STS CHAPTER 7 : ETHICAL AND SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

an important document in the history of human rights. It was adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948.

30 articles

how many articles does the Universal Declaration of Human rights have

preamble of UDHR

recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world”

Article 1

Right to equality

Article 2

Freedom from discrimination

Article 3

Right to life, liberty, and personal security

Article 4

Freedom from slavery or servitude

Article 5

Freedom from torture and degrading treatment

Article 27 of UDHR

everyone has the right to participate in the cultural life of the community and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. also called the right to science and culture which is also recognized in Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) Covenant, a treaty adopted by the UN General Assembly on 16 December 1966

Nuremberg Code

This is the result of the so-called Doctor’s Trial. This contained ten points which detailed the elements of ethical medical experiments. This is also a landmark document in clinical research ethics.

clinical reserach ethics

one of applications of applied ethics, a branch of ethics or moral philosophy.

autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice

four principles in medical ethics.

ethical matrix

developed by Ben Mepham in the 1990s, ethical tool developed to help in decision-making. Aims to assist non-philosophers in appreciating the value of ethical insights to arrive at ethical judgements

in genetically modified organisms

where was the ethical matrix firsly applied

well-being, autonomy, and fairness.

this is the three principles of the ethical matrix in its most basic form

Well-being

refers to the maximization of good

autonomy

refers to freedom

fairness

refers to respect for justice and the law.

Code of ethics

exists in order to guide scientists and engineers to perform their work in an ethical manner.

Hippocratic Oath

is an old code used by medical practitioners.

Ethical Principles and guidelines for Filipino Scientists

Consisting of a preamble and 8 general principles, this NAST ethical code aims to guide Filipino scientists to achieve a high level of professional and ethical behavior.

on the scientist themselves

Preamble: Scientific research as a public trust - Since the general public does not have the means of verifying the results of the work of scientists, the burden of making sure that their work is correct lies _____________?

Ethical scientific practices

All Filipino scientists should abide by the ethical principles contained within this document. In addition, they should be able to criticize and rectify wrongful behavior by colleagues. 

Ethical uses of science in Philippine society

All Filipino scientists should be able to ensure that scientific knowledge is used for the advancement of the nation.

Conflict of interest

All Filipino scientists should refrain from making biased judgments and statements that may favor self-interest.

Intellectual honesty

all Filipino scientists should properly acknowledge the work of other scientists when using their findings and results in making reports or publishing studies.

Weighing the benefits of science vis-a-vis potential harm

All Filipino scientists should strive to minimize potential harms of science to the society and the environment.

Commitment to professional development as scientists

All Filipino scientists should strive to improve competency by undertaking further studies and being open to constructive criticisms.

Development of students and other stakeholders

All Filipino scientists should be committed to educating students and other stakeholders in science and to serving as role models of proper conduct. 

Advocacy for scientific approaches

All Filipino scientists should protect the freedom of scientific thought and expression and should avoid being influenced by ideological, religious, and political views when conducting their work.

NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers

another code of ethics by professional engineers

Technology

refers to the techniques and processes used to achieve a certain purpose  it can also refer to the knowledge of such techniques and processes. In addition it can also be considered as object, knowledge, and activity ias well as an intention – the commitment to a goal.

Albert Borgmann

offered a new way of thinking about technology in 1984. He stated that there three essential types of approaches to technology, namely the substantive, the instrumentalist, and pluralist views of technology

substantive view

considers technology as a force of its own, capable of shaping society without the intervention of others forces.

instrumentalist view

considers technology as a mere instrument to achieve social values that are independent of technology themselves

pluralist view

considers the dynamic interactions between technology and social values as a complex web

device paradigm

proposed by Borgmann, here things are distinguished from devices.

Thing

This is when a technology is inseparable from social context

device

this is if the social context is removed when humans interact with technology. This is considered simply a tool used as a means to an end.

Ray Kurzweil

who identifies technologies capable of driving the society to singularity – the point wherein the intelligence of machines converge with that of humans. There are three such technologies, namely genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics, or simply GNR.

Robotics

refers to the use and development of robots – programmable machines that are capable of motion and interaction with their surroundings.

artificial intelligence (AI)

a field of study that seeks to develop intelligent computational systems.

czech word robota

this is where the term robot came from, meaning forced labor.

Service robots

find domestic and field applications. This perform useful tasks for humans or equipment excluding industrial automation applications

industrial robots

strictly used in industrial settings. This is automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulators programmable in three or more axes. Can be stationary or mobile. 

Unimate

The first programmable robot to be employed in a factory, developed by George Devol in 1954.

Joseph Engelberger

called the “the father of robotics”, owned the Unimation INC and further developed the Unimate.

partially autonomouse robots

this is the kind of robot that require human input.

fully autonomous robots

usually equipped with artificial intelligence; these robots are capable of interacting with their surroundings and working for long times without human intervention.

Gianmarco Verguggio

robot scientist that coined the term roboethics.

Isaac Asimov

the one who formulated the Three Laws of Robotics, and the Zeroth Law of Robotics

Zeroth Law of Robotics

states that a robot should not bring harm to humanity, through action or inaction.

Roboethics

also aims to develop scientific, cultural, and technical tools that will encourage the beneficial use of robotics for society and prevent its misuse against humanity.

telesurgery

a method using surgical robots wherein the surgeon and the patient are separated by long distances

producer, the programmer, and the owner

if the telesurgery fail, according to zornoza and associates, where does the liability be distributed?

robotic liability matrix

robotic liability matri

humanoid robots

example are social robots apable of interacting with humans in a human-like fashion.

ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) and Sophia

two examples of social robots by Honda and hanson robotics.

Saudi Arabian citizenship

what was Sophia granted during the 2017 Future Investment Summit in Saudi Arabia

1948 December 10

When was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights drafted by the United States General Assembly in Paris?

1966 December 16

When was the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Covenant drafted?

Nuremberg trials

during 1945 when the Nazi were tried in this trial, one such trial prosecuted physicians involved in unethical human experimentation