This learning module on ethical impacts of nanotechnology was developed for an existing core cour... more This learning module on ethical impacts of nanotechnology was developed for an existing core course with an interdisciplinary teaching team. The module incorporates a set of materials used to develop a faculty training workshop, develop a new curricular module on nanotechnology, and assess student knowledge. It consists of a workshop agenda, bibliography and other resources for faculty, descriptions of class activities, lecture slides, and assessment materials including a survey and interview protocol.
International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2002
Qualitative inquiry that commences with the concept, rather than the phenomenon itself, is subjec... more Qualitative inquiry that commences with the concept, rather than the phenomenon itself, is subject to violating the tenet of induction, thus is exposed to particular threats of invalidity. In this symposium, using the examples of the concepts of uncertainty, trust, vulnerability and suffering, and interview and videotaped data, we discuss strategies to maintain the inductive thrust, and hence validity, during data analysis. The authors present the use of a skeletal framework and scaffold as techniques to “frame” the concept, while, at the same time, continuing to further develop the concept.
International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2002
Analytic induction is a sacred tenet of qualitative inquiry. 1 Therefore, when one begins a proje... more Analytic induction is a sacred tenet of qualitative inquiry. 1 Therefore, when one begins a project focusing on concept of interest (rather than allowing the concepts to emerge from the data per se), how does one maintain a valid approach? When commencing inquiry with a chosen concept or phenomena of interest, rather than with a question from the data per se about what is going on, how does one control deductive tendencies to see what one desires to see and which threaten validity? Difficulties stem from the nature of induction itself – Is analytic induction an impossible operation in qualitative research, as Popper (1963/65) suggests? In this section, we first discuss Popper's concern, followed by a discussion of two major threats that may prevent an inductive approach in qualitative research.2 The first threat is the “pink elephant paradox;? the second is the avoidance of conceptual tunnel vision or, specifically, how does the researcher decontextualize the concept of interest...
T his volume is a mammoth undertaking, nearly ten years in the making and uniting some eighty con... more T his volume is a mammoth undertaking, nearly ten years in the making and uniting some eighty contributors. It off ers a broad-based (indeed, astonishingly so) introduction to the fi eld of interdisciplinarity, or knowledge production that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries. Th e Handbook is divided into fi ve sections: "Th e Terrain of Knowledge," which introduces interdisciplinarity (ID) and the study of "knowledge formations"; "Interdisciplinarity in the Disciplines," short case studies of broad disciplinary areas and the means by which they can (or should) put interdisciplinarity into practice; "Knowledge Interdisciplined," profi ling the emergence of new knowledge formations through interdisciplinarity; "Institutionalizing Interdisciplinarity," examining the issues with interdisciplinarity and academic processes such as pedagogy, peer review, and the evaluation of research; and "Knowledge Transdisciplined," partly a challenging, theoretically focused series of essays and partly a small set of case studies that point towards new methods of performing research, primarily in the biological and health sciences. (Trans-disciplinary research here is specifi cally defi ned as addressing problems such as disease, pollution, and social issues.) Th e thoughtful organization makes the book easy to navigate for people with diff erent interests.
Technology has increasing impacts on society and applications in education. Technology education,... more Technology has increasing impacts on society and applications in education. Technology education, as a distinct area of study in K-12 schools, is slowly gaining a recognized place in the school curriculum that reflects the importance of these impacts. But what is the application of philosophy to technology? This brief textbook introduction to the philosophy of technology in the highly respected Prentice Hall "Foundations of Philosophy Series"concerned, as it is, with what education in its deepest sense has to say about technology -provides an excellent starting place for addressing this question. The text opens with an overview of philosophy as "the sustained effort at wondering critically about . . . comprehensive issues" (p. 2) applied to technology. What constitutes technological knowledge (as distinct from, say, scientific knowledge)? What is the relation between technology and human values. How are technologically constructed objects (artifacts) different from natural objects? Such questions point readily to a need to define technology. Chapter two constitutes a stimulating consideration of a number of key questions related to the concept of technology. Must technology always be material? Is it always science-based? Can animals have technologies? Is technology natural or unnatural? Developing a definition that steers a middle course between the Scylla of excessive narrowness and the Charybdis of over generality, Ferré defines technology as "practical implementations of intelligence" (p. 26). Building on this definition chapter three goes into greater detail to examine technology as the practical implementation of practical intelligence (craft), while chapter four describes that peculiarly modern form of technology which is the practical implementation of theoretical intelligence (science).
