ETHICS-AND-INTEGRITY_INTELLECTUAL-PROPERTY-UNIT-III-ETHICS-SUSTAINABLE-DEVELOPMENT-AND-NEW-TECHNOLOGIES-2024.pdf

ETHICS-AND-INTEGRITY_INTELLECTUAL-PROPERTY-UNIT-III-ETHICS-SUSTAINABLE-DEVELOPMENT-AND-NEW-TECHNOLOGIES-2024.pdf

1. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH
STANDARDS AND RULES

MASTER ONE PROGRAM ’S

UNIT III
ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES

A. SUSTAINABILITY METHO DS AND PERSPECTIVES

INTRODUCTION
Sustainability is considered to be quite a complex topic. People with many different backgrounds and viewpoints must
collaborate in order to come up with solutions to grand challenges plaguing the world today.

Using to help solve sustainability problems is one way to ensure that all of these voices are heard, including ones that
may be more difficult to take into account, such as those of plants, animals, and future generations. Ethics can be
applied within the three pillars of sustainability – social, environmental, and economic – and used to make sure that no
view is overlooked. When it comes to directly relating ethics to sustainability challenges, a rational mindset and the use
of systems thinking are useful strategies to ensure that the collaborative effort will take everyone’s needs into account.
Although there are some difficulties that come with applying ethics to sustainability problems, the final solution will be
more relevant and cognizant of the needs of multiple parties instead of based solely on one group’s needs and opinions.

2. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
In this chapter, we will first look at what defines ethics and how it plays a role in sustainability. To further define what
an ethics within sustainability looks like, the importance of sustainability ethics is discussed as well as how it is applied
to the three pillars of sustainability. The chapter then concludes with how ethics is overlooked, how it can be applied in
a sustainable decision- making process, as well as the challenges that are sometimes faced when using ethics.

What is Ethics?
Ethics can be most simply described as an individual’s morals and their sense of right and wrong. It provides a lens for
society to base their moral compass off of and shape their decision-making process. In sustainability, a common topic is
how connected the world is and how actions in one place can impact communities across the globe. With a goal of
sustainability being to provide for current and future societies while preserving the environment that we depend on,
taking an ethical approach benefits all stakeholders. In the past, ethics haven’t always been considered when making
sustainable development. This is typically seen in cases of budget issues and instances where certain groups aren’t
represented. As sustainability has gained a more ethical approach, many philosophers have considered the value of
offering all beings some level of moral consideration, whether they are living or nonliving organisms. With the rapid
growth of development in the modern world, it is crucial to pause and think of all stakeholders at risk when making a
decision.

Definition of Ethics in Sustainability is a crucial piece of sustainable development. A goal of ethical
sustainability is to think of how humans ought to live while also considering their connections with other humans, the
natural world, and future generations. Without these considerations, certain groups may feel marginalized or that they
are not being treated fairly. Although a large part of ethics centers around the treatment of people, it is also important to
discuss the considerations towards nature. The idea of providing a better future for the generations to come revolves
around conserving the natural areas that we have today and protecting areas for the future. This relates to the welfare of
non-human nature which includes many factors that make life possible. These factors range from clean water and air to
biodiversity and species health, which, if not considered during sustainable development, could yield serious negative
impacts. In order to make changes that benefit all parties involved, it is sometimes necessary to choose the route that is

3. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
less desirable or more difficult. Although it may take more time or funding to make improvements that align with
ethical practices, in the long run, the impact will be more positive and will do more for the greater good.

The Importance of Ethics in Sustainability
Ethics is important to consider when solving grand challenges in sustainability because it takes the needs and rights of a
variety of groups into account. It also recognizes the significance of current as well as future human needs. Having
access to a wealth of natural resources, as well as ensuring general well-being for all, is a moral right not only for
present-day human populations, but also for future generations. When decision-makers use ethical approaches to solve
sustainability problems, they consider how their actions can have effects on the environment, economy, and humankind
in general – now and in the future. This aspect of time is important to keep in mind because the decisions made today,
whether helpful or detrimental, can have significant impacts on the lives of those living in the future. Applying
principles of ethics to sustainability challenges also promotes a holistic worldview that takes many different values into
account.

