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Tom Børsen and Søren Nors Nielsen

Towards a quick and proper ethical technology assessment : Applying an Ethical assessment model to the case of DDT. Tom Børsen and Søren Nors Nielsen. Techno- anthropology and participation @ Department of Development and planning. Tom Børsen.

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Tom Børsen and Søren Nors Nielsen

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  1. Towards a quick and proper ethicaltechnologyassessment:Applying an Ethicalassessment model to the case of DDT Tom Børsen and Søren Nors Nielsen Techno-anthropology and participation @ Department of Development and planning

  2. Tom Børsen MSc in Chemistry. PhD University Science Education. Associate Professor. Department of Planning and Development Aalborg university Copenhagen DK Study Director of the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in Techno-Anthropology and Sustainable design Teach Philosophy of Science, Technology Ethics, Philosophy of technology and Action Research Applied Ethics of Technology Post-Normal Science / Times Critical Theory of Technology Introduction – 9 OF 12 | 11.01.2016 The Faculty of Engineering and Science AALBORG UNIVERSITy

  3. Dialectics of CHemistry Balancing intentional effects and unintended outcomes A consequence of an uncritical faith in human control over nature that cannot be upheld as an underpinning principle for further technological development This nature can be further explored using the ancient mythology of Hubris and Nemesis. In Greek mythology, hubris refers to dangerously over-confidence in ones’ personal qualities leading to behaviour that defies the norms protected by the ancient gods. Nemesis refers to the revenging gods’ punishment of the perpetrator of hubris. If one does not respect technology’s dialectical nature, and only focus on the technology’s positive potential, one commits Hubris. The myth can be translated into a relevant lesson for the use of DDT: undesirable consequences for the environment and society – Nemesis – arise as a result of uncritical and intensive use of DDT – hubris

  4. “chemical boomerangs” “chemical Sputniks” -- compounds developed with the intention of solving individual or social problems yet also containing unforeseen negative (eco)toxicological effects, such as being potential contaminators of air, water, sediments, soil, plants, animals, and humans. In other words, these compounds come back like boomerangs to create new problems that call for further problem-solving. DDT is an example of a chemical boomerang. AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  5. Outline of paper • Presentation of tool to assessethicalissues of Industialcompounds [=quick and proper ethicaltechnologyassessment] • Explicitation of Ethical Values, standards, norms, Principles and virtuesinvolved in the model • Application of the tool to the case of DDT • (Has alsobeenapplied to other cases • Health informatics’ system • New pigsty for conventionalproduction of pork • [Nuclearweapons] • [MRF vaccine]) • Next steps in the development of the model • Additonal Methodologicalreflections • [Ethicaltechnologyassessment = the study and evaluation of ethical (rather than societal) issues emerging from new technologies] AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  6. Results at a glance “Within the DDT case three major clusters of ethical problems are identified: One concerning environmental ethics Another relates to the impact on human health, including, in particular, the lethal, carcinogenic, and sub-lethal aspects introduced by suspected endocrine disrupting effects. A third focuses on the subject of justice and the distribution of risks, costs, and benefits.”

  7. Four step model – tool for Quick and proper ethicaltechnologyassessment • Identification of intended beneficial consequences, potential misuse, unintended adverse side-effects and long-term consequences for culture and society. • Linkage of intended consequences, misuse, adverse effects and cultural implications to appropriate ethical values. • Identification of ethical dilemmas related to a specific use of the chemical compound under assessment. • Formulation of appropriate technological and institution design criteria that can transcend the identified ethical dilemmas. AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  8. Commonsense morality * • takes a number of ethical concerns into account • desire to combine and balance different ethical concerns of a series of involved stakeholders • inspired by Tom L Beauchamp and James Childress (1994) • fulfilment and balance of four ethical principles – respect for autonomy, utility, minimal harm and justice – can guide decisions regarding concrete ethical dilemmas AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  9. Commonsense morality ** • does not insist on only one ethical principle • contradictions between different stakeholders’ ethical concerns, and this is the starting point for common-sense morality • legitimate ethical concerns of stakeholders are in this paper embedded or hidden in different ethical values (Problem?) • balance ethical concerns that point in different directions and to formulate ethical compromises that all affected parties can accept • Supported by majority of people in society • name common-sense implies this ethical theory cherishes common-sense and believes in humans’ ability to make informed and rational judgments • Phronesis – practical wisdom – Judgment (Aristotle) AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  10. Phronesis ”The person possessing practical wisdom (phronimus) has knowledge of how to behave in eachparticularcircumstancethatcan never beequated with or reduced to knowledge of general truth”. (Flyvbjerg 2001). One of Aristotle’sintellectualvirtues: Epistéme (επιστημη) – scientificknowledge Techné(τεχνη) – instrumental/technicalrationality Phronesis(φτόνησις) – valuerationality/practical wisdom Nous (νούς): -- intelligence/rational intuition Sophia (σοφίαούς) – theoreticalwisdom.