Ali Ansari's "The Greening of Engineers" 1 rightly identifies a fundamental issue in engineering ... more Ali Ansari's "The Greening of Engineers" 1 rightly identifies a fundamental issue in engineering education: the need to develop a critical but balanced perspective on the engineering conquest of nature. At the same time, his experience may present an overly simple opposition between mechanical and organic worldviews. In agreement with his general call for the enlargement of engineering curricula, let us thus describe a complementary curricular revision at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). CSM was founded in 1874, just after the discovery of gold and silver in the Colorado Territory (which became a state in 1876). It is a small (about 2500 undergraduates and 800 graduate students), public research university which, by state law, "shall have a unique mission in energy, mineral, and materials science and engineering." 2 According to its own mission statement, CSM is also dedicated to "promoting stewardship of the Earth upon which all life and development depend." 3 This is a rather remarkable commitment for a public university, perhaps even more so for a technological institution of higher education. In the early 1990s, in the kind of effort periodically undertaken by all bureaucratic institutions that wish to update their activities, CSM drafted what it calls a "Profile of the Colorado School of Mines Graduate" (approved, November 1994), 4 in order to point toward the curricular content required by its mission. Along with specialized technical knowledge and effective communication skills, professional flexibility and the ability to do teamwork in a global economy, CSM "graduates should exhibit ethical behavior and integrity ... [and] should be responsible citizens who serve society, particularly through stewardship of the environment." 5 Following the profile development, CSM undertook a comprehensive revision of its undergraduate curriculum. In pursuit especially of the fifth element of the graduate profile, the Division of Liberal Arts and International Studies (LAIS), under the leadership of the Division's Director, Professor Arthur Sacks, proposed creation of a 4-
The inclusion of competences related to social context in engineers’ education has been recommend... more The inclusion of competences related to social context in engineers’ education has been recommended by several organizations and authors. Among these abilities appears the development of reflective and behavioral skills or the awareness of public debate in engineering. In order to create an engineer profile with expanded social commitment, some criteria have been implemented by accreditation boards.
RESUMEN La filosofía no ha prestado atención suficiente a la ingeniería. No obstante, la ingenier... more RESUMEN La filosofía no ha prestado atención suficiente a la ingeniería. No obstante, la ingeniería no debería usar este olvido como excusa para ignorar a la filosofía. La argumentación que se presenta aquí es que la filosofía es importante para la ingeniería por, al menos, tres razones. En primer lugar, la filosofía es necesaria para que los ingenieros puedan comprender y defenderse de las críticas filosóficas. De hecho, existe una tradición de filosofía de la ingeniería que ha sido pasada por alto incluso por los propios ingenieros. En segundo lugar, la filosofía, especialmente la ética, es necesaria para ayudar a los ingenieros a habérselas con problemas éticos profesionales. El estudio de los requisitos en ética de los curricula de los ingenieros en los Estados Unidos de América apoya este punto. En tercer lugar, dado el carácter inherentemente filosófico de la ingeniería, la filosofía puede funcionar efectivamente como un medio para lograr una mayor auto-comprensión de la propia ingeniería.
