Decision Making Manual: A Toolkit for Making Moral Decisions

William J. Frey (UPRM)

José A. Cruz-Cruz (UPRM)

Chuck Huff (St. Olaf)

There is an analogy between design problems and ethical problems

Design Problem Ethical Problem

Construct a prototype that optimizes (or satisfices) designated specifications

Construct a solution that realizes ethical values (justice, responsibility, reasonableness, respect, and safety)

Conflicts between specifications are resolved through integration of specifications

Resolve conflicts between values (moral vs. moral or moral vs. non-moral) by integration

Prototype must be implemented over background constraints

Ethical solution must be implemented over resource and interest constraints (cost/time/technical as well as organizational/political/legal)

Problem-solving in computing can be modeled on software design

The software development cycle can be presented in terms of four stages:

1. Problem Specification

2. Solution Generation

3. Solution Testing

4. Solution Implementation

What is a Socio-Technical System (STS)? “an intellectual tool to help us recognize patterns in the way

technology is used and produced” Constituents: engineering system/technology, physical

surroundings, people/groups/roles, procedures, laws & regulations, information collection & storage structures

A STS is a conceptual tool we use to help us understand the entire system within which a particular engineering system/technology is embedded. Ethical issues hardly ever arise about disembodied, abstract systems. Instead ethical issues arise when an engineering system/technology comes into contact with the real world.

STSs embody values

STSs exhibit trajectories i.e., coordinated sets of changes

Engineering takes place within a Socio-technical System

1. Engineering technology always operates within a socio-technical system

2. Engineering technology and socio-technical systems embody values

3. Mismatches between the values embodied by engineering technology and socio-technical systems produce ethical problems

1. Identify key components of the STS

Part/Level of Analysis

Engineering System

Engineer-ing Techno-logy

Physical Surroundings

People/

Groups/

Roles

Procedures Laws Information Collection and Storage Structures

2. Specify the problem:

2a. Is the problem a disagreement on facts? What are the facts? What are cost and time constraints on uncovering and communicating these facts?

2b. Is the problem a disagreement on a critical concept? What is the concept? Can agreement be reached by consulting legal or regulatory information on the concept? (For example, if the concept in question is safety, can disputants consult engineering codes, legal precedents, or ethical literature that helps provide consensus? Can disputants agree on positive and negative paradigm cases so the concept disagreement can be resolved through line-drawing methods?

2c. Use the table to identify and locate value conflicts within the STS. Can the problem be specified as a mismatch between a technology and the existing STS, a mismatch within the STS exacerbated by the introduction of the technology, or by overlooked results?

2. Specify the ProblemSTS/Value Safety (freedom from

harm)Faithful Agency (Duties to Client)

Privacy/

Confidentiality

Property Free and Informed Consent (Duties to Public)

Hardware/

Software

Physical Surroundings

People, Groups, and Roles

Procedures

Laws

Data and Data Structures

3. Develop a general solution strategy and then brainstorm specific solutions 3a. Is problem one of integrating values,

resolving disagreements, or responding to situational constraints?

3b. If the conflict comes from a value mismatch, then can it be solved by modifying one or more of the components of the STS? Which one?

3. Develop a general solution strategy and then brainstorm specific solutions

Problem / Solution Strategy

Disagreement Value Conflict Situational Constraints

Factual Conceptual Integrate? Tradeoff? Resource?

Technical?

Interest?

4. Test Solutions

Develop a solution evaluation matrix

Test the ethical implications of each solution

See if the solution violates the code

Carry out a global feasibility assessment of the solution. What are the situational constraints? Will these constraints block implementation?

Solution Evaluation MatrixAlternative / Test

Reversibility Harm Beneficence

Public Identification

Code Value: Justice

ResponsibilityHonesty, etc.

Feasibility

Alternative 1

Alternative 2

Alternative 3

5. Implement solution over feasibility constraints Restate your global feasibility analysis

Are there resource constraints?

Are there technical or manufacturing constraints?

Are there interest constraints?

5. Feasibility MatrixAlternative/ Constraint

Resource Interest Technical

Time Cost Individual Organizational Legal Available Technology

Manufacturability

Alternative 1

Alternative 2

Alternative 3

Appendix

Flow Charts

Problem Specification

DisagreementsBetween People

Value Conflicts

Factual Disagreements

ConceptualDisagreements

Moral Vs.

Non-Moral

Moral vs.

Moral

Flow Charts

SolutionGeneration

Disagreements Value Conflicts

Factual: Gather

Information

Conceptual:Define Concept

ValueIntegration

Compromise:Partially realize

values

Rank and Trade Off

Values

Flow Charts

Generic Solutions

Gather Information

NoloContendere

Change through Negotiation or

Persuasion

Exit (TransferResign)

Change ThroughOpposition or

Coercion

Flow ChartsSolutionTesting

Results Deontological Agents Meta-Tests

Harm/Beneficence

Reversibility PublicityConvergences/

Divergences

DivergencesVirtuesRightsUtilities

Flow Charts

SolutionImplementation

ResourceConstraints

Technical Constraints

TimeMoney

Available materialsAnd supplies

Limits in Technology

Problems withManufacturing

Interest Constraints

IndividualOrganizationalSocial/Political

Laws, Contracts,Statutes,

Regulations