Ethics in sustainability aims to restructure how most humans consider nature, even though it can be difficult to change
preconceived notions and deeply-rooted mindsets. Currently, some view nature as separate from human life, existing
solely for human benefits. However, humans need to understand how the environment is deeply connected to their lives
and those animals, plants, minerals, and other parts of nature should not only be used to benefit humans. This is where
major questions come into play, ones that ethicists and scientists are still trying to answer. These broad questions
include:

 Are issues such as biodiversity and habitat loss problematic if they do not have any effects on humans?
 Should moral rights be extended to nature?
 Do humans have an obligation to protect future generations?
 Does ecosystem health determine what human needs should be? Or, should the amount of resources that
humans need determine what a healthy ecosystem should look like?

4. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
There is much debate over the answers to these questions because there is no single correct answer to any of them. This
is why ethicists are so important in helping to solve sustainability challenges. If they collaborate with scientists, then
these larger questions will be considered by individuals who are knowledgeable in the field. This ensures that solutions
to sustainability problems are clear and reflect moral values instead of only expressing the views of a single group.

Ethics Applied to the 3 Pillars of Sustainability
Sustainability is commonly broken up into three pillars: environmental, social, and economic. These three pillars
contain subcategories that help better define whether a sustainability challenge is an environmental one, economic and
so on. Ethics can be applied within all three pillars of sustainability and should be present during the collaborative
decision-making processes. The need for ethics in sustainability is important to consider during these processes and
when analyzing all possible stakeholders in an issue. There is a need to conserve ethical values when coming up with a
solution and the input from all stakeholders considering the types of challenges or implications that may come out of a
potential solution. The inclusion of ethics in sustainable decision making creates a more diverse process in that it
bridges the boundaries between stakeholders who would not otherwise communicate with each other. This may require
some social, political, or even cultural sacrifices, but it is ultimately beneficial in the grand scheme of things.

SOCIAL ETHICS: in sustainability focuses on the actions, attitudes, beliefs, cultural traditions, and decisions that an
individual makes. Ethics within the social sector can be associated with making choices or decisions that line up with
an entire group’s identity. It is important to note that social ethics is not separated from sustainability as a whole, rather
it provides an ethical foundation on which a group can make sustainable decisions in a way that considers equity,
fairness, justice, equality, inclusiveness, and cultural differences. Sustainable challenges that require an ethical social
foundation consider the social costs, benefits, and values of a decision.

ECONOMIC ETHICS: can be closely attributed with social ethics as many ethical economic decisions are based off
the social consequences or costs associated with that economic activity or decision. Moral foundations within an
economic ethic consider questions such as the efficiency, productivity, and security of a product. It correlates with
social sustainability as it considers issues like whether a product has been produced in an environment that provides fair

5. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
wages and fair working conditions, and if the product has favored one social class over another. It also considers the
resources that are used in producing a good and how they are used, and whether that resource may have been exploited
in a way that is socially unjust. The role of economic ethics in sustainability is to ensure that goods are produced in a
way that can be attributed to the larger concept and goals of sustainability. An ethical economy is not dependent on
growth or material consumption in an age where there are finite resources.

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: focuses on the value of non-human nature, or the living and non-living qualities
within nature. Living qualities can be seen as animals, plants, and other types of species that live in nature and non-
living can consider qualities like the welfare of forests, water, and conservation of broader landscapes. Environmental
ethics considers what actions are right and wrong in natural environments. Challenges that could be considered within
this type of ethics are the preservation of biodiversity, clean water and air, and the value of non-human life.
Environmental ethics argues whether humans have a right to the non-human nature of the earth, saying that the two
should coexist.

Ethics in Sustainability vs. Environmental Ethics
Ethics in sustainability and environmental ethics are sometimes assumed to represent the same concepts because of
their overlapping subject matter. Some researchers and stakeholders may believe that by addressing environmental
ethics in their decision-making, they are ultimately forming solutions based on sustainability ethics. This judgment is
incorrect because environmental ethics is merely one aspect of ethics in sustainability. In reality, the methods
undertaken when using environmental ethics do not always take the economic and social pillars of sustainability into
account, and rarely simultaneously.

