o Aims to assist non-philosophers in
appreciating the value of ethical insights
Human’s Right to Science and Technology
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) – an important document in the history
of human rights.
● Adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly in Paris on December 10,
1948.
● Contains preamble and 30 articles
● First Five Articles outline the basic
individual rights:
o Article 1 – Right to Equality
o Article 2 – Freedom from
Discrimination
o Article 3 – Right to Life,
Liberty, and Personal Security
o Article 4 – Freedom from
Slavery or Servitude
o Article 5 – Freedom from
Torture and Degrading
Treatment
● Article 15 - ICESCR
● Article 27 – Right to Science and
Culture
Ethical Dimension of Science and Technology
Nuremberg Trials – one such trial prosecuted
physicians involved in unethical human
experimentation.
Nuremberg Code – was drafted as a result of
the so-called Doctor’s Trial. A landmark
document in clinical research ethics.
Clinical Research Ethics – one of applications
of applied ethics.
Applied Ethics – branch of Ethics or Moral
Philosophy.
Ethical Decision-Making in Science
Ethical Matrix – developed by Ben Mepham in
the 1990s.
to arrive at ethical judgments.
o Three principles: well-being, autonomy,
and fairness.
Code of Ethics of Scientists and Engineers
Codes of Ethics – guides scientists and
engineers to perform their work in an ethical
manner.
Hippocratic Oath – old code used by
medical practitioners.
National Academy of Science and
Technology (NAST) – published the Ethical
Principles and Guidelines for Filipino
Scientists in 2009.
o Ethical Scientific Practices
o Ethical Use of Science in
Philippine Society
o Conflict of Interest
o Intellectual Honesty
o Weighing the Benefits of
Science vis-à-vis Potential
Harm
o Commitment to Professional
Development as Scientists
o Development of Students and
other Stakeholders
o Advocacy for Scientific
Approaches
NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers (National
Society of Professional Engineers of USA)
Code of Ethics for the Chemistry
Practitioners
Social Dimensions of Science and Technology
Technology – techniques and processes used to
achieve a certain purpose.
o Being considered as object, knowledge,
and activity, it can be viewed as
intention – the commitment to a goal
Albert Borgmann
 ● Substantive View 1. A robot may not injure a human being
● Instrumentalist View or, through inaction, allow a human
● Pluralist View being to come to harm.
● Promise of Technology 2. A robot must obey orders given it by
● Device Paradigm human beings except where such orders
would conflict with the First law.
Robotics: An Example of Contemporary 3. A robot must protect its own existence
Issue in Science and Technology as long as such protection does not
The Singularity is Near: When Humans conflict with the First or Second Law.
Transcend Human Biolodgy Zeroth Law of Robotics – robot should not
o Roy Kurzwell bring harm to humanity, through action or
o Singularity inaction.
o Genetics, Nanotechnology, Robotics Telesurgery – surgeon and patient are separated
(GNR) by long distances.
Background on Robotics Robotic Liability Matrix – assigns weights to
Robotics – use and development of robots. the liabilities to be shouldered by the involved
parties.
Robots – programmable machines that are
capable of motion and interaction with their Social Robots – robots capable of interacting
surroundings. with humans in a human-like fashion.

Artificial Intelligence – field of study that seeks
to develop intelligent computational systems.
Rossum’s Universal Robots
o Karel Capek’s play depicted the
creation of machines that serve as
humanoid slaves.
o Czech word robota which means labor.
Classification of Robots
o Service Robots
o Industrial Robots
o Unimate
o George Devol
o Joseph Engelberger – father of
robotics
Roboethics and Ethical Issues in Advanced
Robotics
Roboethics – coined by Gianmarco Veruggio
Three Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov
o Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility
(ASIMO) by Honda
o Sophia by Hanson Robotics
Information Age – time period in which people
could access information and knowledge easily.
● Also known as Computer Age, Digital
Age, and New Media Age.
● James R. Messenger, firstly conceived
the theory of the Information Age in
1982.
History of Information Age
Print Based – first information revolution.
Pre-Digital – second information revolution
Digital Era
● Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Computer (ENIAC) - first electronic
general purpose computer.
○ February 15, 1946
 ○ Computing system was built by
John Mauchly and J. Presper
Social Media and Social Networking Sites
● Universal Automatic Computer
(UNIVAC I) - first American Social Media - computer-based technology that
commercial computer for business use. facilitates sharing of ideas, thoughts, and
● Internet information through virtual networks and
○ ARPANET communities.