To better understand the dimensions of ethics and policy learning in undergraduates, NanoSTEP wil... more To better understand the dimensions of ethics and policy learning in undergraduates, NanoSTEP will investigate whether the inclusion of nanotechnologyrelated societal, ethical, environmental, and economic issues at multiple levels in the curriculum can promote earlier student interest in and greater sensitivity to the social complexities of engineering innovation. Another area that deserves critical examination is the relationship between emerging technologies and underserved populations, with respect to the potential for environmental and social justice problems and deficiencies in access to opportunities for research and education.
Argumentos de razón técnica: Revista española de ciencia, tecnología y sociedad, y filosofía de la tecnología, 2002
Resumen: Las recientes llamadas de atención desde la comunidad científica para una «cartera más e... more Resumen: Las recientes llamadas de atención desde la comunidad científica para una «cartera más equilibrada» en la inversión pública en ciencia han sostenido la necesidad de complementar los incrementos en los fondos para la investigación biomédica con aumentos en los soportes de las investigaciones físicas, informáticas y de materiales junto con un apoyo reforzado al nivel superior de educación científica. Tales argumentos presumen que la ciencia es un bien público no cualificado. El presente artículo, sin embargo, sugiere ...
Revista iberoamericana de ciencia tecnología y sociedad, Apr 1, 2007
Should ethical matters make use of political means to influence the direction of scientific resea... more Should ethical matters make use of political means to influence the direction of scientific research? To what extent the influence of political and economic competition in the trajectory of scientific research could-or should-be allowed? These questions guide the critical review of the relations between science and policy made by the authors. In order to carry out this task they offer an analysis of the historical antecedents of the policy of science and they also provide comparative data and ethical reflections on the policy of scientific budget. Finally, ...
Bernard Stiegler's contributions to political philosophy in the presence of technology are honore... more Bernard Stiegler's contributions to political philosophy in the presence of technology are honored and complemented by imagining an encounter with the thought of Leo Strauss. The concept of sovereignty is taken as pivotal. Notions of sovereignty find expression not only in nation state politics but also in engineering and technology. Pierre Manent calls attention to further roots in Christian theology. The complexities and challenges of this interweaving point suggest the need for a "Tractatus Politico-Technologicus."
By studying only closed-ended technical problems, environmental engineering students often fail t... more By studying only closed-ended technical problems, environmental engineering students often fail to appreciate critical interrelations between technical and nontechnical aspects of sanitation. To address this deficiency, a case-study module on sanitation for the developing world was implemented in a senior/graduate level onsite water reclamation course. The goal was to increase student awareness of the interplay between technical and nontechnical complexities when designing and implementing sanitation systems in both the developed and developing world. Learning objectives included increasing student familiarity with (1) perceptions and treatment options of sanitary waste in developing countries and (2) nontechnical constraints and issues (such as economic, social, cultural, political, and ethical) associated with sanitation. Content was integrated into the course using a case-study approach. Between weeks three and seven of a 15-week semester, students investigated and contrasted com...
International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2002
Qualitative inquiry that commences with the concept, rather than the phenomenon itself, is subjec... more Qualitative inquiry that commences with the concept, rather than the phenomenon itself, is subject to violating the tenet of induction, thus is exposed to particular threats of invalidity. In this symposium, using the examples of the concepts of uncertainty, trust, vulnerability and suffering, and interview and videotaped data, we discuss strategies to maintain the inductive thrust, and hence validity, during data analysis. The authors present the use of a skeletal framework and scaffold as techniques to “frame? the concept, while, at the same time, continuing to further develop the concept.
This book addresses the most fundamental challenge of the contemporary world: How to live with ad... more This book addresses the most fundamental challenge of the contemporary world: How to live with advancing science and technology. What follows is an initial, brief appreciation of a volume that will no doubt be returned to on other occasionsfor both positive and negative reasons. It tells many interesting stories and is full of useful information. Yet despite such virtues, it fails to deal in the deepest ways with its fundamental challenge. An alternative title for this book review could have been "A Responsible, All Too Responsible, Criticism of Technology.
