Ethics Joseph Chasteen IET 600 Ethics Introduction There
- Slides: 10
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.
