Applied and Anticipatory Ethics: Research in Engineering and Information Computer Technology Ethics

Description

This project presents the work of the project lead, his co-author, and his students with the explicit goal of performing an exploratory analysis that involves applying ethical principles, codes of ethics, and at times legal distinctions to several case studies. The work presented here is meant to be studied, critiqued, and developed into further research.

Body
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Description

There are 3 levels of work that will be on display in this project.

  • My own work,
  • The work of my co-author Michael Nestor and myself, and
  • The work of our students.

All of these levels of work represent original research with the explicit goal of performing an exploratory analysis that involves applying ethical principles, codes of ethics, and at times legal distinctions to the subject matter under discussion. The subject matter includes general topics (e.g. aviation ethics), case studies (e.g. ethical issues with Flight MH370), and the study of specific artifacts (e.g. ethical issues related to iPhones).

Four fundamental methods are involved in all of this work: 

  • Stakeholder-Focused Ethical Analysis
  • Post-Phenomenological Artifact-Based Analysis
  • Technology-Based Analysis
  • Anticipatory Ethical Analysis.

The student work shared here employs a stakeholder-focused ethical analysis. In this type of analysis, technical and ethical issues are identified and ethical principles and codes of ethics are applied from each stakeholder perspective

The goal of this project is to provide a foundation at three levels:

  1. The topics and cases discussed are an introduction to these subjects for anyone who wants to learn about them,
  2. Once this material is examined, it can be studied and critiqued, and
  3. It should also be used to stimulate discussion and further research. 

Much of this research is aimed at making explicit the application of ethical theories to a wide variety of cases, subjects, and topics as reference materials and as the basis for developing deeper analysis.

Leadership

Richard Wilson
Philosophy/Computer and Information Sciences
Towson University
Hofferberger Center for Professional Ethics
University of Baltimore

Contributor

Michael Nestor, PhD
Hussman Institute for Autism

Recipient Organizations

Organizations and universities (including student affiliations) who will develop and use the materials presented here:

  • Towson University (Towson, Maryland)
  • Loyola University (Baltimore, Maryland)
  • University of Baltimore (Baltimore, Maryland)
  • Society for Ethics Across the Curriculum
  • Association for Practical and Professional Ethics
  • Interdisciplinary Coalition of North American Phenomenologists

Start and End Dates

The resources that will be made available on this project will be under continual development.

Contact Information

Richard L. Wilson (wilson@towson.edu)
8000 York Road
Department of Philosophy
Towson, MD
21250

Attached Resources

Wilson

  1. Case: GM Faulty Ignition Switches
  2. Case: MedStar Ransomware Attack

Wilson and Nestor

  1. CRISPR
  2. CRISPR and Social Justice

Student Work: Spring 2019

Student Work: Other

  1. Student Work: Wearable Technology
  2. Student Work: Virtual Assistants
  3. Student Work: AI Accounting
Citation
Richard Wilson, Michael Nestor. . Applied and Anticipatory Ethics: Research in Engineering and Information Computer Technology Ethics. Online Ethics Center. DOI:https://doi.org/10.18130/2nks-se86. https://onlineethics.org/cases/stem-ethics-projects-2017-present/applied-and-anticipatory-ethics-research-engineering-and.