Post on 10-Jul-2016
Social & Legal Issues
Ethics for EngineersEthics for Engineers
Professional Ethics
Social & Legal Issues
Scientific ethics that mankindScientific ethics that mankindScientific ethics that mankindScientific ethics that mankindshould all abideshould all abide
Scientists and engineers should not only have the Scientists and engineers should not only have the interest and passion for creation, but also shoulder the interest and passion for creation, but also shoulder the social responsibility. social responsibility.
In S&T innovation, we should respect life (including In S&T innovation, we should respect life (including , p ( g, p ( gthat of mankind and other life).that of mankind and other life).
InIn S&TS&T innovation, we should respect the humaninnovation, we should respect the humanIn In S&TS&T innovation, we should respect the human innovation, we should respect the human rights fairly (including that among not just the rights fairly (including that among not just the contemporaries contemporaries but also the different generations).but also the different generations).
Social & Legal Issues
S i tifi EthiS i tifi EthiScientific EthicsScientific Ethics
•• In S&TIn S&T innovation, we should respect dignity of innovation, we should respect dignity of human (including those of different ethnic groups, human (including those of different ethnic groups, genders, ages and with different beliefs).genders, ages and with different beliefs).
•• In S&TIn S&T innovation, we should respect nature, innovation, we should respect nature, ppprotect ecoprotect eco--systems and environment, and realize systems and environment, and realize harmonious coexistence and sustainable evolution harmonious coexistence and sustainable evolution between man and nature. between man and nature.
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CC litlit b t i t i t l hil hb t i t i t l hil hCCommonalityommonality between ancient oriental philosophybetween ancient oriental philosophyand modern scientific ethicsand modern scientific ethics
2500 years ago, the Chinese philosopher 2500 years ago, the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551 BC Confucius (551 BC —— 479 BC) put 479 BC) put forward the following ethical norms:forward the following ethical norms:
仁仁—— treasure lifetreasure life仁仁
义义—— treat people equally treat people equally
礼礼—— respect each other respect each other
智智—— encourage creationencourage creation
信信—— be faithful and trustable be faithful and trustable
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What is “thinking like an engineer”?What is thinking like an engineer ?
“to use one’s technical knowledge of things”• Engineers serve all members of the community inEngineers serve all members of the community in
enhancing their welfare, health and safety by a creative process utilizing the engineers knowledge expertise and experience
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Institution of Engineers India - Royal Charters -1997
The Code of Ethics is based on broad principles of truth, honesty, justice trustworthiness, respect an safeguard of human life and welfare competence and accountabilityhuman life and welfare, competence and accountability which constitute the moral values every member must recognize uphold and abide by.
Social & Legal Issues
Why do we have codes of ethics?Why do we have codes of ethics?
• “a convention between professionals”• “a guide to what engineers may reasonably expect of one
th ”another”• “a guide to what engineers may expect other members of
the profession to help each other do”the profession to help each other do”
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Why obey one’s code?Why obey one’s code?
P t t f i l f t i• Protects professionals from certain pressures– Such as cutting corners
By making it more likely that good conduct will not be– By making it more likely that good conduct will not be punished
• Protects professionals from certain consequences of competition
• Legitimizes the profession
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N ti l S i t f P f i l E iNational Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics
Fundamental Canons
Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:shall: 1. Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public. 2 P f i l i f th i t2. Perform services only in areas of their competence. 3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner. 4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
Social & Legal Issues
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics
• 5 Avoid deceptive acts• 5. Avoid deceptive acts. • 6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically,
and lawfully so as to enhance the honor reputation andand lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession
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ABET Code of Ethics of EngineersABET Code of Ethics of EngineersAccreditation Board for Engineering and
TechnologyThe Fundamental Canons
1 Engineers shall hold paramount the safety1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties.of their professional duties. 2. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence. 3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner. 4 Engineers shall act in professional matters for4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest. ,
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ABET C d f Ethi f E iABET Code of Ethics of Engineers
5 E i h ll b ild th i f i l t ti• 5. Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others.
• 6. Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of the profession.