Environmental ethics focuses on the relationship between human beings and nature and is a subset of ethics in
sustainability. Although it can consider how human life and economic factors intersect with the environment, it mainly
centers on nature and how specific aspects of it can best be protected. Some questions that are explored in
environmental ethics include:

6. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
 Do humans have the moral right to use so much of the Earth’s natural resources for their own benefit?
 Does nature have its own set of values aside from its effects on human health and well-being?
 Are human beings necessarily better than plant and animal species or other aspects of nature?

One form of environmental ethics is ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE , which considers how environmental problems
and benefits are divided among groups. It takes issues such as the placement of landfills and toxic waste sites into
account, because these can negatively influence human well-being. These hazardous sites are often situated in minority
communities or poverty-stricken areas. In fact, some research shows that the demographics of an area helped decision-
makers choose where these toxic locations would be created. Additionally, although these hazardous waste sites may be
harmful to the people living nearby, their existence may contribute to the well-being of other members of society who
do not live in that community. From this, another question arises about what actions are considered fair by moral
standards. Environmental justice is a subset of environmental ethics because it places the environment at the center of
the debate; it considers social and economic effects stemming from environmental problems, instead of taking all three
pillars into consideration equally and simultaneously.

On the other hand, ethics in sustainability differs from environmental ethics because it considers the complex
relationships between humans, the environment, and the economy, both for current populations and future generations.
It is a much broader topic than environmental ethics and represents the convergence of multiple different fields of
study. It takes many viewpoints into account at the same time, and can be used to help form solutions that consider the
needs of various different groups and organizations, from businesses to environmentalists to homeowners. By
considering the environmental, economic, and social pillars of sustainability at the same time, sustainability ethics
differs drastically from environmental ethics, which focuses mainly on the environmental pillar of sustainability and
does not draw on all three pillars simultaneously.

Why Ethics is Sometimes Overlooked
Due to the long-standing criticism of the effectiveness of sustainability ethics, it is sometimes overlooked. This
criticism comes from the fact that ethics is such a broad idea and can be interpreted in many ways. Although much of

7. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
society has come to accept sustainability, they do so only if it aligns with their values. The largest issue with
incorporating sustainable ethics into the world is finding ways to express the importance of these decisions and the
value that they can have. Many of the issues that arise from these decisions are financial, due to the fact that making an
ethical decision can sometimes require more expensive materials and safer practices. With ethics being a theory, it is
easy for people dismiss it when trying to save money or make their lives easier. Another reason that ethics is commonly
overlooked is due to the fact that there are very few university level professionals that are educated in the field. A study
done in 2012 found that out of 59 sustainability positions filled by 9 universities, zero of the new employees had prior
experience in sustainability ethics. Due to this lack of involvement from experienced professionals, it is difficult to
advance the overall knowledge and development of ethical sustainability. In a project done by the National Science
Foundation on environmental sustainability, the final 570 page report did not reference ethics in sustainability at all and
only focused on the environmental aspects. This contrast of involvement is something that will hopefully change in the
future as many important ethical decisions will have to be made with the progression of climate change.

Applying Ethics to Sustainability Challenges
In an ethical decision-making process, the group collaboratively considers ethical values the are attributed to all
challenges of sustainability. There is normally a collective desire to sustain future generations and to consider moral
values associated with that solution. When deciding on a solution to a sustainable issue, there are a few important ideas
or steps that should be present throughout the entire process.

When sustainability issues arise, it is common for people to assume the consequences of that challenge. However, it is
also important to approach the problem from a more open-minded perspective and consider the reasoning or causes for
a sustainability challenge and potential solutions, rather than immediately suggesting how it will negatively impact the
Earth. For people to understand a sustainability challenge completely, they have to look at the root of the problem. A
rational mindset requires a lot of attention to detail and rules out all possibilities that could either be “good” or “bad”
solutions, but usually ones that just aren’t predicted to work. While rationality may seem like an obvious practice,
sometimes being logical or reasonable has some risks associated with it. In many cases, a group that is coming up with
a solution simply does not have enough information available to create a sound and well-rounded decision.

8. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
A systems thinking approach to solving sustainability challenges starts with considering the structural and
technological elements of a decision and the resources needed to approach that decision to understand how they work
together. This way of thinking provides a strategy to analyze problems more closely. Having feedback loops establishes
how different components respond, which provides an idea of where the changes need to be made within the system.

