Abstract
We are witnessing the growth of ever more powerful, intricately interconnected, and complex hardware and software systems. What are the ramifications of this direction of travel, and for the sake of our children and theirs, can we simply allow the future to be dictated by market forces, by politicians who often have little understanding of the direct and indirect consequences of technologies (and who may be seeking simple technology-based solutions in an attempt to deal with complex societal problems), and by organisations that may have highly questionable ethical standards? Here we lay some key foundations, consider the nature of ethical frameworks, and emphasise that whilst technologies are becoming more powerful and invasive, over the centuries basic aspects of human nature (the good, the bad, and the downright ugly) have changed very little. What are our professional ethical obligations to those who are not yet born and for whom we are the custodians of the planet?
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Notes
- 1.
Armistice Day speech (11th Nov. 1948), published in Major General Omar Bradley’s Collected Writings, Vol. 1 (1967).
- 2.
For simplicity and unless there is a particular reason to do otherwise, we assume that references to ‘the Internet’ allude to the ‘world wide web’ and our general online activities.
- 3.
Weizenbaum (1976).
- 4.
Attributed to Robert M. Pirsig.
- 5.
Attributed to Albert Einstein (1879–1955).
- 6.
Blundell, Q., ‘A Moment’, ‘Collected Works’ (2019).
- 7.
Attributed to Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948).
- 8.
By way of a further example, in 1500, the estimated indigenous North American population was ~5 million. By 1890 this had been reduced to ~250,000.
- 9.
Senator Frank Church (Chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence and former Military Intelligence Officer) n NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’, (17th Aug. 1975). See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAG1N4a84DK (Last accessed October 2018).
- 10.
Attributed to Marie Curie (1867–1934).
- 11.
Attributed to Albert Einstein (1879–1955).
- 12.
Nietzsche (1889).
- 13.
Attributed to Albert Einstein (1879–1955).
- 14.
Attributed to Sydney J. Harris.
- 15.
The classic novel by Nevil Shute (Shute 1948) is recommended to the interested reader. In this story, a scientist is undertaking pure research into metal fatigue using a part of an aircraft structure for verification work. His research predicts serious fatigue will occur within a particular timeframe. Tension builds when he not only finds himself on an aircraft which is of the same type as the one which he is using for his research but also when it becomes apparent that this has unexpectedly exceeded the safe flying time indicated by his calculations. On landing, he makes every effort to voice his expert concerns, but to no avail. He is left with two options—either let the aircraft take off again (thereby knowingly endangering craft and passengers) or take direct action in preventing take-off. A difficult ‘Ethical Dilemma’ for this shy and retiring scientist… In the event, he deliberately damages the aircraft so as to prevent its departure. (For further mention of Nevil Shute, also see Sect. 5.5.)
- 16.
Professor Lewis Wolpert one time Chair of the Committee for Public Understanding of Science. Quoted in Cornwell (2003).
- 17.
Attributed to Edsger Dijkstra.
- 18.
Kafka (1925).
References
Anon, ‘European Drivers may be Wary of Cars that Stop Them from Speeding’, EURACTVE, (2019).
Atomic Energy Foundation, ‘Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – 1945’ (5th June 2014).
Atomic Heritage Foundation, (2014) https://www.atomicheritage.org (last accessed 22 April 2019).
Baase, S., ‘A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing Technology’, (4th Edn) Pearson (2013).
Bamford, J., ‘The Agency That Could Be Big Brother’, The New York Times (25th Dec. 2005).
Baraniuk, C., ‘Exclusive: UK Police a wants AI to Stop Violent Crime before it Happens’, New Scientist Daily News, (26th Nov. 2018).
Birch, M., Lee, G., and Pierscionek, T., ‘Drones the Physical and Psychological Implications of a Global Theatre of War’, Medact (2012).
Blundell, B., ‘Digital Shadows’, for publication 2019.
(a) Bogdanich, W., ‘Radiation Offers New Cures, and Ways to do Harm’, The New York Times (23rd Jan. 2010).
(b) Bogdanich, W., ‘As Technology Surges, Radiation Safeguards Lag’, The New York Times (26th Jan. 2010).
(c) Bogdanich, W., ‘Case Studies: When Medical Radiation Goes Awry’, The New York Times (26th Jan. 2010).
Burke, E., ‘Reflections on the Revolution in France’, James Dodsley, Pall Mall, London (1790).
Connexion, ‘Speed Cameras of Future to be Installed in France’, The Connexion (2nd April 2019).
Cornwell, J., ‘Hitler’s Scientists: Science, War and the Devil’s Pact’, Penguin (2003).
Davis, M., ‘Is There a Profession of Engineering?’, Science and Engineering Ethics, p. 417 (1997).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th Ed., Vol. VIII, pp. 574–611, Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black (1879).
ETSC, ‘Briefing: Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA)’, European Transport Safety Council (May 2018).
Fleddermann, C., ‘Engineering Ethics’, Prentice Hall (2012).
Fromm, E., ‘The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good and Evil’, New York: Harper and Row, p. 123 (1964).
Harris, C., Pritchard, M., Rabins, M., James, R., and Englehardt, E., ‘Engineering Ethics, Concepts and Cases’, Cengage (2014).
Harrison, M., and Wolf, N., ‘The Frequency of War’, The Economic History Review, 65, 3, pp. 1055–1076, (2010).
Kafka, F., ‘The Trial’. Verlag Die Schmiede, Berlin (1925).
Keating, D., ‘New Cars in Europe will be Prevented from Speeding’, Forbes (26th March 2019).
Langford, D., ‘Practical Computer Ethics’, McGraw-Hill (1995).
Leveson, N., and Turner, C., ‘An Investigation of the Therac-25 Accidents’, IEEE Computer, 26, No. 7, pp. 18–41 (7th July 1993).
Martin, M., and Schinzinger, R., ‘Introduction to Engineering Ethics’, 2nd Ed., McGraw-Hill, (2010).
Monks, Noel, ‘Eyewitness’, Muller (1955).
Naughton, J., ‘How a Half-Educated Tech Elite Delivered Us into Chaos’, The Guardian (19th Nov. 2017).
New York Times, ‘Radiation Mistakes: One State’s Tally’, (24th Jan. 2010).
Nietzsche, F., ‘Twilight of the Idols’, (1889).
Rachels, J., ‘The Elements of Moral Philosophy’, (4th Edn) McGraw-Hill (2003).
Seltzer, W., ‘Population Statistics, the Holocaust, and the Nuremberg Trials, Population and Development Review’, pp. 511–552 (September 1998).
Shute, N., ‘No Highway’, Heinemann (1948).
Slote, M., ‘The Mandate of Empathy’, Springer Science + Business Media (4th July 2010).
Taylor, F., ‘Dresden: Tuesday 13 February 1945’, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (2004).
von Halban, H., Joliot, J., and Kowarski, L., ‘Liberation of Neutrons in the Nuclear Explosion of Uranium’, Nature 143, pp. 470–471 (18th Mar. 1939).
Waller, J., ‘Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing’, Oxford University Press (2002).
Weizenbaum, J., ‘Computer Power and Human Reason’, W. H. Freeman and Company (1976).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Blundell, B.G. (2020). Professional Ethics: A Hallmark of Best Practice. In: Ethics in Computing, Science, and Engineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27126-8_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27126-8_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-27125-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-27126-8
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)