• 7. Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers underfor the professional development of those engineers under their supervision
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Professional Codes of EthicsProfessional Codes of Ethics
• National Society of Professional Engineers• National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
• Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)(IEEE)
A i S i f M h i l E i• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
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It has four sections
• … Section 1: Fundamental ethical
ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
considerations
Section 2: Specific ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conductpethical considerations
Section 3: For people Section 3: For people in leadership roles
Section 4: Principles Section 4: Principles involving compliance with the code
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ACM (ACM:(Association of Computing Machinery)Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
• Contribute to society and human well being (1.1)Contribute to society and human well being (1.1)– Obligation to protect fundamental human rights and to
respect the diversity of all cultures.– Minimize negative consequences of computing systems– Must attempt to ensure that the products of their efforts will
b d i i ll iblbe used in socially responsible ways– avoid harmful effects to health and welfare.
avoid potential damage to the local or global environment– avoid potential damage to the local or global environment
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• . Avoid harm to others (1.2).
– Harm means injury or negative consequences– Example: loss of information, property,
property/environmental damage, etc. Strive to include features which discourage abuse in the investment worldwhich discourage abuse in the investment world.
– Design systems so that time & effort is not wasted on overhead items such as the time it takes to purge viruses.p g
– Sometimes well intended actions may lead to harmful results.
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• Be honest and trustworthy (1.3)
– Do not make deceptive or false claims about the systemF ll di l li it ti d bl ith th t !– Full discloser limitation and problems with the system!
– Sometimes following this one could get you not promoted or even fired but you must be able to live with yourselfor even fired … but you must be able to live with yourself.
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Ethics in BiotechnologyEthics in Biotechnology
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Why Ethics in Biotechnology• New technologyNew technology• Plurality of moral convictions• Divergent economic, political, and social objectives• Growing sensitivity of the public• Doubts of the public about internal control mechanism of
scientific institutions and the scientific community toscientific institutions and the scientific community to adequately consider moral implications of research and its consequences
• Complexity of ethical issues involved• Complexity of ethical issues involved
Social & Legal IssuesBioethics
Bioethics: A discipline dealing with the ethical implications of biological researchethical implications of biological research and applications
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What is a principleWhat is a principle--based approach to bioethics? based approach to bioethics?
Respect for person• Respect for person• Beneficence
J ti• Justice • Confidentiality
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T ki d f thi l t GMOT ki d f thi l t GMOTwo kinds of ethical arguments GMOsTwo kinds of ethical arguments GMOs
1. Non-scientific base
GMOs are wrong, no matter how great the benefits bmay be.
2 S i tifi b2. Scientific base
G O b k h b fGMOs are wrong because risks outweigh benefits.
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GMOs: Ethical ConsiderationsGMOs: Ethical Considerations
The issue is whether GMOs/GM foods morally/ethically
acceptable. p
• If they are ethically acceptable, then there is nothingIf they are ethically acceptable, then there is nothing
wrong about producing/using/consuming them.
• If they are not acceptable, people should stop producing
themthem.
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GMO Ethi l C id ti
Why the deeper ethical-philosophical reasons underlying the
GMOs: Ethical Considerations
Why the deeper ethical philosophical reasons underlying the
GMO debates are so important.
• If we are to resolve ethical (as opposed to scientific)
controversies associated with GMOs/GM foods, a key
step is to acknowledge differences in basic values, andstep is to acknowledge differences in basic values, and
then debate the matter in terms of these deeper
commitments and concerns.
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Components of AcceptabilityComponents of Acceptability
Judgments about ethical acceptability depend on
answering several preliminary questions:
1. What GMOs are we talking about?” What Product?
“Different products have different ethical
dimensions”dimensions
BT cornGolden Rice
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C t f A t bilitComponents of Acceptability (cont’d)
2. Bear on ethical acceptability is the context in
which the analysis or argument is set.which the analysis or argument is set.
• need to be paid to all of relevant context in which a
judgment about the ethical acceptability of GMOs canjudgment about the ethical acceptability of GMOs can
(or should) be made.
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FurtherFurther developmentdevelopment ofof lifelife sciencessciencesandand biotechnologybiotechnology willwill bringbring aboutaboutnewnew revolutionaryrevolutionary changeschanges totoagricultureagriculture andand healthcarehealthcare..Meanwhile,Meanwhile, thethe advancementadvancement andand
t it i li tili ti ff i d t i li d t i lextensiveextensive applicationapplication ofof industrialindustrialandand ecoeco--environmentalenvironmentalbiotechnologybiotechnology willwill leadlead toto thethe adventadventbiotechnologybiotechnology willwill leadlead toto thethe adventadventofof BioBio--economyeconomy eraera ..
