EST 202 - Lecture 3
Chap 4
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Two Kinds of Context
◦ Micro/Macro
Five Key Dimensions
Environmental Demension
Cell Phones (New Technology)
Group Discussion
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Activity evaluated close to the geographic region.
◦ AT&T’s Bell Labs
◦ Composition of teams
◦ Social structure in the lab
◦ Resources (equipment) and Money
◦ Policies of the Organzation
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Comprehensive, Global extending beyond the borders of a specific organization (encompass a region, nation or the world society).
Aspects of Society
◦ Politics' of many societies
◦ Economic on the global scale (how markets are linked)
◦ Environmental disaster in one region will effect other countries.
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European Union
◦ 27 countries, 490 million people, 100 billion euro a year budget.
◦ Shared values – democracy, freedom and social justice.
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EU countries using the euro: Belgium, Germany, Greece,
Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
Austria, Portugal, Finland and Slovenia.
EU countries not using the euro: Bulgaria, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania,
Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom
.
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Practitioner Dimension
◦ Motives of the person.
◦ Alexander Bell – device to help hearing impared.
Technical Dimension
◦ Technology innovation may aries from fixing a different problem.
◦ Vaseline
◦ Post it Notes
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Political-Economic Dimensions
◦ Focus on political and economic forces
◦ Apollo mission – US to stay ahead
 The Cold War between Russia and US
◦ Scientific Developments
 Cure Dieseses – support by government to help society of a whole.
 Cure for Cancer, AIDS, etc.
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Cultural Dimension
◦ The culture of a societies view of a technology
◦ Energy – Wind Turbines on Long Island
 Coal
 Coal Mine Diaster in Utah
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Environmental
◦ How the new technology enhancment affects the environment.
 Disposal problems
 Cell phones, computers, PDA’s, Monitors, Camera’s, Paper from Printers, Ink cartridges,
 Energy use of Technology
 Switches, routers, networks, etc.
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Environmental
◦ How the new technology enhancment affects the environment.
 Disposal problems
 Cell phones, computers, PDA’s, Monitors, Camera’s, Paper from Printers, Ink cartridges,
 Energy use of Technology
 Switches, routers, networks, etc.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Practitioner
Technical
Political Economic
Cultural
Environmental
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In the last few decades many ethical issues have developed in the field of Science and Technology, including advances in …
- reproduction
genetic engineering
weapons
life- prolonging technology
What are other examples?
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1. Facts: determine the facts of each situation
2. Patients and Interests: Identify all persons or “protectable interests” that will be impacted by the outcome of this conflict
3. Key Concepts, Criteria, Principles:
What is the ethical issue to be discussed?
4. Ethical Arguments
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Definitions of Ethical Theories
Utilitarian Theory refers to an action or policy that is right if and only if it is likely to produce a greater surplus of good over bad, as compared to any other effective alternatives
Deontological Theory maintains that actions are inherently right or wrong independent
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Violations of Supposedly Exceptionless Moral
Principles:
The use or failure to use, or withdrawal of a particular scientific procedure or item of technology that violates moral principles that some believe are exceptionless. Life must
ALWAYS be preserved.
- Example: Withdrawal of life-prolonging medical equipment; war, harvesting fetal tissue
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An Issue with who should have access to the benefits of technology.
The allocation of science and technology may not bring equitable benefits to all.
- “Distributively just” issues often emerge when demand for the benefit exceeds its supply
- Example: Need for…
- human organs
- medical technologies
- Aids medication
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A technological advance allows something new to be done that precipitates a value conflict. This conflict is between two or more cherished values within one person. These conflicts would not exist if it were not for technological innovation.
Example:
- Life extending technologies related to human life preservation or death with dignity
- Genetic Disorder Tests that identify Down’s
Syndrome,
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Infliction of Harm or Exposure
Activities that may benefit one group can also harm or pose significant threat of harm to others without their consent
-Examples: Animal research, multi-generation air pollution, carcinogen producing work places, operation of “hair-trigger” military defense systems
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If one person is involved in a negative action, the result will not have the same social impact as many persons acting in negative ways.
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Example:
One person throwing out garbage on the highway is quite different than thousands throwing out their fast food lunch papers.
The aggregate of pollution created by 400 million cars
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Experimentation and Research vs helping people
◦ Practitioners – the Cost, benefits, risks they are doing and are they doing everything they can do.
Example: US Public Health placebos to 431 black men in Alabama
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When engineers or scientists have knowledge of a deliberate or negative action on part of colleagues or business they need to decide if they should go public
(“blow the whistle”).
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Examples: NASA Challenger accident – Senior engineer testimony to congress about the launch. He was subjected to mis-treatement and then put on extended sick leave
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How do they affect society?
History
◦ Telegraph
◦ Telephone in everyone’s home
◦ Cell Phones everywhere
Article
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Split Class into two sides
◦ Cell phones are the best new technology in the last 10 years
◦ Cell phones are a major society problem since they interfere and cause problems in life.
In addition – could cause Cancer.
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Society Effect
◦ Always available
◦ Blackberry and Email
◦ Classes and using Phones at School
◦ Text Messaging
◦ Cheating
◦ Using for illicit conversations (drug deals)
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Give out article on Bridge Collapse
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Analyze the article and list the dimensions that are impacted by the Bridge Collapse,
What do you think should be done to fix older bridges around the world?
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Older bridge
Poor initial designs
Not enough money to fix or rebuild bridges throughout the world.
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Demonstrates an infrastructure problem in US.
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Micro/Macro
5 Key Dimensions
Bridge collapse and society implications
New Technologies changing society.
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