This learning module on ethical impacts of nanotechnology was developed for an existing core cour... more This learning module on ethical impacts of nanotechnology was developed for an existing core course with an interdisciplinary teaching team. The module incorporates a set of materials used to develop a faculty training workshop, develop a new curricular module on nanotechnology, and assess student knowledge. It consists of a workshop agenda, bibliography and other resources for faculty, descriptions of class activities, lecture slides, and assessment materials including a survey and interview protocol.
International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2002
Qualitative inquiry that commences with the concept, rather than the phenomenon itself, is subjec... more Qualitative inquiry that commences with the concept, rather than the phenomenon itself, is subject to violating the tenet of induction, thus is exposed to particular threats of invalidity. In this symposium, using the examples of the concepts of uncertainty, trust, vulnerability and suffering, and interview and videotaped data, we discuss strategies to maintain the inductive thrust, and hence validity, during data analysis. The authors present the use of a skeletal framework and scaffold as techniques to “frame” the concept, while, at the same time, continuing to further develop the concept.
International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2002
Analytic induction is a sacred tenet of qualitative inquiry. 1 Therefore, when one begins a proje... more Analytic induction is a sacred tenet of qualitative inquiry. 1 Therefore, when one begins a project focusing on concept of interest (rather than allowing the concepts to emerge from the data per se), how does one maintain a valid approach? When commencing inquiry with a chosen concept or phenomena of interest, rather than with a question from the data per se about what is going on, how does one control deductive tendencies to see what one desires to see and which threaten validity? Difficulties stem from the nature of induction itself – Is analytic induction an impossible operation in qualitative research, as Popper (1963/65) suggests? In this section, we first discuss Popper's concern, followed by a discussion of two major threats that may prevent an inductive approach in qualitative research.2 The first threat is the “pink elephant paradox;? the second is the avoidance of conceptual tunnel vision or, specifically, how does the researcher decontextualize the concept of interest...
T his volume is a mammoth undertaking, nearly ten years in the making and uniting some eighty con... more T his volume is a mammoth undertaking, nearly ten years in the making and uniting some eighty contributors. It off ers a broad-based (indeed, astonishingly so) introduction to the fi eld of interdisciplinarity, or knowledge production that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries. Th e Handbook is divided into fi ve sections: "Th e Terrain of Knowledge," which introduces interdisciplinarity (ID) and the study of "knowledge formations"; "Interdisciplinarity in the Disciplines," short case studies of broad disciplinary areas and the means by which they can (or should) put interdisciplinarity into practice; "Knowledge Interdisciplined," profi ling the emergence of new knowledge formations through interdisciplinarity; "Institutionalizing Interdisciplinarity," examining the issues with interdisciplinarity and academic processes such as pedagogy, peer review, and the evaluation of research; and "Knowledge Transdisciplined," partly a challenging, theoretically focused series of essays and partly a small set of case studies that point towards new methods of performing research, primarily in the biological and health sciences. (Trans-disciplinary research here is specifi cally defi ned as addressing problems such as disease, pollution, and social issues.) Th e thoughtful organization makes the book easy to navigate for people with diff erent interests.
Technology has increasing impacts on society and applications in education. Technology education,... more Technology has increasing impacts on society and applications in education. Technology education, as a distinct area of study in K-12 schools, is slowly gaining a recognized place in the school curriculum that reflects the importance of these impacts. But what is the application of philosophy to technology? This brief textbook introduction to the philosophy of technology in the highly respected Prentice Hall "Foundations of Philosophy Series"concerned, as it is, with what education in its deepest sense has to say about technology -provides an excellent starting place for addressing this question. The text opens with an overview of philosophy as "the sustained effort at wondering critically about . . . comprehensive issues" (p. 2) applied to technology. What constitutes technological knowledge (as distinct from, say, scientific knowledge)? What is the relation between technology and human values. How are technologically constructed objects (artifacts) different from natural objects? Such questions point readily to a need to define technology. Chapter two constitutes a stimulating consideration of a number of key questions related to the concept of technology. Must technology always be material? Is it always science-based? Can animals have technologies? Is technology natural or unnatural? Developing a definition that steers a middle course between the Scylla of excessive narrowness and the Charybdis of over generality, Ferré defines technology as "practical implementations of intelligence" (p. 26). Building on this definition chapter three goes into greater detail to examine technology as the practical implementation of practical intelligence (craft), while chapter four describes that peculiarly modern form of technology which is the practical implementation of theoretical intelligence (science).
