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OVERVIEW

This chapter gives an overview of the ethical and social dimensions of science. We begin by discussing the
human rights involving science and technology as well the code of ethics that guides scientists and engineers.

Next, we identify the criteria and tools used for ethical decision-making.

Lastly, we give an example of a contemporary social issue: the rise of advanced robotics.

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This chapter contains three (3) topics:

7.1 Ethical Dimension of Science and Technology

7.2 Social Dimension of Science and Technology

7.3 Robotics

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Specific Objectives
❖List the human rights involving science and technology

❖ Give examples of codes of ethics that guide scientists

❖Summarize the NAST Ethical Principles and Guidelines for

Filipino Scientists

❖Apply the ethical matrix to a specific example of technology

❖Argue on the benefits and harms of robotics from ethical and

social standpoints

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 Human’s Right to Science and technology
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

It was adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly

in Paris on 10 December 1948. Motivated by the events during the World War II.
The UDHR lays out the fundamental human rights.

Universal Declaration contains a preamble and 30 articles. The

preamble states that the “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and
inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of
freedom, justice, and peace in the world” (UN General Assembly,1948). The first
five articles outline the basic individual rights:
Article 1 – Right to equality
Article 2 – Freedom from discrimination
Article 3 – Right to life, liberty, and personal security
Article 4 – Freedom from slavery or servitude
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech#/ Article 5 – Freedom from torture and degrading treatment
media/File:Eleanor_Roosevelt_UDHR

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Continuation

Science and technology are vital parts of human life.

Article 27 of the UDHR states that “everyone has the right to participate
in the cultural life of the community and to share in scientific advancement
and its benefits.”

The right to science and culture, which is one of the core

economic, social, and cultural rights.

Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and

Cultural Rights (ICESCR) Covenant, a treaty adopted by the UN
General Assembly on 16 December 1966. Right to science is shouldered by
scientists as well as policy-makers.
Photography by Author: Alessia Santoro
https://www.popsugar.com/family/photo-
gallery/43137807/image/43137896/We-All-Born-
Free-Mini-Edition-Universal-Declaration-Human-
Rights-Pictures

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“The practice and application of science and
technology should be able to protect human
rights and uplift human dignity”
 7.1 Ethical Dimension of Science and Technology
In 1945, towards the end of World War II, the members
of the Nazi party of Germany were tried for war crimes. The
trials became Nuremberg trial (Doctor’s Trial); one such
trial prosecuted physicians involved in unethical human
experimentation.
No human subject should be forced to participate in
experiments that will yield harm or injury.
Nuremberg Code is a landmark document in clinical research
ethics.
SOURCE: HISTORY Declaration of Helsinki was first published document in research
https://www.history.com/news/10-things- ethics by the World Medical Association(WMA) in 1975.
you-may-not-know-about-the-nuremberg-
trials Clinical research ethics is just one of applications of applied ethics,
branch of ethics or moral philosophy.

Applied ethics examines specific issues such as abortion, animal rights,

and environmental concerns, among others.
Ethics serve the purpose of providing a moral point of view
“Science has social dimension tied to its ethical
dimension”
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 7.1.1 Ethical Decision-making in Science

In order to make ethical decisions, scientists follow a framework.

Technique that attempts to consider the issues, option, and arguments.
Essential elements in making a decision as follows(Harris, 2006).
Identifying stakeholders

Review arguments for each option

Making a rational choice from the available options,

backed with the strongest set of moral reasons or
principles.

Identifying possible options or course of

action
Moral principles provide distinctive guidance in making ethical decision. In
https://brewminate.com/wp- medical ethics, the standard approach involves four principles: autonomy, non-maleficence,
content/uploads/2017/01/CommStudies17.jpg beneficence, and justice.

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Continuation

Other principles include equality, duty, obligation, responsibility,

and various kinds of rights. Self-interest, efficiency, and economy

Ethical matrix Develop by Ben Mepham in the 1990’s.

Aims to assists non-philosophers in appreciating the value of ethical insights to

arrive at ethical judgments. The ethical matrix has been further developed and is now
being used in evaluating other technologies. The matrix contains three principles namely
well being, autonomy, and fairness.

Well-being refers to the maximization of good, autonomy refers to freedom, and fairness
refers to respect for justice and the law.

Ben Mepham
https://www.foodethicscouncil.org/professor-
ben-mepham/

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 Table 7.1 Example of ethical matrix
(Evaluation of ethical use of growth hormones in cattle)

Respect for: Well-being Autonomy Fairness

Cattle farmers The use of hormones Cattle farmers should There should be equal
provide satisfactory have the choice of access to the use of
income and working using hormones on hormones.
conditions cattle.
Consumes Products derived from The consumers should Products derived from
hormone-fed cattle be aware of the use of hormones-fed cattle
should be safe for hormones in cattle. should be affordable
human consumption. and available.
The cattles Hormones should not The cattles should not The use hormones
be harmful to cattle be subjected to should also benefit the
health. behavioral restrictions. cattles.
Other animal and Other animal and plant The use of hormones The production and
plant life life are not exposed to should not affect use of hormones
hormones. biodiversity. should be ecologically
sustainable.

