Lecture 12: Global Issues Chapter 7, Martin

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Lecture 12 Global Issues(Chapter 7, Martin
Schinzinger, Ethics in Engineering S Beder,
The Nature of Sustainable Development,Scribe
Publications, 1993)

• ELEC4011 Ethics Electrical Engineering Practice
• Hugh Outhred

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Characteristics of global issues

• Reach
• Extend beyond the borders of any particular
  country
• Legal framework
• Lie outside the laws of any particular country
• Few constraints on business, little protection
  for individuals
• Ethical context
• Typically involve differing cultures and mores
• Costs may be distributed quite differently from
  benefits
• Very dependent on business government ethics

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Multinational corporations

• Significant activities in more than one country
• Usually large companies, often engineering-based
• Issues that arise if disparities of power or
  wealth
• Exploitation of one countrys population,
  resources or environment on behalf of another
• Bribery or extortion
• Recently made illegal for Australian companies
  operating overseas (previously an allowable tax
  deduction)
• Appropriateness of activity or product

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Technology transfer

• Often a cross-cultural experiment, hence
  specific obligations might apply
• Economic and social development, sustainability
• Independence and national sovereignty
• Appropriate technology is sensitive to
• Physical, social environmental conditions
• Development issues such as education
  self-reliance
• High-tech may not be best for less-developed
  countries

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Environmental ethics

• Anthropocentric view
• Duty to future generations
• Inter-generation equity
• Consider environmental impacts in decision
  making
• Cost-benefit assessment, environmental impact
  statements
• Prudent avoidance of risk
• Nature-centred view (in addition to the above)
• Duty of care to other species the ecosystem
• Sustainability through wardenship rather than
  ownership

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Computer ethics

• Impact of computers on cultural balance
• Consolidating English as the international
  language
• Consolidating US culture as the world culture
• Impact on competitiveness of poor countries
• Automation in rich countries vs employment in
  poor ones
• Favours educated populations over uneducated ones
• Impact on business competitiveness
• Favours multinational companies over local ones

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Weapons

• Definition of a weapon in this context
• Any means to unduly influence another persons
  moral autonomy
• Ethical use of weapons
• Only if this is the least-bad alternative as
  judged by an impartial observer
• Some attributes of a just war
• Use weapons ethically, avoiding harm to
  non-combatants
• Set limited and achievable objectives
• Reinstate civil society on cessation of
  hostilities

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The ethics of weapon development

• Arguments for weapons development
• Duty to protect ones country from aggression
• Benefits of weapons outweigh the costs
• Arguments against weapons development
• Abuse of power by those possessing weapons
• Particularly with respect to civilian populations
• Benefits dont outweigh the costs
• Long-term social breakdown lawlessness
• International law against misuse of weapons
• Geneva convention disarmament agreements

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Issues in weapons development

• Offensive versus defensive weapons
• Is there a clear distinction?
• arms races
• On-going competition to acquire the best
  weapons
• Is disarmament a realistic option?
• International trade in weapons
• Often selling to both sides to unethical
  regimes
• Impacts of weapons development
• Significant social, economic environmental costs

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Weapons of mass destruction

• Kill indiscriminately in large numbers, e.g
• Nuclear, chemical, biological
• Cold-war rationale for such weapons
• Deterrence through mutually assured destruction
• Problems with weapons of mass destruction
• False detonation (eg Y2K) other accidents
• Risk of falling into unethical hands
• Centralised control absence of informed
  consent
• Environmental social impacts (even if not used)

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The engineers dilemma

• Engineering is now an international profession
• Technical successes have had far-reaching
  impacts
• Positive, e.g electricity, communications,
  computing
• Negative, e.g social impacts on poor
  uneducated
• Engineers are usually employees or advisers
  rather than decision makers
• Limited power responsibility in large companies
• Nevertheless there are opportunities for
  influence
• Without jeopardising career or family commitments

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A positive role for engineers

• Choose career path employer(s) with care
• ethical applications of electrical engineering
  arelikely to be rewarding
• Apply ethical principles in professional
  activities
• Study the ethical implications of alternative
  options
• Recommend those that offer better ethical
  outcomes
• Develop exercise moral autonomy
• Enhance ethical judgement through experience
• Support ethical behaviour by fellow engineers