Slide 1 Ethics and Complexity Exploring the relationship… Prof Lucas D. Introna…..………………… Lancaster University……..…………

Slide 2 Agenda Introduction Why ethics? Ethics and (Complexity) Science Complexity and Ethics Traditional approach to the problem of ethics Rethinking the complexity of the ethical problem So what / what now

Slide 3 Why ethics? The question of Ethics emerges as the problem of the significant Other My actions affect the Other in a more or less significant way The ethical problem is often framed as conflicting / competing needs, rights, values, etc. of all significant Others implicated in my actions Ethics always implies some sacrifice (who bares the burden?) Ethics is how I conduct myself relative to these implicated significant Others

Slide 4 Why ethics? Simultaneity of Self and Other

Slide 5 Who are significant Others? Who or what is morally significant? –God / transcendent being –Self –Humans –Animals –Nature / The environment –Machines –Things Ego-centric Anthropocentric Bio-centric Ecocentric … >> Hierarchy?

Slide 6 Ethics and (Complexity) Science Fact / value distinction –Epistemology / ethics Science is a social practise… Science ought to concern itself with the implications of its theories…

Slide 7 Ethics and (Complexity) Science Isabelle Stengers

Slide 8 Traditional approach to ethics Human actions might have undesirable consequences for significant Others (justice, rights, values) Human in acting cause these consequences (cause / effect relationship) Because humans have autonomous agency (based on free will) they have moral responsibility How do we discharge our moral responsibility? Rational problem solving (calculative rationality) Reaching closure / equilibrium (justification)

Slide 9 Western ethical theory Act Motive Reason Consequences (significant Others) Deontological theory Consequentionalist theory Ethical Egoism Utilitarianism Hedonism Ethics of Duty Rights and Justice Ethics of Care

Slide 10 Complexity and Ethics Complexity theory’s critique of traditional approach: –Linear relationships (cause / effect) –Ahistorical nature of model (linear temporality) –Assumption of original causes (free will / autonomy) –Assumption of closure / boundedness Multiple feedback loops and second-order network effects (simultaneity of the local and the global) Already situated (compromised) nature of action (simultaneity of past / present / future) Agency is diffused and distributed (simultaneity intentional and the unintended) There is no ‘outside’ (simultaneity of self, other and all others)

Slide 11 Complexity and Ethics Complex Ethics Simultaneity of: * Other and All Others * Local and global * Past and future * Intended and unintended Ethics cannot be solved (…and that is what makes it serious)

Slide 12 Levinas’ Ethics Ethics: being disturbed; taking up our ethical obligations in everyday life… SelfOther All Other Others ETHICS JUSTICE

Slide 13 Derrida’s Aporia Suspension of the law (fresh judgement) Undecidability Urgency (needed now)

Slide 14 Virtue ethics as a complex ethics What is virtue? Strength of character Is the outcome of practice (habit / disposition) Involving both feeling and action Seeks to find the mean between excess and deficiency relative to us

Slide 15 Virtue ethics Seeks the mean between excess and deficiency relative to us DeficiencyVirtueExcess CowardnessCourageFoolhardiness StingyGenerosityWasteful Self-loathingHumilityArrogance Deceit Honesty Confessional ?Loyalty?

Slide 16 Virtue ethics as a complex ethics Why virtue ethics? Emphasis on character development (becoming) (good character  right actions) Emphasis on practice (habit / disposition) Morality becomes something I always do Encourages reflexivity…

Slide 17 Virtue ethics Seeks to maintain the simultaneity… Virtue OtherCare (fulness)All Others PastReflexivityFuture LocalMindfullnessGlobal IntendedOpen to reconsideration Unintended

Slide 18 So what? Ethics needs complexity to keep it serious Ethics is not something we can avoid (and scientists of human beings) Ethics cannot be solved (it is an ongoing obligation) Finding ways to deal with simultaneity is an ongoing ethical burden Ethics is a ongoing practice