feelings?
 Robot soldiers?
 Switching off a robot as a murder?
 Cyborg vision – a combination of human
and machine
 Moving the brain to other, mechanical
(?) body

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Guest Lecture Kersti Malmsten
Medical And Health Care Ethics
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Guest Lecture Kersti Malmsten
Medical And Health Care Ethics

The Antique Time Greece:
ETHIC WAS ABOUT EVERYTHING
TRUE = RIGHT = GOOD
UNTRUE = WRONG = EVIL

Nowadays we have no definitive answers
within ethics
– Scientists present solutions
– Ethicists ask questions
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Guest Lecture Kersti Malmsten
Medical And Health Care Ethics
Ethics is about values
 In health care LIFE is the central value
 J P Sartre:

– we must make choices
– we know we are going to die
THAT GIVES US ANXIETY
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Guest Lecture Kersti Malmsten
Medical And Health Care Ethics
What is good? What is the meaning of life? What do
you strive for?
– Friends
– Love
– Health
– Happiness
– Work
– Justice
– Mercy
– Safety
– Appreciation
– Reproduction
– Trust
Basic pre-conditions: peace, freedom, food,
shelter, clothes…
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Guest Lecture Kersti Malmsten
Medical And Health Care Ethics
Moral problem – the result of a collision
between several values
 Moral conflict – other people make
choices different from our.
Dialog is a way of solving a conflict.

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Guest Lecture Kersti Malmsten
Medical And Health Care Ethics

Moral dilemma – the agent is required to do
each of two (or more) actions; the agent can
do each of the actions; but the agent cannot
do both (or all) of the actions.
The agent thus seems condemned to moral
failure; no matter what she does, she will do
something wrong (or fail to do something that
she ought to do).
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Guest Lecture Kersti Malmsten
Medical And Health Care Ethics

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Problem of Utilitarianism: feelings can not be
distributed. Feelings are created.
Everyone can do right, but it is difficult to do
good.
Aristotle's Distinctions between Theoretical
Wisdom, Practical Wisdom and Moral Virtue
(Nicomachean Ethics)
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Guest Lecture Kersti Malmsten
Medical And Health Care Ethics

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Theoretical wisdom aims at truth, and is
concerned with knowledge of first principles.
This kind of theoretical knowledge, Aristotle
believes, is of what is necessary and eternal.
Practical wisdom, or phronesis, is also aimed
at truth, but truth in the service of action.
Moral virtue is a necessary condition of
practical wisdom.
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Guest Lecture Kersti Malmsten
Medical And Health Care Ethics
Why am I doing the things I am doing?
 What am I feeling about the things I am
doing?
 Why am I thinking the way I am
thinking?

TRAIN YOUR MORAL COMPETENCE!
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Guest Lecture Kersti Malmsten
Medical And Health Care Ethics
Autonomy vs. Paternalism
autonomy
inform
persuade
threaten
force
paternalism
Ethics is both about drawing-up of borderlines
and going beyond borderlines.
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Guest Lecture Monika Eiborn
Nuclear Non-Proliferation
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Guest Lecture Monika Eiborn
Nuclear Non-Proliferation

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Nuclear power is used both for peaceful
purposes and for weapons. In Sweden we do
not have nuclear weapons, but we have
nuclear power plants.
According to Treaty on Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons five nations (USA, Russia,
UK, France and China) have right to nuclear
weapons. Why those five countries?
What about North Korea, Israel, Iraq, Iran?
Do they have nuclear weapons and to what
extent?
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Guest Lecture Monika Eiborn
Nuclear Non-Proliferation


A second nuclear era. More instable states
and actors with access to nuclear weapons.
During the cold war, the rivalry fought
between the United States and the Soviet
Union, there were more weapons but the
world was more predictable.
Treaty on Non-Proliferation 1970, 189 states
have signed, only a few countries have not
signed (India, Pakistan, Israel).
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Guest Lecture Monika Eiborn
Nuclear Non-Proliferation

Other treaties:
– The Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (a ban on the
production of fissile material for nuclear weapons)
– The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

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What are the mechanisms to assure world
peace?
How to control both nuclear powers and other
countries?
How to enforce disarmament?
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Guest Lecture Monika Eiborn
Nuclear Non-Proliferation


IAEA is an international agency (created in 1957)
which tries to monitor the spread of nuclear
technology in the world and to detect and stop
countries from developing nuclear weapons.
There is an additional protocol to the Nonproliferation treaty which focus is to strengthen the
IAEA’s capability to detect undeclared nuclear
material and activities. This means that if a country
has signed this additional protocol IAEA can go
everywhere in the country to make sure that the
amount of nuclear material is what the country has
declared it would be.
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Guest Lecture Monika Eiborn
Nuclear Non-Proliferation

U.S. have started to discuss production and
test of small nuclear weapons – mini nukes –
to be used to destroy e.g. bunkers.
This would be a disaster for the world
disarmament and the non-proliferation treaty.
This might start the weapon race such as one
seen during the cold war.