When discussing sustainability challenges, the need for collaboration increases as most sustainable issues are complex
and involve multiple stakeholders. The role of collaboration in an ethical decision-making process bridges boundaries
between social, economic, and environmental ethics. The involvement of all essential stakeholders, whether they are
affiliated with religion, academics, politics, or any other discipline or practice, ensures that all ethical values are
considered; this includes social, economic, and environmental costs of a decision for a complex sustainability
challenge. Collaboration in ethics ensures that there is transparency and a common desire to create good out of a
problem.

Challenges/Difficulties of Using Ethics in Sustainability
Although it is important to view sustainability challenges from an ethical perspective, it can be difficult to
conceptualize exactly what needs to be considered and ensure that all groups’ points of view are accounted for.
Overarching questions such as “Should moral rights be extended to nature?” and “Do humans have an obligation to
protect future generations?” illustrate why these problems are so hard to solve. There is not one simple, clear answer
for any of these questions, and identifying what trade-offs will have to be made when coming up with solutions is not
an easy task. The question of the determinants of ecosystem health vs. human needs is just one example of a
complicated sustainability issue that can be difficult to answer; does ecosystem health determine what human needs
should be? Or, should the amount of resources that humans need determine what a healthy ecosystem should look like?

The complexity of sustainability ethics in comparison to other forms, such as environmental ethics, makes applying it
to grand challenges even more difficult. Whereas environmental ethics mainly refers to the relationships between
humans and nature, ethics in sustainability refers to the intersection of the environment, the economy, and humans –
now and in the future.

9. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
The perspectives associated with using this ethical mindset are difficult to fully comprehend because of human
limitations. Conceptualizing employment opportunities, cultural traditions, and social structures from place to place is
not an easy task because they vary so greatly. This is before the aspect of time is even considered. When it comes time
to evaluate what future generations will need, humans today have no exact idea of what this will look like. There is no
knowledge of what the morals of future generations will be, nor what their world will be like. As a result, scientists and
ethicists today will have to rely on educated guesses based on past experiences and future projections to determine what
basic human needs are.

Humans also have no way of communicating directly with nature and determining what the needs of animal and plant
species are. Questions of morality in relation to nature are still being debated, so people have to rely on basic ethical
theories and questions in order to ensure that nature is being treated fairly. In order to build a foundation for these
environmental needs, humans will need to clearly define what separates them from nature and what the best strategies
are to ensure that nature is being respected now and will continue to be respected in the future.

B. THE TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE
Sustainability is in part tied to the notion that humans need to live within the carrying capacity of the planet, which
ultimately means a slowing of population growth and reducing per capita consumption of resources The ability of the
human population to both grow and increase its per capita consumption is tied directly to technology, because without
agricultural, energy, and medical technologies, it would not be possible for humans to exceed the planet’s carrying
capacity. Thus, technology can be considered to be one of the core issues faced by organizations and individuals intent
on applying sustainability to the resolution of many of the world’s most difficult and persistent problems. And any
effort to analyze technology for the suitability of its deployment inevitably encounters ethical dilemmas, many of the
linked to sustainability. As noted in a report on ethical issues of nanotechnology, “Because technology structures our
experiences and shapes how we live, it has enormous ethical significance.” While technology is certainly one of the
challenges faced by sustainability, it may provide at least some partial remedies to solving resource and environmental
problems by finding ways to reduce resource consumption, emissions, and waste; developing chemicals, materials, and

10. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
processes that are environmentally benign; linking nature’s processes to human needs and development; and making
possible the shift from nonrenewable to renewable resources as the basis for the economy. Consequently technology
also provides its own twin-horned dilemma or paradox, being both a significant concern as well as a potential source of
solutions for many of the problems being addressed by sustainability.

An excellent example of technology that fits very well into the sustainability framework is biomimicry. Defined by its
originator, Janine Benyus, as “the conscious emulation of nature’s genius,” biomimicry provides an approach to
creating an enormous range of materials and processes from nature that can be adopted in the human sphere and which
have the attributes of being biodegradable, originating from local resources, and being less harmful to the
environment.2 The powerful adhesives secreted by mussels, the hard ceramic coatings of seashells, and the ability of
plants to convert sunlight to other energy forms via photosynthesis are examples of natural system materials and
processes that are effective and benign and which have application in the human sphere. The development new
generation of adhesives Biomimicry is nothing more than understanding and adopting the results of 4.5 billion years of
trial and error by nature that has resulted in materials and processes that run off the sun, are made from local resources,
and that biodegrade into valuable nutrients for nature.