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 7.1.2. Code of Ethics of Scientists and Engineers

Establish standards of conduct in cases not Formulate rules to govern a

dictated by common sense practice or discipline

Codes of ethics
Purposes

Provide a framework for resolving conflicts Manage the expectation of the public in a
practice or discipline

Codes of ethics, they are authoritative reminders of the rules and duties that scientists and
engineers must abide to. Other professions have their respective codes of ethics: for
example,

The Hippocratic Oath is an old code used by medical

practitioners.

National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) published the Ethical

https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-all-medical- Principles and Guidelines for Filipino Scientist in 2009.
programs-follow-the-Hippocratic-oath

NAST ethical code aims to guide Filipino scientists to achieve a high

level of professional and ethical behavior.
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Continuation
Code are summarized below (NAST,2009)
Preamble: Scientific research as a public trust – Since the general public does not have the
means of verifying the results of the work of scientists, the burden of making sure that their
work is correct lies on the scientists themselves.

Ethical scientific practices Weighing the benefits

Commitment to professional
Ethical use of science in Philippine society development as scientists

General principles
Development of students and
Conflict of interest other stakeholders

Advocacy for scientific approaches

Intellectual honesty

Another example of a code of ethics

NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers by the National Society of Professional Engineers
(NSPE) of the United States of America.
https://www.railwayage.com/regulatory/ethics-issues-
in-the-engineering-profession/ Code of Ethics for the Chemistry Practitioners of the Philippines, it is stated
that chemistry professionals have an obligation to the society (Professional
Regulatory Board of Chemistry, 2016)
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 7.2. Social Dimension of Science and Technology: the Device Paradigm
The techniques and processes used to achieve a certain purpose: it
Technology can also refer to the knowledge of such techniques and processes.
Being considered as object, knowledge, and activity

In 1984, Albert Borgmann offered a new way of thinking about technology

Three essential types of approaches to technology

Substantive view considers technology as a force of its own, capable of shaping society
without the intervention of other forces

Instrumentalist view considers technology as a mere instrument to achieve social values

that are independent of technology themselves

Pluralist view considers the dynamic interactions between technology and social
values as a complex web

Albert Borgmann According to Borgmann

http://hs.umt.edu/philosophy/People/faculty.php? The promise of technology is to “bring the forces of nature and
s=Borgmann
culture under control, to liberate us from misery and toil, and to enrich our
lives” (Borgmann, 1984).

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Continuation

Device paradigm things are distinguished from devices

Technology is inseparable from its social context, it is a thing. When people
interact with things, in addition to the purpose of the given technology, there is personal
and social engagement

According to Borgmann, devices become readily available because they

operate in an instantaneous, ubiquitous, safe, and easy way (Borgmann, 1984)

Device paradigm also applies to modern technology

A television can serve to gather family and friends together, encouraging

healthy social interactions. The television can also help us connect to our culture and be
aware of the events and issues in our society (kubey & Csikszent mihalyi, 1990)

All in all, technology can help us achieve the good life. However, if we simply
consume technology as mere devices, we may not be able to fully realize our goal of
freedom and happiness (Strong, 2014)
https://www.clipart.email/download/94770.ht
ml

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 7.3. Robotics: an Example of Contemporary Issue in Science and Technology
In Ray Kurzweil’s work The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend
Human Biology, Kurzweil identifies technologies capable of driving the society to
singularity – the point wherein the intelligence of machines converge with that of humans
(Kurzweil,2005).
There are three such technologies:

Genetics Nanotechnology Robotics or GNR

7.3.1. Background on Robotics

refers to the use and development of robots – programmable machines
Robotics that are capable of motion and interaction with their surroundings
(Sparrow, 2005)
Ray Kurzweil
https://www.wired.com/2008/03/ff-kurzweil/ Artificial intelligence (AI)
a field of study that seeks to develop intelligent
computational systems (Sulins, 2005)
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Continuation

Karel Capek’s play Rossum’s Universal Robots depicted the creation of machines
that serve as humanoid slaves. Czech word robota which means forced labor. (Tucker,
2014)
The International Federation of Robotics classifies robots as either service robots or industrial
robots (International Federation of Robotics, 2019)

Service robots find domestic and field applications as opposed to industrial

robots that are strictly used in industrial settings.
The first programmable robot to be employed in a factory was the Unimate,
developed by George Devol in 1954 (Moravec, 2019). The Unimate was developed further by
Unimation, Inc. founded in 1956 by Joseph Engelberger, who will later on be called the
“father of robotics” (Bauer, 2018)

Unimate robots
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Computer
_Integrated_Manufacturing_Systems(CMS)Unimat
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 7.3.2. Roboethics and Ethical Issues in Advanced Robotics
Existence of such robots and their imminent integration to the society gave rise to
a new field of ethics called roboethics (Operto, 2014). The term roboethics was coined by
the robot scientist Gianmarco Veruggio.
Three Laws of Robotics (Asimov, 1950)
A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to
come to harm

