Source ::: Wikipedia.org
Technoethics (TE) is an interdisciplinary research area concerned with all
moral and ethical aspects of technology in society. It draws on theories and
methods from multiple knowledge domains to provide insights on ethical
dimensions of technological systems and practices for advancing a technological
society. Technoethics (TE) views technology and ethics as socially embedded
enterprises and focuses on discovering the ethical use of technology, protecting
against the misuse of technology, and devising common principles to guide
new advances in technological development and application to benefit society.
Typically, scholars in technoethics have a tendency to conceptualize technology
and ethics as interconnected and embedded in life and society. Technoethics
denotes a broad range of ethical issues revolving around technology- from
specific areas of focus affecting professionals working with technology to broader
social, ethical, and legal issues concerning the role of technology in society
and everyday life.[1] Technoethical perspectives are constantly in transition as
technology advances in areas unseen by creators, as users change the intended
uses of new technologies. Humans cannot be separated from these technologies
because it is an inherent part of consciousness and meaning in life therefore,
requiring an ethical model. The short term and longer term ethical considerations
for technologies do not just engage the creator and producer but makes the
user question their beliefs in correspondence with this technology and how
governments must allow, react to, change, and/or deny technologies.
Definitions
● Technoethics (TE) has been defined in a variety of ways over the last
decade which highlight different aspects of this emerging field. Galvan
defined Technoethics as the “sum total of ideas that bring into evidence
a system of ethical reference that justifies that profound dimension of
technology as a central element in the attainment of a ‘finalized’ perfection
of man.”[2] Bao and Xiang described technoethics as the behavioral
norm and ethical basis for the global community.”.[3] The Handbook of
Research on Technoethics defined technoethics as “an interdisciplinary
field concerned with all ethical aspects of technology within a society
shaped by technology. It deals with human processes and practices
connected to technology which are embedded within social, political, and
moral spheres of life”.[4] Technoethics examines current social policies
and interventions linked with technological advancement and uses; there
are more and more technologies arising, that have no regulations and it
is important that there are some sort of guidelines on how to use them
ethically. As mentioned previously, since its interdisciplinary in nature
of TE, it is easier to come up with these, because all disciplines have
united to form one large umbrella of philosophies, thus making it easier to
understand and study certain technologies and their uses. Researchers
no longer have to track all the disciplines to which the technology might be
related to, to think of it ethically. And unlike Applied Ethics, which focuses
solely on bio-centric philosophy. Technoethics unites both technocentric
and bio-centric philosophies. This gives TE an advantage because it
can study both issues simultaneously by giving technology equality in
importance, to that of living entities.
● Technoethics and the Evolving Knowledge Society continues to state, "...it
attempts to provide conceptual grounding to clarify the role of technology
to those affected by it and to help guide ethical problem solving and
decision making in areas of activity that rely on technology." [5]
● Ethics: there are many different definitions of ethics depending on the
context and conditions of use. However, for the purposes of technoethics,
it is appropriate to use the philosophical definition of ethics. This definition
states that ethics brings the issues of what is ‘right’, what is ‘just’, and
what is ‘fair'.[6] This definition is essential to ethics involving technology
because ethics describe moral principles influencing conduct and the
study of ethics is rooted in what people do and how they believe they
should act in the world. It focuses on values and actions of individuals
within society.[1]
● Technology is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and
use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the
environment; drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering,
applied science, and pure science.[7] There are two sub categories that
help narrow the scope of technology and help determine what aspects of
technology are being discussed. These sub categories are called Teckné
and Tecknik:
● Techné is the set of principles, or rational method, involved in the
production of an object or the accomplishment of an end, the knowledge of
such principles or method.[1] This form of technology was acknowledged
during the early Greek and Roman period. Most forms of technology at this
time were art and poetry.
● Technik was established in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was created
to help engineers describe the totality of processes, tools, machines, and
systems employed in the practical arts and engineering.