Sustainability, ethics, and technology are tightly connected because humans have choices as to which technologies to
develop and implement. A wide range of ethical issues, many of them connected to sustainability, have emerged due to
the development of a vast array of chemicals; the alteration of the earth’s surface, waters, and atmosphere by human
activities; and of course, the development of newer, ‘high’ technologies such as genetically modified organisms,
robotics, nanotechnology, antibiotics, and nuclear energy, to name but a few. Sustainability provides developers of
technology numerous challenges, from evaluating their inventions for their impacts on present and future humans and
non-humans, to the redirection of technology to ends consistent with the sustainability framework. In the former, the
fundamental questions posed by sustainability might be of the form:
Do the benefits far outweigh any impacts on humans, other species, and the environment, both immediately and over
the long term?

11. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
In the latter, the questions posed might be:
 Does the technology have a precedent in nature?
 Is it harmless?
 Does it support life and natural systems?

In this chapter the issues of technology and their relationship to sustainability will be addressed, and the ethical issues
of technology will be explored in light of their connection to sustainability. It is clear from recent history that new
technologies often give rise to new, previously unknown ethical dilemmas. Cloning, in which an exact copy of a
biological organism can be made through the manipulation of DNA fragments, is a case in point. Glenn McGee of the
Bioethics Center of the University of Pennsylvania noted that, before cloning is considered permissible medicine for
human infertility, society needs to resolve many questions, including:

1. Is cloning unnatural self-engineering?
2. Will failures, such as deformed offspring, be acceptable?
3. Will cloning lead to designer babies who are denied an open future?
4. Who is socially responsible for cloned humans?
5. Do clones have rights and legal protection?

These are of course the new, general ethical issues that have emerged as a consequence of the development of cloning.
It is arguable whether or not all of these ethical issues can also be considered to fall under the umbrella of
sustainability. The possible loss of genetic diversity caused in part by cloning, would be of interest in an ethics of
sustainability. Cloning does have the potential to impact the quality of life of humans and non-humans and in this sense
all of these questions are appropriately addressed by ethics centered on sustainability. On the other hand, questions of
absolute moral right or wrong, perhaps based on the Bible or Qu’ran, may fall outside the realm of an ethics of
sustainability. For example, some would argue that cloning is immoral on religious grounds because God, not man, is
the author of all life, and that life begins in the womb at conception, not in a petri dish. In general the new ethical
questions posed by the most significant new technologies will be posed with the aim of addressing them in later
chapters using sustainability based ethical arguments.

12. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
OVERVIEW OF TECHNOLOGY
Although technology, science, and engineering are related and often used interchangeably, there are distinct and
important differences worth noting before focusing on technology itself. Science can be defined as the investigation of
phenomena that humans observe in the natural world by using a formal approach known as the scientific method, to
elaborate laws and principles that are universally applicable. Kepler’s observations of planetary motion and his
discovery of the laws of this motion are an example of what would classically be described as science. Engineering is
the application of these laws and principles, discovered through scientific methods, to produce processes and tools, thus
exploiting science for human needs. The development of the airplane wing was based in part on the application of
Bernoulli’s principle which described how lift could be generated by air passing over surfaces where the air velocity
under the surface could be induced to be greater than that on top of the surface, thus creating a pressure difference.
Technology is the combination of science and engineering to produce the artifacts of human society, the computers,
automobiles, airplanes, stainless steel, and polymers that are the markers of human society. In short, technology is the
ultimate outcome of science and engineering. Interlaced with science and engineering, technology can be considered a
problem-solving process in which the designer applies science and engineering to move from problem to solution. The
iPhone and iPod are examples where designers applied science and engineering to solve the problem of how to create
small devices to store, communicate, and display information, a wedding of physics and creative design. And as is the
case with sustainability itself, technology has many definitions which are worth reviewing to get a sense of what
exactly is being addressed when technology is being mentioned.

