Defining and Discussing Ethical Issues

8/8/2019 Defining and Discussing Ethical Issues

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Discussing Ethical Issuesin AnS 211

M.D.Kenealy 8/31/10


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What is Ethics?

Study relating to moral action, motive, or

characteralso relating toideals, feelings,

duty, and conduct


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Howdowe employ the study of ethics

in AnS 211?

a peaceful methodof resolving conflicts

concernedwith constructing and appraising

arguments

notwhatis customary or legal or biblical,

butwhatis objectively right and rationallyjustifiable


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What are major ethical issues in todaysheadlines?

shouldthe US be involvedin the warin Iraq?

should same-sex marriage be legal? shouldwe allow abortion?

shouldwe do stem cell research?

shouldwe have cage/pen systems for livestock

production? is dog fighting ethical?

etc.


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What ethical issues have you faced or would

you predict to be a problem in college?

writing your room-mates English theme?

selling your AnS114 notes?

letting your room-mate drink anddrive?

this one is interesting because drinking anddriving is

a legal issue, but your allowing the activity is an

ethical issue


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Why do we talk about ethics in AnS

classes?

Ethical vs science issues:

eating organic vegetables vs conventionally

producedvegetables?

eating organic meatvs conventionally

produced meat?

eating milk/meat/eggs from cloned animals?

shouldwe eat meat/milk/eggs due to your

beliefs about animal use/rights?


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Have you encountered ethical issues

in AnS?

dissection of animals for learning? research in genome modification?

increasing animal productivity increases stress?

proprietary research?

professors receiving patent payments?


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Question:

Is there intrinsic value of knowledgethat doesnt have a dollar value?


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Progress?

Is it only:

how much will itincrease production:

1b/da gain or bu/a?

Should it also be:

what are the human, social, animal

welfare, environmental impacts?


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Ex 1. University of California developed abettertomato harvester

how could this be an ethical issue? displaced migrantworkers

California Rural Legal Assistance association

sue

dUC rela

tive

tos

oc

ial an

dec

on

om

icaccountability


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Ex 2. Monsan

toreq

ues

te

dappr

oval f

orbovinesomatotropin (BST) toincrease milk production:

How could this be an ethical issue?

BSTis a hormone history of science issues

BSTwas recombinantly produced not natural

injections cause pain?

increased production causes stress? equally beneficial to all farmers?

delay in approval approached 10 years


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Appraising arguments all about 211!

Structure the argumentwith:

Premises statements of fact leading to a

conclusion

Generally takes twopremises to come to a

conclusion

Are the premises facts?

Considerwhetherpremises are debatable, ie,

they are notin error, but are also not proven facts


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Premises andthe Conclusion:

Identify the speakers conclusion(s):

pick the importantones and state them simply

define importantterms (sowe all agree on them)

were the premises backing the conclusion true/fact?

were the premises linked sothatthey obviously lead

tothe conclusion?

If not:

the conclusion is incorrector

the conclusion is debatable


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Case 1:

Premise 1: cows are mammals

Premise 2: mammals are warm blooded

Conclusion: therefore, cows are warmblooded


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Case 2:

Premise 1: Ford manufactures green trucks

Premise 2: this truck is green

Conclusion: therefore, this truck is a Ford


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Case 3:

Premise 1: we should not eat animals we love

Premise 2: we love dogs

Conclusion: therefore, we should not eatdogs


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Case 4:

Premise 1: BSTincreases milk production andis

safe for consumption by human infants

Premise 2: human infants in Africa need more milk

Conclusion: therefore, BST should be usedin

African cows


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Claims being made:

Factual:

BSTis safe for cows and humans

General:

children in Africa need more milk (?)

BSTwill increase milk supply in Africa (?)

Philosophical:

c

ows are f

oodpr

oducers, s

osh

ould

we

worry ab

out

theirwelfare?

is milk the productthat should be usedto end hunger?


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Working with ethical debates:

Evaluate the case fully

were all the issues presented?

whatunderlying issues/agendas may exist?

who are the stake holders?

Determine possible alternate conclusions

identify the strong andweak points ofthe speaker

be open minded

be the devils advocate

be articulate and join the discussion


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Working with ethical debates:

Realize:

there are many perspectives

therefore, more than one conclusion is often reasonable

Thatis real life

There may be more than one answer (conclusion),

andthose whodisagree with you are notautomatically wrong!

Defining and Discussing Ethical Issues

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