Ali Ansari's "The Greening of Engineers" 1 rightly identifies a fundamental issue in engineering ... more Ali Ansari's "The Greening of Engineers" 1 rightly identifies a fundamental issue in engineering education: the need to develop a critical but balanced perspective on the engineering conquest of nature. At the same time, his experience may present an overly simple opposition between mechanical and organic worldviews. In agreement with his general call for the enlargement of engineering curricula, let us thus describe a complementary curricular revision at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). CSM was founded in 1874, just after the discovery of gold and silver in the Colorado Territory (which became a state in 1876). It is a small (about 2500 undergraduates and 800 graduate students), public research university which, by state law, "shall have a unique mission in energy, mineral, and materials science and engineering." 2 According to its own mission statement, CSM is also dedicated to "promoting stewardship of the Earth upon which all life and development depend." 3 This is a rather remarkable commitment for a public university, perhaps even more so for a technological institution of higher education. In the early 1990s, in the kind of effort periodically undertaken by all bureaucratic institutions that wish to update their activities, CSM drafted what it calls a "Profile of the Colorado School of Mines Graduate" (approved, November 1994), 4 in order to point toward the curricular content required by its mission. Along with specialized technical knowledge and effective communication skills, professional flexibility and the ability to do teamwork in a global economy, CSM "graduates should exhibit ethical behavior and integrity ... [and] should be responsible citizens who serve society, particularly through stewardship of the environment." 5 Following the profile development, CSM undertook a comprehensive revision of its undergraduate curriculum. In pursuit especially of the fifth element of the graduate profile, the Division of Liberal Arts and International Studies (LAIS), under the leadership of the Division's Director, Professor Arthur Sacks, proposed creation of a 4-
The inclusion of competences related to social context in engineers’ education has been recommend... more The inclusion of competences related to social context in engineers’ education has been recommended by several organizations and authors. Among these abilities appears the development of reflective and behavioral skills or the awareness of public debate in engineering. In order to create an engineer profile with expanded social commitment, some criteria have been implemented by accreditation boards.
RESUMEN La filosofía no ha prestado atención suficiente a la ingeniería. No obstante, la ingenier... more RESUMEN La filosofía no ha prestado atención suficiente a la ingeniería. No obstante, la ingeniería no debería usar este olvido como excusa para ignorar a la filosofía. La argumentación que se presenta aquí es que la filosofía es importante para la ingeniería por, al menos, tres razones. En primer lugar, la filosofía es necesaria para que los ingenieros puedan comprender y defenderse de las críticas filosóficas. De hecho, existe una tradición de filosofía de la ingeniería que ha sido pasada por alto incluso por los propios ingenieros. En segundo lugar, la filosofía, especialmente la ética, es necesaria para ayudar a los ingenieros a habérselas con problemas éticos profesionales. El estudio de los requisitos en ética de los curricula de los ingenieros en los Estados Unidos de América apoya este punto. En tercer lugar, dado el carácter inherentemente filosófico de la ingeniería, la filosofía puede funcionar efectivamente como un medio para lograr una mayor auto-comprensión de la propia ingeniería.