  11. the four original ethical standards of common-sense morality need to be supplemented with ethical values originating from environmental ethics. Hence, we have included three different ethical principles from this branch of ethics: The precautionary principle, which is a well-established concept in regulation of the European Union (EU, 2000); Stewardship for the Earth which originates in Hans Jonas’ philosophy (1984); and Respect for nature which is extracted from Arne Næss’ writings on deep ecology (1973). … discussions have shown that ethical values inspired from Aristotelian ethics were not present, and therefore, two Aristotelian ethical standards have been added: ‘Humility’ and ‘social stability’. AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  12. + Compassion. AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  13. AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  14. AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  15. Not applying the ethical matrix

  16. DDT: STEP 1 • intended consequences, potential misuse, adverse effects, and long term consequences for society and culture of DDT: • Increase and ensure production of crop plants • Preventionof insect-borne illness • Human and ecological health effects, including bio-concentration and -magnification • Overuse giving raise to resistance among target organisms and uptake in organisms • Agriculture based on monocultures that threats self-sustaining local communities AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  17. AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  18. DDT: Step 2 (Link to values) AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  19. DDT: STEP 3 (identify dilemmas) unethicalsituations: Use of DDT most be regulated and restricted to prevent overuse Use of DDT in agriculture is not ethical; modest use of DDT to combat malaria is ethicaldilemma: Anthropocentric versus environmentalconcerns Can the utility, safety, and security that a moderate use of DDT provides in our combat against disease be justified at the cost of i) our stewardship for the Earth and respect for nature, and / or ii) uncertain potential negative consequences associated with a moderate use of DDT? AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  20. DDT: STEP 4 (Design criteria) To preventunethical situations and transcend the ethical dilemmawe suggest AppropriateLegislation The use DDT is now regulated under the Stockholm Convention (2008) that has been signed – but not ratified - by 180 countries. Today it is illegal to use DDT with the purpose of protecting crops against pests … Recently, the restricted use of the compound for eradicating disease vectors has been lifted in the Stockholm Convention research in the following areas: Holistic alternatives to pesticides in agriculture Alternatives to DDT in prevention of vector-borne diseases Earlywarningmechanisms AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  21. Specifying values Sustainability, stewardship for the earth Prevent pollution surface water Context dependent: e.g. standards for drinking water purification Values: Generally considered important to be upheld Norms: Formulated to realise values Design criteria: Very specific criteria for complying with norms

  22. Construction of value hierarchy • Building on (Van de Poel 2014) • A value hierarchy can be constructed top-down or bottom-up • Most arguments are voiced on the level of norms

  23. Next steps: The tool’s Target group * • Developed to beused by individualtechnicalexpertswhoare not familiar with ethics, but need a quick and proper ethicaltechnologyassessmenttool. • Can it beused as a boundaryobject in extended peer communities? To construct a trading zone betweenstakeholders with differentethicalvalues? • "trading zone" is A metaphor in order to explain how Experts from different paradigms went about collaborating with each other. • aboundary object is an artifact or procedure used in different ways by different communities. Boundary objects are plastic, interpreted differently across communities but with enough immutable content to maintain integrity for different communities so that they can collaborate and negotiate it. AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  24. Extended peer-review a process where lead authors draft policy advice or draft legislation based on ethical technology assessments which, after an informal review and revision, is circulated for formal review to different stakeholder. • Can the extended peer-community conduct the ethical technology assessment as a joint venture? • Each stakeholder will engage in a ‘negotiation in good faith’. Each advances their case on the basis of their own clear and open perspective and commitments. All participants recognizes their uncertainties and areas of ignorance, and respect the integrity of those with whom they disagree. • Examples from Chemistry: Stockholm convention, CWC, REACH, Montreal Protocol.

  25. Trading zones

  26. Next steps: The role of anthropological studies in ethicaltechnologyassessment ** Judgment Assessment Method and analysisuntilnowbased on input from news media and scientificpapers (Litt. review) Rooted in biology Next steps Anthropological studies of users Co-creation of technological and institutional design Concrete Applied Ethics Impact of Values Assessed Technology AALBORG UNIVERSITY

  27. conclusion • Presented a commonsense ethicaltechnologyassessmenttool • Example: Use of DDT • Next steps: extention of the targetgroup from individualexperts to extended peer communities & interaction with ethnographic studies of technologyusers / stakeholders AALBORG UNIVERSITY

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