Ethics an idea or moral belief that influences the
behavior, attitudes, and philosophy of life of a group of people
moral beliefs, and rules about right or wrong
how men shall live with one another
Moral Vision
I. Ionian Greeks
techniques and
medicines and religions
versusreasonableness, evidence, moral satisfaction and
happiness
Moral Vision
II. European
Usual agricultural and nomadic idolatries to One God (God of all by virtue)
Nonpictorial nature of the new One God
The knowledge given to us by science enables us to apply laws and principles, to do something
new and to obtain new technological products.
Human activity is the subject of ethical laws. The product of mechanical, chemical and electrical technology itself is neutral. It is our actions that are the
subject of ethical imperatives.
German 1945 Syndrome
After the Second World War, after the murder of millions of people in the
concentration camps, too many German people either said that they did not know anything about the Holocaust or that they
had just been following orders.
Ethical Imperatives
The first ethical imperative of a responsible citizen is to be informed about the possibilities opened by science and technology and their potential dangers.
Ethical ImperativesThe second ethical
imperative is to participate in decision making in an informed way, with personal action or political influence, in her/his own city and in the world.
Debate and sometimes confusion about who is responsible for the misuse or abuse of power given us by science and technology
Examples: the atomic bomb
discrimination against people who carry defective genes
Atomic bomb (1939) new phenomenon in physics--
explosion of atoms with a discharge of 200,000,000 volts of energy
(there was wrong prediction about how long it would take to apply the discovery practically)
Atomic bomb (1942) Manhattan
Project - President Roosevelt employed thousands of physicists and technicians to try to put Hahn’s discovery to practical use, to make an atomic bomb
Atomic bomb (1945) An American
aeroplane dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, destroying much of the city and many of its inhabitants. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, and on the same day Japan surrendered
Atomic bomb The initiation of
Manhattan project was justified by the fear that Nazi Germany would make an atomic bomb first and use it to overcome the free world.
The use of the bomb was justified by the fact that the enemy, Japan, refused to surrender and was inflicting many casualties among American soldiers. It was claimed to be an act of self defense.
Genetics Timeline:
Gregor Mendel
H. Smith
A. Maxam,W. Gilbert & F. Sanger
Thomas Morgan H. Muller
O. Avery, C. McLeod & M. McCartyr J. Watson &
F. Crick
S. Luria , M. Human, G. Bertani & J. Weigle
Genetics (1990) Human Genome Project was initiated
under the leadership of James Watson, with the aim of sequencing the human genome in 15 years. Many human genes have already been done, making it possible in some cases to determine if a person has a defective gene which will make them sick later in their life.
Genetics
Genetic screening - genetic screening can be used to discriminate against those who have a defective gene
30% of all applicants for individual health insurance in the USA are denied cover on medical grounds
Genetics
Code of codes - The consequences of the genetic revolution for individual health insurance are straightforward: people who are known to be at higher risk for genetic illness will be denied insurance or sold insurance that excludes the conditions most important to them.
Scientific knowledge can be used by society to do or make something:
generation of electricity using nuclear reactors
by cloning and sequencing human genes, it is possible to make medical products or to cure by gene therapy. By cloning and sequencing the very same genes, it is possible to advise potential carriers of defective genes
The moral obligation of scientists is to inform the general public of the possible ways that scientific knowledge can be
used and misused.
To stop scientific research is both impossible and unwise.
To slow down technological `progress’, may be very wise.
Science is necessary, technology not always..
The tendency to couple basic science as closely as possible with technology
will be possible to produce new technological products such as medicines, diagnostic tests, new plant varieties, more quickly
more technology means more money, the country with better for everybody will have less unemployment, so more technology is better for everybody.
Thinking seriously about the possible future effects of new technology
James Watson, as head of the Human Genome Project, decided to invest 3 percent of its funds to create a working group on its Ethical, Legal, and Social Implication (ELSI)
Global Marshall Plan (Al Gore)
He proposed five strategic goals:
1. The stabilizing of world population
2. The rapid creation and development of environmentally appropriate technologies, especially in the fields of energy, transportation, agriculture, building construction, and manufacturing
3. A comprehensive and ubiquitous change in the economic `rules of the road’ by which we measure the impact of our decisions on the environment
4. The negotiation and approval of a new generation of international agreements
5. The establishment of a cooperative plan for educating the world’s citizens about our global environment
What are the principal ethical issues created by modern biology?
Human embryo researc
hRelease of genetically engineered organisms
into the environme
nt
Misuse of
genetic screenin
g
modification of genes in the human germ-line
NASA Case: Launch of the Challenger
Professional engineering judgement
Professional obligation
versus
Roger Boisjoly
He believed that as an engineer, he had an
obligation to render his best technical judgement and to protect the safety
of the public.
Introduction Importance of:
engineering knowledge to the lives and well-being of the public
the consequent responsibilities that engineers bear (the responsibility to use knowledge in a way that protects and benefits the public)
All engineers will encounter situations requiring ethical reflection and decision
making so it is important to study professional ethics because studying
professional ethics will make engineers better professionals.
2 Kinds of Ethics
1. Professional Ethics: has to do with ethical standards adopted by a professional community
2. Personal Ethics
Although they are different, you cannot fully separate the two;
personal ethics is a foundation for professional ethics
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
concerned with non-technical matters [i.e. licensing, professional development, etc.]
Note: the NPSE code is the one used as the basis for this discussion
Professional Ethics
Professional Ethics as Role Morality
Role Morality?
Special obligations and prerogatives attached to a certain roles
(i.e parents: take care of children)
Note: obligations may conflict
For instance, a doctor may believe that medical confidentiality compels her to refrain from telling a woman that her future husband has a serious disease that can be transmitted through sexual intercourse and that he could have contracted it from someone else; in her role as an individual human being rather than a doctor, she may believe she should tell the patient about the danger
Issues in Engineering Ethics
WHAT SHOULD THE CODES SAY?
WHAT DIRECTION DO THE CODES GIVE IN PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES?
Sometimes there is not sufficient instruction as to what is to be done in particular situations.
Engineering Ethics As Preventive Ethics
Preventive Ethics: wherein one does not wait until something is obviously amiss before taking appropriate action; anticipates possible consequences of actions to avoid more serious problems later
2 Dimensions Of Preventive Ethics
1. Engineers must think ahead to anticipate possible consequences of their actions
2. Engineers must think effectively about those consequences and decided what is ethically and professionally right
Responsible engineering requires familiarity with the kinds of circumstance in engineering practice that call for ethical sensitivity and reflection
Also requires opportunities to gain a clearer understanding of the concept and principles that are essential to ethical reflection in engineering
BEFORE
Engineering did not emphasize on the
importance of including ethics as
part of the engineering curriculum
NOW
The Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology (ABET) requires it
Education in Preventive Ethics 5 main objectives:
1. Stimulation of the moral imagination
2. Recognizing ethical issues
3. Developing analytical skills
4. Eliciting a sense of responsibility
5. Tolerating disagreement and ambiguity