Ethical Frameworks and The Social Construction of Technology HSCI E137 Feb. 9, 2011 Announcements: Look for announcements on home page of website Make sure you have an updated syllabus Make sure you are logged in to course website After class section meets tonight in Maxwell Dworkin G135

Agenda for Feb 9 What ethics is about; the history/ethics tension Ethical frameworks First paper assignment The social construction of technology: Winner Discussion: Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

What ethics is about History vs. ethics –Normative and non-normative ethics How Singer defines ethics –Not about rules –Not religious –Not subjective –Must be impartial

Some ethical frameworks Kantian ethics –Universalizability of maxims –human dignity and autonomy Utilitarianism –Also called consequentialism –Singer and Kravinsky Rawls’ Theory of Justice –The veil of ignorance; liberty and difference principles

Some ethical frameworks, cont’d Virtue ethics –the “look in the eye” test Emotivism –Kass Questions to ask as you read the advocates and critics for next week First paper assignment (due Feb 23)

Winner’s argument: technical things have political qualities The conventional view opposed: p. 125 Why does an artifact look the way it does? Some examples…

Winner’s example: low overpasses on the Wantagh State Parkway

Another example

Winner’s argument, cont’d Winner’s distinction (pp. 127 and 128) between –Initially “flexible” technologies –And those that require a particular social order Rejects both technological determinism and technological progressivism How can we apply Winner’s idea to biotechnologies? How can Winner’s idea get used in debates about technology? (p. 131)