The Methodology of Moral Reasoning Nanoethics Lecture I Roderick T. Long Auburn Dept. of Philosophy.

The Methodology of Moral Reasoning

Nanoethics Lecture I

Roderick T. Long

Auburn Dept. of Philosophy

What will nanotechnology bring?

A spectrum of views: extreme predictions, modest predictions, and in between

Extreme predictions: the hype

Immortality!Godlike powers!Nanobots inside us curing

all diseases!The ability to build or

remold anything, including ourselves, from the atomic level up!

Extreme predictions: the hype

Or on the gloomier side – out-of-control nanobots devouring the earth!

Extreme predictions: Drexler and Kurzweil

Extreme predictions in ficiton

More modest predictions

Fancy nanoengineering won’t work!

1. Too sticky2. Brownian motion

The most we can hope for may be ….

Modest predictions

somewhat better soap.

What will nanotechnology bring?

Most nanoscientists think the truth lies somewhere in between …

which is pretty exciting!

Even on a moderate view, nanotechnology raises issues of ethics

How should we balance public welfare and safety against academic freedom of researchers?

How can we compare the weights of national security, corporate profit, public good, individual rights, environmental impact, and integrity of scientific enterprise?

Even on a moderate view, nanotechnology raises issues of ethics

How should the benefits of, and/or the control over, nanotechnology be justly distributed?

What are the ethical implications of altering human nature via nanotechnology?

Thinking About EthicsEthics is a branch of philosophy.What is philosophy?

Subject matter: questions about the ultimate nature of reality, knowledge, & valueMethod: dialectic = reflective equilibration

Three Main Branches of Philosophy

Metaphysics: nature of realityEpistemology: nature of knowledgeAxiology: nature of value

Branches of axiology: ethics (moral value), aesthetics (artistic value)

Philosophy

- How different from religion?

- How different from science?

The Method of Philosophy: Dialectic

Example:

what’s a 7-letter word for a large predator belonging to the cat family?


Example:

what’s a 7-letter word for a large predator belonging to the cat family?

PANTHER? LEOPARD?

CHEETAH? LIONESS?


What’s a 7-letter word that’s the name of a famous vampire?


What’s a 7-letter word that’s the name of a famous vampire?

DRACULA


As in a crossword puzzle, so in dialectic, questions we can answer help us with questions we can’t answer.

Consistency.

What Is Ethics?Subject-matter: good and

bad, right and wrong.

Method: reflective equilibration.

(John Rawls, 1921-2002)

Reflective EquilibrationAchieving coherence among

our beliefs

Balancing general principles against particular cases

Crossword puzzle method

(Susan Haack, b. 1945)

Reflective EquilibrationSocrates (c. 470-399

BCE) called it dialectic


Example from

Plato’s dialogue

Laches, featuring

Socrates (c. 470-399 BCE)

Socrates vs. Laches:What Is Courage?

1st definition: standing firm in battle


1st definition: standing firm in battle

Problem: too narrow


2nd definition: willingness to face danger


2nd definition: willingness to face danger

Problem: when foolish, not admirable, so not a virtue, so not courageous


3rd definition: wise willingness to face danger


3rd definition: wise willingness to face danger

Problem: takes more courage to act without wisdom


Laches is led to revise uncertain views about the definition of courage by appeal to other views.

DIALECTIC!

Dialectic in Action:The Debate Over Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism: The right action is whichever action produces the greatest total amount of social benefit (“the greatest happiness of the greatest number”)

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)


The Organ Donor Case (ODC):

You can save five patients by killing one and redistributing his organs. Should you?


Anti-Utilitarian argument:If utilitarianism were true, then in

the ODC we should kill.But surely it would be wrong to kill

in the ODC.So utilitarianism is false.


Utilitarian argument:It’s a mistake to assume that

utilitarianism says to kill in ODC.

Sometimes better to aim at goal indirectly.


Francis Bacon (1561-1626):

Experiments of fruit vs. experiments of light

Also: referees


Utilitarian argument:Likewise, a general policy of sacrificing

few to many would make all of society nervous

Make society better off by committing ourselves to a principle prohibiting such sacrifices


Anti-Utilitarian argument:- If commitment is absolute,

utilitarianism has been abandoned- If commitment isn’t absolute, problem

isn’t solved- In any case, gives right answer for

wrong reason

The Methodology of Moral Reasoning Nanoethics Lecture I Roderick T. Long Auburn Dept. of Philosophy.

Documents

Transcript of The Methodology of Moral Reasoning Nanoethics Lecture I Roderick T. Long Auburn Dept. of Philosophy.