Chapter 7 Scientists and Policymakers

Ethical and Social Dimensions of • the burden of upholding the right to

science are shouldered by them.
Science and Technology
Consumers
The Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR) • majority of the general public
• 10 December 1948 ***the practice and application of science and
• Paris technology should be able to protect human
• an important document in the history of rights and uphold human dignity.
human rights
• contains a preamble and 30 articles Nuremberg Trials

“recognition of the inherent dignity and of • members of Nazi party of Germany

equal and inalienable right of all members of were tried for war crimes.
the human family is the foundation of
Nuremberg Code
freedom, justice, and peace in the world.”
• 1945, end of WWII
Article 1 – Right to equality
• landmark document in clinical
Article 2 – Freedom from discrimination research ethics
• ethical guideline that arose from the
Article 3 – Right to life, liberty, and proceedings of the famed Doctors’
personal security Trial in 1945
Article 4 – Freedom from slavery or Declaration of Helsinki
servitude
• 1975
Article 5 – Freedom from torture and • example of documents outlining
degrading treatment ethical principles
Article 27 – RIGHT TO SCIENCE AND • first published by World Medical
Association
CULTURE
Applied Ethics
***everyone has the right to participate in the
cultural life of the community and to share in • clinical research is one application of
scientific advancement and its benefits. (UN it
General Assembly, 1948) • branch of ethics or moral philosophy
Article 15 – International Covenant on • examines specific issues such as
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights abortion, animal rights, and
environmental concerns.
(ICESCR) Covenant (16 December 1966)
Ethics
• it serves the purpose of providing a
moral point of view as science itself
cannot dictate what is right and what
is wrong.
Essential Elements in Making Decision Code of Ethics
1. identifying stakeholders • exist in order to guide scientists and
2. identifying possible options or course engineers to perform their work in an
of action ethical manner.
3. review arguments for each option • morally and legally binding
4. making rational choice from the
options with strongest set of moral 1. establish standards of conduct
reason or principles 2. formulate rules
Principles in Medical Ethics 3. provide frameworks
4. manage the expectation of public
• autonomy
• non-maleficence Hippocratic Oath
• beneficence • old code used by medical practitioners
• justice

Ethical Matrix American Medical Association (AMA)

• developed by Ben Mepham in 1990s Code of Medical Ethics and the
• ethical tool to help in decision- Declaration of Geneva by the World
making Medical Association
• aims to assist non-philosophers in
• recent and revised codes
appreciating the value of ethical
insights to arrive at ethical judgments
***suffers the disadvantage of not giving National Academy of Science and
weight to different considerations; may not Technology
actually help the user in reaching a decision.
• 2009
3 Principles of Ethical Matrix
• published Ethical Principles and
• well-being – maximization of good Guidelines for Filipino Scientists:
• autonomy - freedom --- ethical codes aim to guide Filipino
• fairness – respect for justice and the scientists to achieve a high level of
law professional and ethical behavior
“Scientific research as a public trust.”

General Principles (all Filipino scientists

should…)
1. Ethical scientific practices – abide
ethical principles
2. Ethical use of science in Philippine
society – ensure that scientific
knowledge is for advancement of
nation
3. Conflict of Interest – refrain from
making biased judgments and
statements
 4. Intellectual honesty – acknowledge
the work of other scientists
5. Weighing the benefits of science vis- Technology
à-vis potential harm – minimize
• techniques and processes used to
potential harms
achieve a certain purpose.
6. Commitment to professional
development as scientists – strive to • can be viewed as intention
improve competency; open to • considered as object, knowledge and
criticisms activity.
7. Development of students and other
3 Essential Types of Approaches of
stakeholders – committed in
Technology
education students and others
8. Advocacy for scientific approaches – According to Albert Borgmann
protect the freedom of scientific
thought and expression 1. substantive – technology as force of
its own shaping society w/o
NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers intervention of other forces
2. instrumentalist – mere instrument
• another example of code of ethics in 3. pluralist – dynamic interactions
America between technology and social values
• preamble, fundamental canons, rules
of practice, and professional Promise of Technology – bring the force of
obligations nature and culture under control, to liberate us
from misery and toil, and to enrich our lives.
Code of Ethic for the Chemistry
Practitioners Device Paradigm

- Article 1: they have an obligation to society • things are distinguished from devices

- Section 3: required to abide by rules and thing – technology is inseparable from its
regulations protecting the environment social context.
people interact with thing = there is a personal
and social engagement
mere device only – social context is removed
Example:
Woodstove as a thing – not only provide
warmth but physical and social engagement as
family gathers to build a fire
Central heating system – device
Devices are readily available because they
operate in an instantaneous, ubiquitous, safe,
and easy

The Singularity Is Near: When Humans

Transcend Human Biology
According to Ray Kurzweil
Singularity – the point wherein the Robots have a certain degree of autonomy
intelligence of machines converge with (partial to full)
humans

3 Technologies (GNR)
Roboethics
• genetics
• by Gianmarco Veruggio
• nanotechnology
• the existence of such robots and their
• robotics
imminent integration to the society
Robotics gave rise to this new field of ethics.
• aims to develop scientific, cultural,
• refer to the use and development of and technical tools that will encourage
robots the beneficial use of robotics
Robots 3 Laws of Robotics
• programmable machines that are 1. A robot may not injure human, or
capable of motion and interaction with through inaction, allow human being
their surroundings to come to harm
2. A robot must obey orders given it by
Robota
human beings except when orders
• Czech word means forced labor would conflict with First Law
3. A robot must protect its own existence
Artificial Intelligence as long as such protection does not
conflict with the First or Second Law
• field of study that seeks to develop
intelligent computational systems Zeroth Law of Robotics
Rossum’s Universal Robots • by Isaac Asimov
• by Karel Capek • states that robot should not be=ring
harm to humanity
• a play depicted creation of machines
that serve as humanoid slave Telesurgery
2 Classification of Robots • surgical robots
• service robots – domestic and field Robotic Liability Matrix
applications; perform useful tasks for
humans or equipment excluding • assigns weights to the liabilities that
industrial applications. are to be shouldered
• industrial robots – industrial settings
only; automatically controlled, Liability is Distibuted to:
reprogrammable, multipurpose • producer
manipulators • programmer
Unimate • owner

• first programmable robot Social Robots

• developed by George Devol in 1954 • robots capable of interacting with
• Unimation Inc. humans in a human-like fashion.
• founded by Joseph Engelberger –
Father of Robotics Examples:
**ASIMO (Advanced Step in
Innovative Mobility) by Honda – a
bipedal robot integrating domestic
environments such as home and offices
**Sophia – by Hanson Robotics, a
human-like robot equipped as service and
entertainment
- 2017 Future Investment Summit in
Saudi Arabia
- granted with Saudi Arabian citizenship