The following are a sampling of definitions of technology:

The process by which humans modify nature to meet their needs and wants.
-National Research Council

The range of practical, utilitarian endeavors undertaken by society to provide its members with those things perceived
to be necessary
-Robert Thayer

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MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES

The practical application of knowledge, especially in a particular area (automobile fuel saving technology); a manner of
accomplishing a task especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge (information storage technology);
the specialized aspects of a particular field of endeavor (educational technology).
- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

An often asked question is: what counts as technology? It turns out that on closer examination, there are a wide range
of possible ‘classes’ of technology:

1. Technology as objects: the physical artifacts such as cell phones and refrigerators
2. Technology as knowledge: the know-how of scientists, engineers, and designers
3. Technology as activities: the skills of people such as machinists and computer programmers
4. Technology as process: finding solutions based on a problem
5. Technology as a social-technical system: the interaction of people and artifacts in manufacture and use.

Much of the technology that does and will underpin sustainability is based on science that is still evolving. A new field,
sustainability science, is preparing the foundations for technological developments that parallel the general intent of
sustainability. Some of these endeavors include work on:

(1) Ecosystem resilience,
(2) Industrial ecology,
(3) Earth system complexity,
(4) Yield-enhancing, land-saving agriculture,
(5) Nature-society interactions,
(6) Renewable energy systems and
(7) Bio-mimicry, to name but a few.

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Brief history of technology
The technology people observe seems to be of rather recent origin and indeed much of the technology we do notice
evolved in the last century. Examples are computers, airplanes, electronic communications of every type (television,
radio, cell phones), nuclear power, plastics, electric power grids, superhighways, nanotechnology, biotechnology,
genetically modified organisms, robotics, and information technology. However, each of these technologies is based on
other prior technologies that provided the foundation for the contemporary technologies that continually evolve to
support our contemporary life styles. Technology can be said to date back over 2.5 million years when the first
evidence of tool making, the Old uwan tools of the late-Paleolithic period, appeared to aid in butchering dead animals.
In the 9
th
millennium B.C. the ability to extract copper and use it emerged. It was also in this millennium that
agriculture emerged as a technology that enabled humans to subsist as other than hunter-gatherers. The wheel appeared
for the first time in the 5
th
millennium B.C., bronze around 3300 B.C., and iron around 1500 B.C. The Egyptians
invented the ramp which enabled the construction of the pyramids and the sail which allowed the age of exploration to
begin. At the same time, the ancient Chinese were inventing the pump, gunpowder, matches, the magnetic compass and
the iron plough. The Romans, considered the greatest engineers of the time, developed roads, aqueducts, domes,
harbors and reservoirs, the book, glass blowing, and concrete.

MAJOR CONTEMPORARY TECHNOLOGICAL DILEMMAS
Each new technology brings with it new and often surprising dilemmas, even the possibility of humans eliminating
themselves due to a less than full comprehension of the potential impacts of technology. New technologies are
emerging at an accelerated pace, compounding the problem of trying to cope with the effects of more mature
technologies.

Bill Joy noted this problem in 2000 in a well-know article in Wired magazine in which he addressed some of the
potentially enormous problems facing humankind as the result of robotics, nanotechnology, and genetic engineering. In
the end he suggested that the only answer to the dangers posed by technology was not to develop them at all, that the
only answer is to limit the pursuit of certain types of knowledge. He referred to this as relinquishment, and noted that it
would require a sort of Hippocratic Oath for scientists and engineers in which they swear allegiance to a strong code of

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MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
ethics whose core value is to do no harm. The ethical dilemmas posed by so-called GNR (genetics, nano and robotics)
technologies, along with several newer issues are discussed in the following paragraphs.

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Biotechnology is a term that covers a complex array of technologies such as cloning and genetic engineering. In
general, biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and
medicine. It is the use of living organisms or their products to make or modify a substance and biotech processes range
from simple to hyper-complex technologies. An example of simple biotechnology in action is a beer brewery where
hops and malts are heated and then combined with yeast that transforms the ingredients into an alcoholic beverage. The
other end of the biotechnology spectrum is genetic engineering, a laboratory technique used by scientists to change the
DNA of living organism, also referred to as recombinant DNA techniques. And although genetic engineering is just
one of several biotechnologies, because of the enormous potential for new crops and enhanced species, not to mention
the future possibility of so-called ‘designer children,’ genetic engineering is quickly dominating the biotechnology
sphere.