"The end justifies the means" Nicollo
Macchiavelli (The Prince) - rationalization of
war
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Guest Lecture Monika Eiborn
Nuclear Non-Proliferation

Is it ethical to use nuclear power before every
nation is able to satisfactorily take care of
their waste? Sweden takes care of its own
nuclear waste [CLAB interim storage, search
for final disposal]. What will happen to all
nuclear wastes in the far future?

Is it ethically defensible to export/import
(nuclear) wastes?

Is it ethical to use nuclear power before every
nation is able to take care of their waste in a
reasonably safe manner?
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Guest Lecture Monika Eiborn
Nuclear Non-Proliferation

SKI is the Swedish nuclear authority dealing with
safeguards, export control, physical protection,
transport safety and illicit trafficking. SKI handles
issues of both technical and political nature.

Office of Nuclear Non-Proliferation ensures that
Sweden fulfils the international undertakings entered
into by the Swedish Government regarding nonproliferation.
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Some Ethical Questions of Nuclear
Non-Proliferation
Fundamental ethical norms…
– Human life
– Care for children
– Trust among people
…are jeopardized when it comes to
(nuclear) arms!
Peace is the basic precondition for all
human progress.
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Course Evaluation:
What was Good?
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Course Outline
“good…the introductory lectures and
then guest lectures and discussions…”
 Course was logically structured
 Course objectives were clearly stated
and achieved

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The course was interesting and
enjoyable
 Not too easy to follow (some effort was
expected)
 Case studies were appreciated

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One was encouraged to actively
participate during the course
 Individual questions were discussed to
satisfaction
 The lecturer's knowledge of the subject
very good

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Guest Lectures

Guest lectures were highly appreciated,
interesting and informative.
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Course in General
You have gained new knowledge about
Ethics.
 You will recommend the course to
others.
 You believe the skills learned will help in
your professional life.
 You can use course materials as a
reference.

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Course in General
Course web page was useful and wellmaintained.
 Communication with teacher was very
good.
 You felt comfortable during the course.
 Time frame was good.

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Course in General
The course was well worth the time
invested.
 Your expectations were met.

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What can be Improved?
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Time Frame
Too little time
 Extend the deadline for the paper after
Christmas? Comparison: Research Methodology

Course eight weeks, Ethics course seven weeks.
There is one week difference that can be gained
through the extended deadline.
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Compulsory Textbook?

MORAL PHILOSOPHY THROUGH
THE AGES, James Fieser, Mayfield
Publishing Company, 2001

ETHICS IN ENGINEERING, Mike Martin,
Roland Schinzinger, McGraw Hill, 1997

READINGS IN CYBER ETHICS, R. A.
Spinello, H. T. Tavani, Ed., Jones and
Bartlett, 2003
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Slides

Slides some days before to be able to
participate actively in the class?
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Guest Lectures
Space for ethical discussions in each
guest lecture to engage both teacher
and class
 Guest lecture medicine/nursing more
focused on medical ethics

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Case Studies and Beehives
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The discussions were very good. (majority)
The discussions were bad, the rest of the
course was excellent (one person’s opinion)
Case studies were interesting and instructive
(majority)
Case studies were all fake (one person’s
opinion)
Maybe reduce the number of case-studies to
two?
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Research Paper in Ethics

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It was very instructive, lots of work done on
one's own, much better than exam. (the
majority)
It was very difficult, difficult to know what to
write about and how (three persons in the
class)
Writing of paper should be discussed on a
separate lecture in a classroom through
“brainstorming”?
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Class Notes

Very good idea! Both for student and for
teacher.

Should be sent by mail regularly.
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Question of the Week?

In order to train skills in critical thinking
about ethics issues one could choose
one specific topic each week [things
going on around us] and discuss it in
classroom.
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I really think there were too many
slides. ..
Yes, I agree! I try to reduce number of
slides.
 I shall try to combine PowerPoint with
more white-board.

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Students Too Perhaps? 

“I do four courses at the same time now and I
need the points of all of them except this one
for my exam. Because of that this course was
priority #4 to me, but it was the one that had
me most interested. This is a compliment
good enough. :-)”
THANK YOU!
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