Technology has the potential to enhance human autonomy and freedom, yet it can also pose risks by manipulating users or undermining autonomy in subtle ways. To address this issue, methods such as Value Sensitive Design and ethics-by-design have gained popularity over the past decade. These approaches are crucial for embedding core values, like human autonomy, into the early stages of technology design and development.

This course acquaints students with current theories and approaches to the relations between mind, body, and technology. Our entry point is the central role of the human mind in the European and Anglo-American tradition of Philosophy. Simply put, human beings are considered to have a specific kind of mind, that makes them human.

Promises and expectations concerning new and emerging science and technologies (NEST) abound in contemporary societies. How should we anticipate and evaluate these new and emerging sciences and technologies and the impacts they may have on society? In this course we start by identifying the specific challenges emerging technologies pose to their ethical and societal evaluation. Since NEST are not fully developed yet, the object of evaluation is rather elusive and replete with uncertainties. Taking a pragmatist approach to the ethical and societal evaluation of NEST, the course subsequently first investigates the informal, (‘de facto’) processes of anticipation and evaluation of NEST taking place in society, analysing their character, strengths and weaknesses. We then ask how more systematic (‘dedicated’) methods to anticipate and/or evaluate NEST (developed in technology assessment, ethics and STS more generally) could contribute to the quality of societal anticipation and evaluation of NEST. To what extent can such methods help to make innovation processes more reflective of societal and moral value and responsible (as recent calls for ‘Responsible Research & Innovation’ seem to suggest)? What do these methods assume about what ‘good anticipation and evaluation’ of NEST entails, and how valid are these assumptions? What is the role and added value of ethical and Technology Assessment -expertise? The course ends with two sessions dedicated to topical subjects (capita selecta) in the philosophical, ethical and social science literature on anticipation and evaluation of NEST, which may vary from year to year.

We are excited to announce that the 4TU.Ethics workshop about critical theory and philosophy of technology will take place on the 13th of December 2024 at Utrecht University! Our target audience are PhD candidates working on the ethics and philosophy of technology with a curiosity towards critical theory. Other interested people (ReMa students and other researchers) are welcome to inquire about possibilities via email. The day will be centered around the question: 

The PhD council is excited to invite you to the next PhD Writing Retreat, taking place on Nov 18-22 2024, on a beautiful farm in Sevenum. The retreat offers a unique opportunity to break away from the distractions of university life and immerse yourself in focused, productive writing time, all while enjoying the calming surroundings of nature and the support of fellow PhD students. You’ll have uninterrupted time to focus on your writing while being guided by two experienced writing coaches who will help you develop strategies to move past common challenges and will also be available for one-on-one sessions. While the daytime hours are dedicated to intensive writing, the evenings will feature fun and relaxing activities designed to help you recharge and enjoy the company of other colleagues.

Moral philosophy before the mid-Twentieth Century developed under the implicit assumption that outcomes could be treated as determinate. Risks and probabilities, when mentioned, were treated as a side issue. By contrast, our current understanding of agency and causation is probabilistic and foregrounds issues of uncertainty. In addition, there is significant attention to the disruption surrounding fast-paced societal and technological change. Moral philosophy, epistemology, and applied ethics have adapted to this understanding, but the philosophical issues are far from settled. This is an exciting area of philosophical and interdisciplinary research.

Ethics and Technology PhD programme candidates.

Date: November 7, 2024