Ethics and Technology. What are Ethics? A branch of philosophy that studies human actions – Deals...
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Transcript of Ethics and Technology. What are Ethics? A branch of philosophy that studies human actions – Deals...
Ethics and Technology
What are Ethics?
• A branch of philosophy that studies human actions– Deals with good vs. evil /
right vs. wrong– Justice / equity– Virtue
• Sample ethical questions consider …– What is proper behavior
under different situations?– Unintended consequences
Sources of Ethics
• Religion– Judeo-Christian ethic– Eastern religions
• Family (parents)• Schools– Character education
programs
• Professional training– CPA, MD, JD, etc– Ex –
Professional Rules of Conduct
Ex: Ethical Values for Young People
• Trustworthiness• Respect• Responsibility• Fairness• Caring• Citizenship• The Golden Rule?• Study: Lying,
cheating teens become lying, cheating adults
How do Ethics and Technology Relate?
• Technology: the practical application of science to society, commerce, or industry
• Tech. is basically tool making; thus tech itself is incapable of possessing moral or ethical qualities
• Two subdivisions– Development of new tech– Tech’s extending or
limiting the power of individuals
Ethics and Technology
Developing New Tech• Creation of nuclear
weapons
• Job replacing technology
• Q: What are the ethical implications of a tech creation?
+/- Power of Individuals• Cloning
• Genetic screening for parents
• Q: Just b/c we can do something, should we?
Nuclear Weapons
• Nuclear (fission) bomb (“Atomic bomb”)– Dropped on Hiroshima, Nagasaki– Least “technical” bomb to build– Yield = 500 kt (500,000 tons of TNT)
• Hydrogen (fission + fusion) bomb– Thermonuclear device– Developed 1952 in US, 1955 USSR– Yield = sky’s the limit (largest detonated
= 50 megatons, or 50 million tons of TNT)
– For comparison’s sake…• 5 MT bomb = more destructive force than all
explosives used during WWII• 20 MT = more destructive force than all
explosives used in history
Ethics of Nuclear Weapons
• Strategic framework– Cold War: Mutual
Assured Destruction (MAD) = deterrence
– Post Cold War focus on non-proliferation• Non-proliferation =
limiting the spread of nukes
• Purpose: keep “nuclear club” small, to reduce danger of unstable regime obtaining nukes
Ethics of Nuclear Weapons
• Nukes pose a threat– Mankind– Civilization– World eco-system
• Efforts to regulate their use persist– International Court of
Justice outlawed their use (1999)
– Non-Proliferation Treaty (1970)
– Nuclear arms reduction treaties
• Are these regulations realistic?
Just b/c we can do something, should we?
• Therapeutic Cloning– AKA embryo cloning– Production of human
embryos for use in research
– Goal: create human embryos in dish, then after 5-7 days, harvest stem cells for research, disease treatment
– Harvesting kills human embryo: ethical concerns?
Just b/c we can do something, should we?
• Reproductive cloning process– Starvation and implantation
of DNA from cells of one organism into an egg whose DNA nucleus has been removed
– Resulting egg and nucleus are shocked (chemically treated) so that the egg behaves as if it had been fertilized
– Embryonic development begins, with entire genetic code of original organism being reproduced
Cloning• Problems with cloning
– Experiments on mammals have resulted in clinical failures, resulting in “miscarriage” (98%+)
– In human terms, hundreds of abortions or births of massively deformed offspring likely (size, no immune function)
– Other defects from reprogramming of the egg don’t manifest themselves until later in life, resulting in spectacular unforeseen death of clones
– No idea of effects of cloning on higher level thinking
11 week old human embryo
Uses of Cloning
• Gene therapy (used to treat certain genetic conditions)
• Genetically engineered food (taste, disease resistance)
• Anticipated uses– Develop specially qualified
animals (food, human disease treatment)
– Repopulate endangered animals
– Produce healthy human organs from donor, for replacement in donor
Some Ethical Questions Concerning Cloning
• Is a cloned embryo the same thing as a conceived embryo?
• Does a clone have a soul?• Does a cloned child have the right to an
open future?• Does a human clone have the same
rights as conceived human?• If humans “make” their children rather
than “have” them, are they playing God?