This paper examines the intersection of ethics and technology in contemporary society. It begins by surveying five major ethical frameworks — ethical relativism, divine command theory, utilitarianism, deontological theory, and virtue ethics — before applying each to real-world technological issues. Topics include the ethical dimensions of nuclear technology, embryonic stem cell research, in vitro fertilization, gene splicing, workplace automation, digital privacy, information manipulation, online education, medical confidentiality, genetically modified foods, intellectual property piracy, and artificial intelligence. The paper demonstrates that technology itself is morally neutral, but its applications generate complex ethical questions that different frameworks evaluate in competing and sometimes contradictory ways.
Ethics are extremely important in our society since they help to determine whether an action is right or wrong. There are different types of ethical systems used to make this determination. The first is ethical relativism, whereby there are no morally right or wrong actions in an absolute sense; instead, right and wrong are determined by social norms. In this ethical system, the norms of the society form the basis for judging actions and help to preserve the culture of that society. On the negative side, this system confuses what ought to be done with what is currently being done.
The second ethical system is the divine command theory, whereby moral standards are based on God's laws as found in divine texts such as the Bible for Christians and the Quran for Muslims. Any act that contradicts the law of God is considered morally wrong. This system creates standards for humans that come from a higher authority and provides reasons why all people are equal and should behave morally.
The third ethical system is utilitarianism, which is based on teleological theory. Here, actions are judged based on their consequences, and the system holds that the end justifies the means. The advantage of this system is that it promotes the well-being of human beings and attempts to reduce human suffering. On the negative side, it is difficult to predict the consequences of an action, so a person may act with good intentions while the action causes harm to others.
The fourth ethical system is the deontological theory, which emphasizes the morality of the action itself rather than its consequences. It holds that moral rules are universal and that they provide the moral status of human beings. The fifth and final ethical system is virtue ethics, which seeks to internalize moral behavior by ensuring that people act in ways that spontaneously lead to good (Winston & Edelbach, 2011).
Technology has certainly revolutionized contemporary society, transforming education, medicine, relationships, religion, and much more by making our lives easier. In all aspects where technology has changed society, it is necessary that ethics be upheld to ensure that the purposes behind the creation and use of technology are ethical and that technology promotes fair, responsible, and equitable practices (Tavani, 2010).
Computers are probably the most significant piece of technology that humanity has adopted since the industrial revolution. Computers have helped human beings by making routine tasks easy and fast. They also have the potential to save lives — for example, by allowing doctors and healthcare professionals to monitor critical patient information. Computers have enabled researchers to advance their work by documenting findings effectively and developing new concepts. They have also revolutionized communication by making it easy regardless of the distance between parties (Eaton & Kennedy, 2009).
Technological developments do not bring about ethical or moral issues on their own. Instead, moral issues arise from the use of these developments. Basic questions are raised about the application of technological innovations, and these questions can give rise to moral issues. Technological developments usually mean change, and they often bring advancements that make normal activities easier. The important consideration is what happens to the individual when they adopt a given technology (Eaton & Kennedy, 2009).
Some uses of technological developments have the capability to affect many innocent victims. One prominent example is nuclear technology. Though it has great potential for maintaining peace and security, it also carries the catastrophic negative effect of killing millions of people at once. Those millions are often innocent victims who die in the name of securing peace for the future. From a utilitarian point of view, the consequence of neutralizing dangerous groups may be judged more beneficial to the world, so the consequence justifies the action. However, from a deontological point of view, the action itself is unethical.
Another example is biotechnology. In embryonic stem cell research, human embryos must be destroyed in order to develop future treatment options. From the Christian perspective, it has been argued that this means early life must be destroyed to provide therapy for later life. The Bible supports the fight against physical illness, but embryonic stem cell research requires the destruction of human embryos, which conflicts with Biblical teaching in Jeremiah 1:4–5 and Psalms 139:13–16 that human life begins at conception (Finkel, 2005).
As a result of the destruction of human embryos, some argue that embryonic stem cell research is akin to killing a human being, since the embryo carries all 46 human chromosomes and possesses a unique genetic code. It has also been argued that by destroying human embryos and attempting to clone human beings and human cells, scientists are trying to "play God." Finkel (2005) argued that scientists should not undermine human dignity by interfering with human life in this way. Christians contend that no matter how great the potential benefit of stem cell research, it is not justified to destroy human life. They therefore argue that embryonic stem cell research should be discontinued, while adult stem cell research — which does not harm human beings and is considered consistent with God's will — should be continued (Finkel, 2005).
Another area of biotechnology that raises moral concerns is in vitro fertilization. Ethical objections arise from deontological, religious, and relativist perspectives, each of which views the action as inherently wrong — against the teachings of religion and contrary to societal norms. Gene splicing is yet another biotechnological practice that can be viewed as unethical, since it alters bacteria in ways that may produce more harmful effects than anticipated. Nevertheless, the research is pursued because its advantages include potentially superior treatment options (Hull, 2005).
"Privacy, workplace, health, and AI ethical concerns"
Technology has brought about many advantages by making everyday activities quicker and easier. However, it poses important questions about the ethical nature of the way that technology is used. These ethical issues arise when the applications of technological developments are examined through different ethical systems. Technology has affected many aspects of life — including education, health, relationships, and religion — and has generated ethical issues in each of these domains.
You’re 53% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 1 section.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.