To better understand the dimensions of ethics and policy learning in undergraduates, NanoSTEP wil... more To better understand the dimensions of ethics and policy learning in undergraduates, NanoSTEP will investigate whether the inclusion of nanotechnologyrelated societal, ethical, environmental, and economic issues at multiple levels in the curriculum can promote earlier student interest in and greater sensitivity to the social complexities of engineering innovation. Another area that deserves critical examination is the relationship between emerging technologies and underserved populations, with respect to the potential for environmental and social justice problems and deficiencies in access to opportunities for research and education.
Argumentos de razón técnica: Revista española de ciencia, tecnología y sociedad, y filosofía de la tecnología, 2002
Resumen: Las recientes llamadas de atención desde la comunidad científica para una «cartera más e... more Resumen: Las recientes llamadas de atención desde la comunidad científica para una «cartera más equilibrada» en la inversión pública en ciencia han sostenido la necesidad de complementar los incrementos en los fondos para la investigación biomédica con aumentos en los soportes de las investigaciones físicas, informáticas y de materiales junto con un apoyo reforzado al nivel superior de educación científica. Tales argumentos presumen que la ciencia es un bien público no cualificado. El presente artículo, sin embargo, sugiere ...
Revista iberoamericana de ciencia tecnología y sociedad, Apr 1, 2007
Should ethical matters make use of political means to influence the direction of scientific resea... more Should ethical matters make use of political means to influence the direction of scientific research? To what extent the influence of political and economic competition in the trajectory of scientific research could-or should-be allowed? These questions guide the critical review of the relations between science and policy made by the authors. In order to carry out this task they offer an analysis of the historical antecedents of the policy of science and they also provide comparative data and ethical reflections on the policy of scientific budget. Finally, ...
Bernard Stiegler's contributions to political philosophy in the presence of technology are honore... more Bernard Stiegler's contributions to political philosophy in the presence of technology are honored and complemented by imagining an encounter with the thought of Leo Strauss. The concept of sovereignty is taken as pivotal. Notions of sovereignty find expression not only in nation state politics but also in engineering and technology. Pierre Manent calls attention to further roots in Christian theology. The complexities and challenges of this interweaving point suggest the need for a "Tractatus Politico-Technologicus."
By studying only closed-ended technical problems, environmental engineering students often fail t... more By studying only closed-ended technical problems, environmental engineering students often fail to appreciate critical interrelations between technical and nontechnical aspects of sanitation. To address this deficiency, a case-study module on sanitation for the developing world was implemented in a senior/graduate level onsite water reclamation course. The goal was to increase student awareness of the interplay between technical and nontechnical complexities when designing and implementing sanitation systems in both the developed and developing world. Learning objectives included increasing student familiarity with (1) perceptions and treatment options of sanitary waste in developing countries and (2) nontechnical constraints and issues (such as economic, social, cultural, political, and ethical) associated with sanitation. Content was integrated into the course using a case-study approach. Between weeks three and seven of a 15-week semester, students investigated and contrasted com...
International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2002
Qualitative inquiry that commences with the concept, rather than the phenomenon itself, is subjec... more Qualitative inquiry that commences with the concept, rather than the phenomenon itself, is subject to violating the tenet of induction, thus is exposed to particular threats of invalidity. In this symposium, using the examples of the concepts of uncertainty, trust, vulnerability and suffering, and interview and videotaped data, we discuss strategies to maintain the inductive thrust, and hence validity, during data analysis. The authors present the use of a skeletal framework and scaffold as techniques to “frame? the concept, while, at the same time, continuing to further develop the concept.
This book addresses the most fundamental challenge of the contemporary world: How to live with ad... more This book addresses the most fundamental challenge of the contemporary world: How to live with advancing science and technology. What follows is an initial, brief appreciation of a volume that will no doubt be returned to on other occasionsfor both positive and negative reasons. It tells many interesting stories and is full of useful information. Yet despite such virtues, it fails to deal in the deepest ways with its fundamental challenge. An alternative title for this book review could have been "A Responsible, All Too Responsible, Criticism of Technology.
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