Nanotechnology
The American physicist Richard Feynman is credited with the notion of manipulating individual atoms and molecules
to make designer molecules in a speech he made at a meeting of the American Physical Society at Caltech on
December 29, 1959. He described a process of creating tools that could manufacture ever smaller versions of
themselves, ultimately reaching the size of individual molecules and atoms that could be rearranged by the smallest set
of tools. The term nanotechnology was first used by Professor Norio Taniguchi in 1974 in which he defined it as
processing single atoms or molecules for some end purpose such as creating new materials. Eric Drexler contributed
the first popular volume on nanotechnology in 1986 with his writing of Engine of Creation: The Coming Era of
Nanotechnology. The theoretical became the practical in the mid-1980’s with the development of tools such as the
Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) which contributed to the observation and actual manipulation of matter at the
atomic scale.

16. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Clearly the manufacturing of devices at molecular scale can be tedious and expensive so the notion of self-replicating
molecular devices has been proposed in which the desired molecules make copies of themselves from local resources.
Self-replication is not in and of itself novel – nature is full of examples of self-replication. Extending this to molecules
as a general property is the novel aspect of this form of self-replication. There is ample concern over the potential
consequences of self-replicating and nano-scale materials and devices. Several consequences of self-replicating devices
have been proposed with catchy names like the ‘grey goo’ and the ‘green goo’ problems. Eric Drexler coined the term
grey goo in his book, Engines of Creation, to describe how the self-replicating attribute could go awry and lead to
potentially catastrophic consequences if the ability of nanostructures to make copies of themselves could not be turned
off. The consequence would be the consumption of all matter on earth as the self-replicating nanorobots turn all matter
into copies of themselves. Taking the notion of out-of- control replication into the world of biology where new life
forms are created via nanotechnology approaches, a hypothetical outcome could be the ‘green goo’ problem in which
the new life forms dominate and destroy other forms of life. This is an ongoing synthesis of biotechnology and
nanotechnology in which the techniques of nanotechnology are allowing the rearrangement of life associated
molecules. The green goo problem becomes especially interesting when describing how human researchers can
manipulate DNA . An excellent description of biological nanotechnology was produce by the ETC Group which they
call “God for Dummies.” In this short synopsis of progress in DNA manipulation, they noted that may scientists now
believe that it is now possible to:

 Craft synthetic DNA from the blueprint provided by a natural organism.
 Use the synthetic DNA to create unique living organisms.
 Construct new artificial amino acids that can be built into unique proteins.
 Add a fifth letter to DNA (there are now A, C, T, and G and “F” could be added.
 “Write” DNA code in much the same way programmers write software.
 Use DNA to build nano-machines capable of exponential self-assembly.
 Design exponentially self-assembling nano-machines that can become motors, pistons, and tweezers and so on,
for manufacturing processes.

17. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Robotics, Computers, and Information Technology
As technologies, robotics, computers, and information technology are all tightly interwoven. All three are dependent on
microprocessors and programming and unlike biotechnology and nanotechnology, the outcomes of these technologies,
with some exceptions, are tightly controlled by humans through the software they create. Several new fields of ethics
have emerged to address the wide variety of ethical problems that have emerged as a consequence of these
technologies, among them robo-ethics, computer ethics, and information ethics. Although these fields are under the
control of humans through the programs they write, the potential for autonomous action by computers and robots puts
the decision in the hands of the device. And in some cases the computers and robots are designed to learn and adapt, a
process that can have unintended consequences because of programming complexity and the unpredictable outcomes
when machines face unanticipated situations. This section will focus on robotics because they are a fusion of
computers, machines, and information storage and manipulation.

The ethical issues of robotics were first raised by Isaac Asimov and John Campbell in 1940 when they formulated the
Laws of Robotics. At the time of the formulation of these Laws, robots did not exist, and computers were also several
years away from realization. Asimov had grown weary of the stories of Frankenstein and other similar monsters, a plot
that always revolved the creation and destruction of the biological robot by its creator.

As a young man in the 1920’s he wrote stories about machine robots created by engineers, not as he put it,
‘blasphemers.’ The Laws of Robotics were created to address the potential for robots to harm people and first appeared
in his fourth short story about robots, “Runaround.”28 Interestingly, the absence of computer technology did not deter
Asimov, he referred to the intelligent architecture of the robot as “platinum iridium positron brains.” He modified the
Laws in 1985 by adding the Zero Law which ensured that humanity had higher priority for protection than individual
humans.

18. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
The complete 1985 version of the Laws of Robotics are as follows:
Zero Law: A robot may not injure humanity, or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
First Law: A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
Second Law: A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the
First Law.
Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second
Law.

Cyborgs, also found in science fiction stories, are potential future variants of robots, either machine-enhanced humans
or biologically enhanced machines. The increasing sophistication and use of artificial limbs, heart pacemakers, and
other devices could potentially result in cyborgs. Indeed some science fiction writers speculate it is the fate of the
human race to become cyborgs, particularly as it attempts to extend its lifetime, increase its speed and strength, and to
increase its perceived quality of life. There is a long history of drug-use, enhancement, and surgery for these and other
purposes and there appears to be no barrier for to the inclusion of machinery as part of the upgrade process.

It should be noted that the audience for robo-ethics should not be the robot and the artificial ethics represented by the
Laws of Robotics, but the human ethics of the robots’ designers, manufacturers and users. One of the stakeholders in
the world of robotics is the military and there are concerns about the possible use of military robots against some
populations and problems connected with bio-robotics, implantations and human augmentation. It is absolutely clear
that without a deep rooting of robo-ethics in society, the premises for the implementation of an artificial ethics in the
robots’ control systems will be missing. Some other ethical issues that are emerging out of the field of robotics, many
of which are also common to computer and information technology, are:

 Dual use technology (every technology can be used and misused);
 Anthro-pomorphization of the machines;
 Humanization of the human/machine relationship (cognitive and affective bonds toward machines);
 Technology addiction;

19. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
 Digital Divide, a socio-technological gap (per ages, social layer, per world areas);
 Fair access to technological resources;
 Effects of technology on the global distribution of wealth and power;
 Environmental impact of technology.


THE ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY
Development and implementation of technology almost always results in ethical dilemmas. Some of the ethical issues
are fairly straightforward and are simply a variant of age-old problems. The internet and email, for example, have
opened up a Pandora’s box of information security and confidentiality problems. Although serious, these are not
actually new ethical issues, the technology simply multiplies the opportunity for problems.

The question of producing chemicals whose impacts are unknown can be better answered by applying a range of ethical
principles that are able to cope with the complexities of the sustainability framework which has social, economic, and
environmental aspects. These ethical principles form the basis for an ethics of sustainability and include the
Precautionary Principle, among others, that can assist in framing the issue and developing suitable solutions, and that
can cope with risk and its

Some of the ethical questions that must be considered when a technology has been developed and considered for
deployment can be summarized as follows:

 Under what conditions is the deployment acceptable?
 At what point in the development of the technology is an increase in deployment acceptable?
 How does society weigh the associated risks against the possible benefits?
 Are there cases where a particular technology itself should be considered unacceptable even though it has
potential for compensation as well as enhancement?

20. ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND RULES
MASTER ONE SEMESTER TWO FT.YFU-MEDEA @ MESRS 202 4
UNIT III ETHICS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
The development of general ethical principles that support the sustainability framework is vital to its utilization. The
issue of obligation to present and future generations, and to other species, as well as issues of fair distribution of
resources and technology, must all be answered for this framework to be successfully applied to solve many of our
contemporary problems.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Technology provides the capability for humans to violate the carrying capacity of the planet
while simultaneously increasing quality of life and decreasing poverty. It is probable, based on
a finite planet with finite resources, that this is likely a short term phenomenon fraught with
potentially disastrous consequences for future generations. At present the planet is headed, in a
near out of control fashion to a future of higher global temperatures, rising sea levels, and
alteration of rain patterns, food distribution and wholesale shifts in ecological systems.
Layered on top of this are the technologies themselves and the range of their consequences,
from the grey and green goo problems of nanotechnology to the destruction of species through
genetic engineering. If indeed there is an obligation to future generations as well as to the
present poor of Earth, then technology is a major actor that needs to be examined and used in
a manner that will produce manifest benefits and minimize negative outcomes. Clearly ethics is
central to the issues of technology development and deployment, and an ethics of sustainability
that can help technology developers, policymakers, and technology consumers make sound
decisions regarding technology would be of enormous benefit to the sustainability framework.