Philosophy and Ethics
Research and development are meant to make human lives better, they are driven by human nature of striving to make the best of available resources. Many governments in developing nations as well as in developed ones invest heavily in research methodologies. A number of drivers of most research and development are mostly related to patent protection and the exclusivity of the research rights. Patent rights need improvement from time to time. This improvement results to changes and thus more and more research being carried out. Additionally, human capital and industry structure facilitate the drive to invest more in R&D. Nonetheless, the need to improve on ideas or methods should drive research and development. Besides, in most cases, the improvements should be intended to reduce financial, material, and preparation costs.
Who makes the decisions about what to develop? Who should? Should every problem be solved? Is every end (development) OK.
The industry’s key players mostly determine what to develop. For instance, the health committee of a developing country may want to increase its population. Such aspiration may necessitate them to come up with strategies that may facilitate the increase of life expectancy. As such, they may invest heavily on getting cure to life threatening diseases or those that are contagious and threaten to the well-being of the country’s population. Moreover, it is the risk takers and business moguls, who determine what is developed. This is so because business leaders may make technical decisions. On the other hand, the risk takers strive to make life simpler and better for the general populace. Generally, all emerging problems should be solved for the betterment of all people.
Is every means (method) to and end OK (even when the end is OK); do the ends justify the means? Is there anything we shouldn’t develop to solve a problem? Assuming we should develop something, is there any methods, materials, inputs, or other domain elements that should not be used?
Stem cell research has significantly changed the course of human life. Nevertheless, embryonic stem cell research has elicited a raging debate based on ethical grounds. The central l issue surrounding the debate focuses on the creation, usage, and destruction of human embryo.
Give an example for each
Of something (thing, device, apparatus, material, technology) that has been developed that should have been developed.
Vaccines have improved the quality of life, and enhanced active immunity that has helped in increasing life expectancy. Creation of vaccines has helped in controlling bacterial diseases that caused many deaths as witnessed in the past.
b. Of something that has been developed that should not have been. Remember
what a development is in this class and the definition of technology for the class.
The use of bio weapons is something that should have not been considered in the first place. For instance, the creation of the Ebola hemorrhagic fever proved to be a bad discovery that led to many deaths because of its contagiousness. Many different countries in the advent of the Great War also used biological weapons. These were rather destructive with recurrent mutation and disability consequences for generations to come (Billauer, 2016).While such developments may have given warring factions an edge over their enemies, the same pathogens meant for the enemies front line, also affected the civilians.
5. Give an example each:
a. Of something that is being researched for development that should be developed
Artificial intelligence is a technology that should continue to be developed. It has the potential to change the course of human history. Brooks (1991) asserts that artificial intelligence has the capacity to impact human life positively largely due to the dependence of the internet to run day-to-day life.
b. Of something that is being researched for development that should not be.
A technology that should not be developed is mind reading devices. The ability to read peoples mind would mean that no one would be safe. Individual’s privacy would be violated in that it would be hard to keep ones thoughts to oneself. If such a technology is developed, it will mean that criminal activities would increase and many governments would adopt a totalitarian rule of law, prior to monitoring its most radical citizens in the society.
References
Billauer, B. P. (2016). Weapons of Mass Hysteria (Wmh), Faulty Bio-Threat Predictions and its Impact on National (In) Security. Faulty Bio-Threat Predictions and its Impact on National (In) Security.
Brooks, R. A. (1991). Intelligence without representation. Artificial intelligence, 47(1), 139-159.
