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First published in 2008.
Autonomous cars, drones, and electronic surveillance systems are examples of technologies that raise serious ethical issues. In this analytic investigation, Martin Peterson articulates and defends five moral principles for addressing ethical issues related to new and existing technologies: the cost-benefit principle, the precautionary principle, the sustainability principle, the autonomy principle, and the fairness principle. It is primarily the method developed by Peterson for articulating and analyzing the five principles that is novel. He argues that geometric concepts such as points, lines, and planes can be put to work for clarifying the structure and scope of these and other moral principles. This geometric account is based on the Aristotelian dictum that like cases should be treated alike, meaning that the degree of similarity between different cases can be represented as a distance in moral space. The more similar a pair of cases are from a moral point of view, the closer is their location in moral space. A case that lies closer in moral space to a paradigm case for some principle p than to any paradigm for any other principle should be analyzed by applying principle p. The book also presents empirical results from a series of experimental studies in which experts (philosophers) and laypeople (engineering students) have been asked to apply the geometric method to fifteen real-world cases. The empirical findings indicate that experts and laypeople do in fact apply geometrically construed moral principles in roughly, but not exactly, the manner advocates of the geometric method believe they ought to be applied.
'A comprehensive and important collection that includes essays by some of the leading figures in the field. ...Essential reading for anyone interested in risk assessment.' Professor Kristin Shrader-Frechette, University of Notre Dame 'The editors are to be congratulated for bringing together a distinguished international group of theorists to reflect on the issues. This volume will be sure to raise the level of debate while at the same time showing the importance of philosophical reflection in approaches to the problems of the age.' Professor Jonathan Wolff, University College London This volume brings together top authors from the fields of risk, philosophy, social sciences and psychology to address the issue of how we should decide how far technological risks are morally acceptable or not. The underlying principles are examined, along with methodological challenges, public involvement and instruments for democratization. A strong theoretical basis is complemented by a range of case studies from some of the most contentious areas, including medical ethics and GM crops. This book is a vital new resource for researchers, students and anyone concerned that traditional approaches to risk management don't adequately address ethical considerations.
Our daily lives are affected by new technologies at an ever increasing rate. It is becoming more and more important to assess future technologies from an ethical point of view, and to do this before they are introduced on a massive scale. Such assessments require systematic use of many different kinds of knowledge. In this important new book, an international team of leading experts in the field provides the first comprehensive treatment of the methods available for ethical assessments of technologies and their social introduction. The book explores how information from empirical research can be used in ethical analyses of technology and includes chapters showing how ethical analysis can shed light on topics such as privacy, risk, sustainability, dual use, gender issues, justice, international technology transfer, and the responsibility of engineers. It provides an invaluable resource for students in the philosophy and ethics of technology, science and technology studies, applied ethics, bioethics, business ethics and the ethics of computing.
Explore the moral and ethical issues which arise at the intersection of novel technology and engineering In Ethics, Technology, and Engineering: An Introduction, a team of distinguished researchers delivers an insightful and thought-provoking exploration of some of the toughest ethical questions found at the crossroads of engineering and technology. The book demonstrates the skills necessary to effectively grapple with ethical issues that arise from the practice of engineering. The authors introduce the “ethical cycle,” a unique and systematic approach to dealing with ethical problems. They utilize numerous real-life case studies from the United States, Europe, and elsewhere to shed important light on the ethical issues that arise in the daily work of practicing engineers. They also provide a comprehensive overview of various ethical frameworks used in engineering, including utilitarianism, deontological ethics, virtue ethics, Ubuntu, and Confucianism. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to a practice-oriented approach to ethical decision-making in engineering Comprehensive explorations of the “ethical cycle,” an approach that encourages students to consider a diversity of ethical viewpoints and come to reasoned and justified judgments Practical discussions of ethical issues in engineering design, technological risks, and moral responsibility Treatments of sustainability and how it affects professionals working in engineering, as well as responsible innovation Perfect for engineers, technologists, and entrepreneurs, Ethics, Technology, and Engineering: An Introduction will also benefit businesspeople and founders interested in the ethical implications of a variety of fascinating new technologies.
Increasingly, technology, the Internet and social media are playing a major part in our lives. What should we think about the ethical issues that arise, such as the changing role of intelligent machines in this Information Age? The impact of technology upon society is a perennial question, but the power of computing and artificial intelligence has ratcheted up the ethical implications of this relationship. It merits careful consideration. Ethics in the AI, Technology, and Information Age brings together a cohort of international scholars to explore the ethical ramifications of the latest technologies and their effects on our lives. This it does in three parts: (1) theoretical considerations, (2) practical applications, and (3) challenges. Beginning with theoretical essays, the book investigates the relationship between technology and nature, the limits of being “human” versus “machine,” and the moral implications of artificial intelligence. The book then examines key questions; such as ownership of technology, artificial intelligence’s replacement of human jobs and functions, privacy and cybersecurity, the ethics of self-driving cars, and the problematic aspects of drone warfare. With an appendix of films and documentaries to inspire further discussion on these topics, students and scholars will find Ethics in the AI, Technology, and Information Age an essential and engaging resource both in the classroom and in their daily technology-filled lives.
We live in a world increasingly governed by technology—but to what end? Technology rules us as much as laws do. It shapes the legal, social, and ethical environments in which we act. Every time we cross a street, drive a car, or go to the doctor, we submit to the silent power of technology. Yet, much of the time, the influence of technology on our lives goes unchallenged by citizens and our elected representatives. In The Ethics of Invention, renowned scholar Sheila Jasanoff dissects the ways in which we delegate power to technological systems and asks how we might regain control. Our embrace of novel technological pathways, Jasanoff shows, leads to a complex interplay among technology, ethics, and human rights. Inventions like pesticides or GMOs can reduce hunger but can also cause unexpected harm to people and the environment. Often, as in the case of CFCs creating a hole in the ozone layer, it takes decades before we even realize that any damage has been done. Advances in biotechnology, from GMOs to gene editing, have given us tools to tinker with life itself, leading some to worry that human dignity and even human nature are under threat. But despite many reasons for caution, we continue to march heedlessly into ethically troubled waters. As Jasanoff ranges across these and other themes, she challenges the common assumption that technology is an apolitical and amoral force. Technology, she masterfully demonstrates, can warp the meaning of democracy and citizenship unless we carefully consider how to direct its power rather than let ourselves be shaped by it. The Ethics of Invention makes a bold argument for a future in which societies work together—in open, democratic dialogue—to debate not only the perils but even more the promises of technology.
Risks arising from technologies raise important ethical issues. Although technologies such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, ICT, and nuclear energy can improve human well-being, they may also convey risks for our well-being due to, for example, abuse, unintended side-effects, accidents, and pollution. As a consequence, technologies can trigger emotions, including fear and indignation, which often leads to conflicts between stakeholders. How should we deal with such emotions in decision making about risky technologies? This book offers a new philosophical theory of risk emotions, arguing why and how moral emotions should play an important role in decisions surrounding risky technologies. Emotions are usually met with suspicion in debates about risky technologies because they are seen as contrary to rational decision making. However, Roeser argues that moral emotions can play an important role in judging ethical aspects of technological risks, such as justice, fairness, and autonomy. This book provides a novel theoretical approach while at the same time offering concrete recommendations for decision making about risky technologies. It will be of interest to those working in different areas of philosophy—such as ethics, decision theory, philosophy of science, and philosophy of technology—as well as scholars in the fields of psychology, public policy, science and technology studies, environmental ethics, and bioethics.