technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

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technological progress: a curse or a blessing? andrea boggio associate professor of legal studies bryant university presented at IIT@POLIMI November 21, 2012

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Talk on the ethics technological progress given to ITT@POLIMI on November 21, 2012.

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Page 1: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

technological progress:a curse or a blessing?

andrea boggioassociate professor of legal

studiesbryant university

presented at IIT@POLIMINovember 21, 2012

Page 2: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<3 issues>

Page 3: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

breadth vs depth

private interests in R&D

Page 4: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<3 issues>

biobankstechnology and risk

human enhancement

Page 5: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<3 issues>

the place of ethical reasoning in technology

development

Page 6: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

< issue #1>

biobanks or genetics databases

Page 7: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

œ

Page 8: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<biobanks>

biobanksor

genetics databases= collections of samples +

data

Page 9: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)
Page 10: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

New technology

New way of doing science

Driven by weak or speculative hypotheses

Generates unpredicted findings

Generates “big data”

Page 11: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

Challenge traditional ways of doing research

New vision

Broad consentOwnership of data

Ownership of samples

Identity issue:

research infrastructures

orpublic health resources?

Page 12: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

Challenge traditional ways of doing research

New vision

Broad consentOwnership of data

Ownership of samples

Identity issue:

research infrastructures

orpublic health resources?

Page 13: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<issue #2>

ethics of risk

Page 14: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<ethics of risk>

what to do when we do not know if something is risky?

Page 15: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<ethics of risk>

GMOsnanotechnology

ignorance

Page 16: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<ethics of risk>

conventional viewrisk = probabilities of

outcomes

precautionary principle vs.risk benefit analysis

Page 17: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<ethics of risk>

risk however is not value-free

not all risks are equal- involuntary

- irreversible harm- incommensurable values

Page 18: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<ethics of risk>

rethinking the conventional view

risk is multilayeredprincipled approachdemocratic values

distribution of benefits/harms

Page 19: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<issue #3>

human enhancement

Page 20: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)
Page 21: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<human enhancement>

changing basic parameters of human life

extending lifespan

physical mood/personality enhancement

cognitive

selecting children

Page 22: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<human enhancement>

are we “tampering” nature, redefining what “being a human” mean, or “optimizing” evolution?

should be worried about fair access?

Page 23: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<human enhancement>

L'homme est la seule créature qui refuse d'être ce qu'elle est. La question est de

savoir si ce refus ne peut l’amener qu’à la destruction des autres et de lui-même…

Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is. The question is: do we know if this refusal can only lead to

destruction of others and of himself…Albert Camus

Page 24: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<human enhancement>

L'homme est la seule créature qui refuse d'être ce qu'elle est. La question est de

savoir si ce refus ne peut l’amener qu’à la destruction des autres et de lui-même…

Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is. The question is: do we

know if this refusal can only lead to the destruction of others and of himself…

Albert Camus

Page 25: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<blessing or curse?>

bioliberation vs. biothreattechnological progress is not inevitable

technological progress is not inconsequential

constantly rethinking our place in this planetindividual choices matter

institutions and processes matterprivate interests in R&D

Page 26: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<blessing or curse?>

bioliberation vs. biothreattechnological progress is not inevitable

technological progress is not inconsequential

constantly rethinking our place in this planetindividual choices matter

institutions and processes matterprivate interests in R&D

Page 27: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<blessing or curse?>

bioliberation vs. biothreattechnological progress is not inevitable

technological progress is not inconsequential

constantly rethinking our place in this planetindividual choices matter

institutions and processes matterprivate interests in R&D

Page 28: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<private investment in R&D>

4 claims

Page 29: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<private investment in R&D>

we live in times of intense commodification

Page 30: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<private investment in R&D>

commodification is particularly objectionable when affecting primary

goods

“the logic of buying and selling no longer applies to material goods alone.

It increasingly governs the whole of life” (Sandel 2012)

Page 31: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<private investment in R&D>

history teaches us thatprofit motive is a dangerous incentive

research on asbestos, tobacco, drug industries

Page 32: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)
Page 33: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

<private investment in R&D>

bioliberation vs. biothreatdepends largely upon private interests

Page 34: Technological progress: blessing or curse? (2012)

Andrea BoggioAssociate Professor of Legal StudiesBryant University

[email protected]