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HH thi lthi l blbl hh i di id li di id l liflif ddHowever,However, ethicalethical problemsproblems suchsuch asas individualindividual lifelife codecodedisclosure,disclosure, difficultydifficulty inin definitiondefinition ofof individualindividual’’ss socialsocial
tt ib titt ib ti tt illill ll ii OthOth blbl i l di l dattribution,attribution, etcetc willwill alsoalso riserise.. OtherOther problemsproblems includeincludefactitiousfactitious impactimpact onon ecologicalecological balancebalance andand safety,safety, newnewthreatthreat toto humanhuman geneticgenetic andand developmentdevelopment healthhealth etcetcthreatthreat toto humanhuman geneticgenetic andand developmentdevelopment health,health, etcetc..
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Pest Resistance: Bt Corn
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Herbicide Tolerance
“Roundup Ready”
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Enhanced Nutrition
G ld iGolden rice
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Commercial Value
• Fast-growing salmon
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Ethical Arguments About BiotechnologyEthical Arguments About Biotechnology
• Intrinsic: Biotechnology is good/bad in itself
• Extrinsic: Biotechnology is good/bad because of:its consequences– its consequences
– the motivations behind: • advocacy of biotech or• advocacy of biotech or• opposition to biotech
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Intrinsic Arguments Against BiotechnologyIntrinsic Arguments Against Biotechnology
• Premise: Genetic engineering is unnatural.• Conclusion: Therefore, genetic engineering is intrinsically
wrong.– Is this a good argument?
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Intrinsic Arguments Against BiotechnologyIntrinsic Arguments Against Biotechnology
• Genetic engineering requires that we take a d i i i f lif h lreductionist view of life that sees only genes, not
individuals, as important.“From the red ctionist perspecti e life is merel– “From the reductionist perspective, life is merely the aggregate representation of the chemicals that give rise to it and therefore they see no ethicalgive rise to it and therefore they see no ethical problem whatsoever in transferring…even a hundred genes from one species into the heredity blueprint of another species.”
• Jeremy Rifkin
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Extrinsic Arguments About BiotechnologyExtrinsic Arguments About Biotechnology
• Biotechnology is good/bad because of its gy gconsequences.
• Three ways to evaluate consequences:Three ways to evaluate consequences:• Do no harm (avoid bad consequences).• Maximize good consequences and minimize bad ones for a e good co seque ces a d e bad o es o
all affected.• Justice: Fair distribution of good and bad consequences
among all affected.
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Extrinsic Arguments About Biotechnologyg gy
• Biotechnology is good/bad because of the motivations of its proponents/opponents.proponents/opponents.
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Extrinsic Arguments: Motivationsg
• Friends of the Earth: “Golden rice may never help poor farmers, but it could give the beleaguered European , g g pbiotech industry a new grasp on life.”
• Florence Wambugu: “These critics [of biotech], who have never experienced hunger and death on the scale we sadly witness in Africa are content to keep Africans dependentwitness in Africa, are content to keep Africans dependent on food aid from industrialized nations while mass starvation occurs.”
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Extrinsic Arguments About BiotechnologyExtrinsic Arguments About Biotechnology
• Environmental consequences• Human health consequences• Who benefits?• Who decides?
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Ethics of Virtue/Tradition and Food/AgriculturalEthics of Virtue/Tradition and Food/Agricultural Biotech
Agrarianism:Agrarianism:
• - views agriculture as more than a business or economic sector in society: agriculture is a “way of life”“way of life”in society: agriculture is a “way of life” “way of life”
• - sees the traditional family farm as a place where real real human valueshuman values and virtues can be practiced.p
• - GMOs are designed, intended, for business-like efficient production; are not designed to enhance the quality of life for f f ili h i i i f l f kfarm families or their communities; favor larger farms, make traditional agriculture less competitive; may make foodstuffs cheaper, forcing traditional farmers out of business. c e pe , o c g d o e s ou o bus ess.
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Ethics of Virtue/Tradition and Food/Agricultural gBiotech
Nature-ism:• “playing God”playing God • ecosystem -- upsetting of the operation of ecosystems. Not
to cause irreparable damage. p g• for Nature-ists, once we recognize the delicate balancing
processes that constitute ecosystems or Nature, we must see that human beings have no right to manipulate species or processes in this way.
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The Precautionary Principley p
“When an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even ifhuman health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.”
• Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary• Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary Principle, Jan. 1998
“Lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.”
• Rio Declaration 1992
Social & Legal Issues
Ethics and Agricultural Biotechnology1. Consequentiality Perception on Agricultural q y p g
Biotech
• subscribe to the view that actions, policies, practices
and technologies o ght to p omote people’s needs andand technologies ought to promote people’s needs and
preferences.
