Contexts of Science and Contexts of Science and
Technology Technology
EST 202 - Lecture 3
Chap 4
Introduction Introduction
Two Kinds of Context
◦ Micro/Macro
Five Key Dimensions
Environmental Demension
Cell Phones (New Technology)
Group Discussion
Micro Context Micro Context
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
Macro Contexts Macro Contexts
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
Macro Context cont.
Macro Context cont.
European Union
◦ 27 countries, 490 million people, 100 billion euro a year budget.
◦ Shared values – democracy, freedom and social justice.
◦ 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
Five Key Dimensions Five Key Dimensions
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
Five Key Dimensions cont.
Five Key Dimensions cont.
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.
Five Key Dimensions cont.
Five Key Dimensions cont.
Cultural Dimension
◦ The culture of a societies view of a technology
◦ Energy – Wind Turbines on Long Island
Coal
Coal Mine Diaster in Utah
Five Dimension cont Five Dimension cont
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.
Five Dimension cont Five Dimension cont
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.
Summary Five Dimensions Summary Five Dimensions
1. Practitioner
2. Technical
3. Political Economic
4. Cultural
5. Environmental
Intro to Ethics and Intro to Ethics and
Technology Technology
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?
Ethical Clarification Ethical Clarification
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
Ethical Arguments Ethical Arguments
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
Ethical Moral Issue Ethical Moral Issue
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
Ehtical Distribution of Ehtical Distribution of
Technology Technology
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
Science or Technology Science or Technology
Precipitated Value Precipitated Value
Conflicts Conflicts
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
Infliction of Harm without Infliction of Harm without
prior consent prior consent
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
Public Harms of Public Harms of
Aggregation Aggregation
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.
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
Practitioners Practitioners
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
Practitioners – whistle Practitioners – whistle
Blowing Blowing
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”).
