Technology and Ethics

Aim

The central aim of the course is for the student to enhance his/her ability for ethical reflection aided by the different analytical tools of philosophical ethics with special focus on ethical challenges concerning technology and engineering. After completing the course the student shall be able to:

• Describe and explain central theories, principles and concepts within normative ethics.
• Describe and explain ethical challenges connected to the engineering profession and to technological development and application.
• Orally discuss, analyze and evaluate different ethical viewpoints.
• Apply ethical theories, principles and concepts to particular cases and situations.
• Take a stance on ethical issues in a constructive and argument based way.
• In cooperation with others in writing investigate, analyze and problematize an ethical issue in the form of a short paper.

Content

Lectures and seminars cover both general ethical theory and specific areas of technology and engineering ethics. Selection of cases for discussion and analyzis varies with the literature for the course. Areas that are covered: Working with ethical problems: methodological issues, analytical tools and basic concepts. Central theories, principles and concepts within normative ethics: responsibility, justice, rights, consequentialism, deontology, human dignity Technology and ethics: technological development and moral responsibility, technology assessment, surveillance and privacy, risk Professional ethics and engineering ethics: particular cases and problems, professional codes of ethics. The course shall in general provide the participant with opportunities for reflection on his/her future professional role as an engineer and on what ethical responsibilities that may bring.