• the question is whether agriculture does this, and the
answer is usually that it doesanswer is usually that it does.
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Ethics and Agricultural Biotechnologyg gy
2. Autonomy/Consent and Food/Agricultural Biotech
• begins with the axiom that self determination implies that• begins with the axiom that self-determination implies that
people have inviolable rights, which establishes the ethical
demand that people be given a choice concerning how they
want to act and be treatedwant to act and be treated.
• people have the ethical right to choose what they
consume/purchase and to avoid or reject it if they so
d idesire.
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Ethi d A i lt l Bi t h lEthics and Agricultural Biotechnology3. Ethics of Virtue/Tradition and3. Ethics of Virtue/Tradition and
Food/Agricultural Biotech
• virtue/tradition ethics defines ethical acceptability in terms
of consistency with some deeply held values and virtuesof consistency with some deeply-held values and virtues,
whether they relate to farming as a way of life, to life in
accord with Nature, or to following God’s plan and will.
N t ll i t /t diti thi l ti ill il• Not all virtue/tradition ethical perspectives will necessarily
reject GMOs or biotechnology overall.
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The Consequentiality Perspective on AgriculturalThe Consequentiality Perspective on Agricultural Biotech
C i li b ib h i h i li i• Consequentialists subscribe to the view that actions, policies, practices and technologies ought to promote people’s needs and preferences. p
•• CConsequentialist goals: onsequentialist goals: (QQP)(QQP)• (1) QuantityQuantity: Produce enough food to feed a growing • and non-rural population. • (2) Quality:Quality: Produce food that is safe and nutritionally
adequate.( ) Price:Price: E th t f d i ll ff d bl f• (3) Price:Price: Ensure that food is generally affordable for consumers while also ensuring that farmers receive profits from their work sufficient to keep them in business.p
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The Consequentiality Perspective on AgriculturalThe Consequentiality Perspective on Agricultural Biotech
In consquentialist terms• In consquentialist terms.
• “greatest good for the greatest number”
• Concerns that some things that people want other than QQP. • GMOs may endanger these “other goods.” For example,
i l ienvironmental protections, etc.
• Issues for long-term consequences of GMOs:
– - Will our children’s health be placed at risk by the use of GM technology?
– - What about future people’s wants and preferences? Are– they being placed at risk?
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Autonomy/Consent and Food/Agricultural Biotech
Th t / t di b i ith th i th t lf• The autonomy/consent paradigm begins with the axiom that self-determination implies that people have inviolable rights.
• Autonomy/consent ethicists and Consequentialists concern about:about:
• Is our food safe?
• Transparency of the food system. • - farm production techniquesp q• - transportation and processing systems• - packaging and marketing activitiesp g g g
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A t /C t d F d/A i lt l Bi t hAutonomy/Consent and Food/Agricultural Biotech
P l h i h h i h ill• People have a right to purchase items that will not unknowingly place them at risk and thus may demand the choice to avoid these products. The strongest supporters of p g ppsome form of labeling of GM foods.
• Many people believe that the autonomy/consent issues that are raised are not so much a matter of biotechnology as a matter of power and control: consumers and farmers want greaterpower and control: consumers and farmers want greater control over the choices available to them in their respective arenas.
• Farmers’ choices.
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Autonomy/Consent and Food/Agricultural BiotechAutonomy/Consent and Food/Agricultural Biotech
• People have the ethical right to: • - choose what they are consuming • - avoid or reject it if they so desire
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R l ti (Ri k M t)Regulation (Risk Management)
demand scientific and political
vigilance
t l t i htsupport: regulatory oversight on
case-by-case basis
Do not support: a ban on all GMOs
GMor GM crops
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CommunicationCommunication
increase public understanding of the science as pub u d s a d g o s
behind GMOs debate
develop tools for public communication and
promoting the public understanding of this andpromoting the public understanding of this and
related issues
not just one-way communication but should
encourage dialogue between all participants
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C i tiCommunication (cont’d)
two way flow of understandingtwo-way flow of understanding
between scientists and the
public is also required
make sure all stakeholder voice
are heard
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Key Challenges of Agricultural BiotechnologyKey Challenges of Agricultural Biotechnology
• Can we capture the potential benefits of agricultural biotechnology in a fair and equitable way for today’s and future generations?
• Can we balance the interests of human society and the i i bi h l ?environment using biotechnology?
• Can biotechnology contribute to sustainable agricultural t ?systems?
• How should we frame the biotechnology issue?