Significant Technoethical Developments In Society
Throughout the last few decades, there have been
many concrete examples that have illustrated the need
to consider ethical dilemmas in relation to technological
innovations. The following consists of a short list of
examples of technological innovations that had more or
less an impact on technoethics.
[edit]1950's
First satellite Sputnik 1 orbits the earth, DNA double
helix structure discovered, the Obninsk Nuclear Power
Plant is the first nuclear power plant to be opened, the
American nuclear tests take place.
[edit]1960's
First manned moon landing, ARPANET created which
leads to the later creation of the Internet, industrial
pollution become major issues after Cuyahoga
rivercatches fire and environmental acts are created,
birth control pill, first heart transplantation completed,
Telstar communications satellite is launched, rise
offeminism in society and women entering the
workforce.
[edit]1970's
The energy crisis, further manned and unmanned
moon landings, the green revolution is underway
along with second wave feminism as women continue
to enter the workforce, C (computer language) is
created for computer programming, 1970s recession,
Supercomputers and the Personal Calculator enter the
mass market.
[edit]1980's
Personal computers enter the home on a large scale,
the Bhopal disaster, the Chernobyl disaster, the Exxon
Valdez oil spill, and video games become part of
popular culture.
[edit]1990's
Mass use of the internet, Napster and the rise of
online piracy and file sharing, Gulf War oil spill, Y2K,
beginning of email, instant messaging, pagers, cell
phone,MP3 player, CD burner, satellite phone, Linux,
java programming language created, Human Genome
Project begins, Dolly the sheep is the first cloned
mammal,Hubble telescope, Genetically Modified food,
and Mars Pathfinder landing.
[edit]2000's
Web 2.0, Electronic commerce, Dot-com bubble,
Robotics, Telerobotics, Wireless internet, social
networking, Text messaging, YouTube, Wikipedia,
Cyber bullying, Large Hadron Collider, Climate change,
Global warming, Mars Exploration Rover.
[edit]
Further reading
Borgmann, A. (1984). Technology and the character
of contemporary life: A philosophical inquiry. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.
Coyne, R., 1995, Designing information technology
in the postmodern age: From method to metaphor.
Cambridge MA: MIT Press.
Dreyfus, H.L., 1999, “Anonymity versus commitment:
The dangers of education on the internet,” Ethics and
Information Technology, 1/1, p. 15-20, 1999
Gert, Bernard. 1999, “Common Morality and
Computing,” Ethics and Information Technology, 1/1,
57-64.
Heidegger, M., 1977, The Question Concerning
Technology and Other Essays, New York: Harper
Torchbooks.
Ihde, D. 1990, Technology and the Lifeworld: From
garden to earth. Bloomington and Indianopolis: Indiana
University Press.
Jonas, H. (1979). The imperative of responsibility: In
search of ethics for the technological age. Chicago:
Chicago University Press.
Jonas, H. (1985). On technology, medicine and ethics.
Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Levinas, E., 1991, Otherwise than Being or Beyond
Essence, Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Luppicini, R., (2008). The emerging field of
Technoethics. In R. Luppicini and R. Adell (eds.).
Handbook of Research on Technoethics (pp. 49–51).
Hershey: Idea Group Publishing.
Luppicini, R., (2010). Technoethics and the Evolving
Knowledge Society: Ethical Issues in Technological
Design, Research, Development and Innovation.
Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Mitcham, C. (1994). Thinking through technology.
University of Chicago Press.
Mitcham , C. (1997). Thinking ethics in technology:
Hennebach lectures and papers, 1995-1996. Golden,
CO: Colorado School of Mines Press.
Mitcham, C. (2005). Encyclopedia of science,
technology, and ethics. Detroit: Macmillan Reference.
Tavani, H. T. (2004). Ethics and technology: Ethical
issues in an age of information and communication
technology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Turkle, S. 1996, “Parallel lives: Working on identity
in virtual space.” in D. Grodin & T. R. Lindlof, (eds.),
Constructing the self in a mediated world, London:
Sage, 156-175
***Muhammad Ishaque Memon***
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