A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict
with the First Law

A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First
or Second Law
Asimov would later add the Zeroth Law of Robotics which states that a robot
should not bring harm to humanity, through action or inaction (Asimov, 1985).
Roboethics also aims to develop scientific, cultural, and technical tools that will
encourage the benificial use of robotics for the society and prevent its misuse againts
Isaac Asimov humanity (Veruggio &Operto, 2009)
(https://karsh.org/isaac-asimov/)

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Continuation
Gaps in ethical issues in robotics mostly exist in instances
where robots interact with human lives.
Telesurgery - Wherein in the surgeon and the patient are separated by
long distances

Another roboethical issue, social robots – robots capable of interacting with

humans in a human-like fashion (Tucker, 2014). Example:

ASIMO (Advanced step in Innovative Mobility) by Honda – bipedal robot that is

being developed to be capable of integrating to domestic
environments such as in home and offices (Honda Motors Co., 2019)

Sophia by Hanson Robotics – a human-like robot that is being developed as an

AI-equipped service and entertainment robot(Hanson Robotics, 2019)

Sophia Sophia is particularly controversial. During the 2017 Future Investment

ASIMO https://en.wikiped Summit in Saudi Arabia, Sophia was granted a Saudi Arabian Citizenship, the
Photography by Author: ia.org/wiki/Sophia
Vanillase _(robot) first robot to be given such (Maza, 2017).
Retrieved from
https://upload.wikimedia.o
rg/wikipedia/commons/3/3
9/ASIMO_4.28.11.jpg
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 “The advance of technology is
based on making it fit in so that
you don't really even notice it, so
it's part of everyday life.”

Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft.

Thank You
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REFERENCES:

Asimov, I (1950) Runaround. In. I. Asimov (ed.) I. Robot. New York: Genome Press.

Asimov, I. (1985). Robots and empire. Garden City, New York: Doubleday

Bauer, P. (2019).Joseph Frederick Engelberger. In Encyclopedia Britannica.retrieved from https//www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-F-

Engelberger

Borgmann, A. (1984). Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life: a philosophical inquiry. Chicago, IL: The university of Chicago
Press.

Briggle A., Mitcham C., & Ryder, M., (2005). Technology: Overview. In C. Mitcham (ed.) Encyclopedia of science, technology and ethics
(Vol. 4, pp 1908 – 1912). Hills MI Thomson Gale.

Davis, M. (2005). Code of Ethics. In C. Mitcham (ed.) Encyclopedia of science, technology and ethics (Vol. 1, pp 350 -353). Hills MI
Thomson Gale.

Fieser, J. (n.d). Ethics. In internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/

Hanson Robotics. (2019). Theories and methods for the ethics of technology. In S.O. Hanson (ed.) The ethics of technology: methods and
approaches (pp.1- 14) London, England: Rowman and Littlefield

Harris, C. E. (2006). Applying moral theories (5th ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

Honda Motors Co. (2019) . ASIMO. Retrieve April 10, 2019, from https//global.honda/innovation/robotics/ASIMO.html

International Federation of Robotics. (2019). Topics and definitions. Retrieved April 10, 2019 from https//ifr.org/
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REFERENCES: cont
International Organization for Standardization. (2012). Robots and robotic devices: Vocabulary (ISO 8373:2012). Retrieved from
https//www.iso.org/standard/ 55890.html

Joy, B. (2000, April). Why the future doesn’t need us? Wired. Retrieved from https;//www.wired.com/2000/04/joy-2/

Kubey, R., Csikzentmihalyi, M. (1990). Television and the quality of life how viewing shapeseveryday experience. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence
Earlbaum

Mepham, B. (2000). A Framework for the ethical analysis of novel foods: The ethicalmatrix. Journal of agriculture & Environmental Ethics
12, 165 – 76.

Morave. H. P (2019). Robots In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https;//www.britannica.com/technology/robot-technology

National Academy of Science and Technology. (2009) Ethical principles and guidelines for Filipino scientists. Taguig City, Philippines

UN General Assembly. (1948). Universal declaration of human rights (217 [III] A.). Paris

UN General Assembly. (1966). International covenant on economic, social and cultural rights (2200A[XXI}. New York

Winston Medical Association (2013). Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects. Journal of
the American Medical Association. 310 (20): 2191 -2194. Doi:10.1001/jama.2013.281053

Zornoza, A., Moreno, J.C., Guzman, J.L., Rodriguez , F., & Sanchez-Hermosilla, J. 2017 Dekoulis (ed.) Robotics: Legal, Ethical and
socioeconomic impacts. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/66612

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CHAPTER 6 AND 7 QUIZ
This week during asynchronous class.
Multiple choice
15 items

MIDTERM EXAM
Points is over 70
Multiple choice questions
10 questions per chapter (Chapter 1-7)