● World Wide Web
○ Web and HTTP ● Friendster - Jonathan Abrams
● LinkedIn
Read the Timeline of Information Age in the ● Myspace - Tom Anderson, Chris
book. DeWolfe, and Jon Hart
● Skype - Swede Niklas Zennstrom and
Computers and Mobile Phones
the Dane Janus Friis
Computer - a machine or device that performs ● Facebook - Mark Zuckerberg
processes, calculations and operations based on ● YouTube
instructions provided by a program. ● Twitter - Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz
Stone, and Evan Williams
● General Purpose Computers
● Tumblr - David Karp
● Specific Purpose Computers
● BizSugar
Types of Computer According to Purpose ● Facebook Messenger
● Instagram - Kevin Systrom and Mike
● Analog Computer - use continuous Krieger
physical phenomena to model the ● Pinterest
problem being solved. ● Viber
● Digital Computer - performs
calculations and logical operations with Issues and Concern of Information Age
quantities represented as digits, usually
● Health Risks - being over-exposed to
in the binary number system.
digital media can take a toll on your
● Hybrid Computer - capable of
mental and emotional well-being.
inputting & outputting in both digital
○ Eyestrain and Hearing
and analog.
Problems
Types of Computer on the Basis of Size ■ Computer Vision
Syndrome
● Supercomputer ○ Brain Cancer
○ SUMMIT ○ Depression
○ IBM Blue Gene ○ Accidents
● Mainframe Computer ■ Anti-Distracted Driving
● Mini Computer or Server Act of 2016
● Micro Computer or Personal Computer ● Information Overloading
● Workstation ● Data Privacy - also known as
Mobile Phones information privacy.
○ Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA
● Motorola DynaTAC 8000x No.10173)
● Angler - Frank Canova ● Cyber Crime
○ Simon Personal Communicator ○ Cybercrime Prevention Act of
2012
 ● Fake News ● produce novel or improved organisms
○ CRAP Test through direct gene modification.
● “recombinant DNA technology” or
“genetic modification”
Most Commonly Approved GMOs
Biodiversity
1. Resistance to Environmental Stress
● variety of all life on Earth. 2. Distance Resistance
○ Biotic - living 3. Consumer or Producer Enhanced
○ Abiotic - non-living 4. Herbicide Tolerance
○ Ecology - study of organisms in 5. Insect Resistance
the place they live in. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)
○ Ecosystem - life forms of plants,
animals, and nonliving things. ● outcome of genetic engineering that
○ Fauna - animal life possesses the desired trait.
○ Flora - indigenous plants
GMO Approved in the Philippines
○ Relative Abundance - relative
proportions of species 1. For direct use or processing
○ Trophic Structure - who eats 2. For propagation
who
Extrinsic Issues in Genetic Engineering
Types of Biodiversity
1. accessibility of these technologies.
● Genetic Diversity - variation in the 2. allocation of scarce resources.
genes of a species individuals. 3. rights and special protections for
● Species Diversity - variability of chimeric entities possessing certain
different species represented in a degrees of intelligence or sentience
community.
never before seen in nonhuman animals.
● Community/Ecosystem Diversity -
4. health risks associated with transgenics
variety of ecosystems in a given region.
and genetically.
● Functional Diversity - range of things
an organism does. 5. modified foods or long-term effects on
the environment when transgenic or
Threats to Biodiversity GMOs are released in the field.
1. Habitat Destruction Intrinsic Issues in Genetic Engineering
2. Over-exploitation 1. fundamental issues arising from the
3. Overpopulation creation of new species of perception of
4. Invasive Alien Species species boundaries as either “fixed” or a
5. Global Climate Change “continuum”.
2. degree of pain/suffering of “traditional”
organisms vs chimeras and transgenics.
3. possibility of creating physical or
behavioral traits in humans due to
Modern Biotechnology
transgenic interventions that may or may
Genetic Engineering not be readily distinguished from what
is usually perceived to be “human”.
 4. identification of genetic engineering
research that should be considered
morally impermissible & banned.
5. redefinition of the term “normal” in
light of the transgenic interventions
undertaken.
Gene and Cell Therapy
● Gene Therapy - modification of an
organism’s gene.
● Cell Therapy - use of living cells to
restore, maintain, or enhance tissue and
organ function.
Four Key Aspects in the Administration of
Gene Therapy
1. Identity of the disease-causing gene.
2. Specific location of the affected cells in
the body.
3. Availability of the working copy of the
gene.
4. Mode of delivery of the working copy of
the gene to the affected cell.
Five Main Types of Gene Therapy
● Gene Addition
● Gene Correction
● Gene Silencing
● Reprogramming
● Cell Elimination
Virus Vector - used by molecular biologists to
deliver genetic material into cells.
In Vivo Gene Therapy - gene is delivered
directly to the person.
Ex Vivo Gene Therapy - removes the person’s
cells and delivers the gene to the cell outside the
body.
Stem Cell Therapy
Stem Cells - forefront of both gene therapy and
cell therapy.
● Pluripotent Stem Cells
● Multipotent Stem Cells
● Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T
Cell Therapy
4 Basic Principles
1. Autonomy
2. Beneficence
3. Justice
4. Non-Maleficence
The Nano World
● Nanoscience - study of phenomena and
manipulation of material at the
nanoscale.
● Nanotechnology - understanding and
control of matter at the atomic and
molecular levels.
○ Richard Feynmann - “There’s
Plenty of Room at the Bottom”
○ Norio Taniguchi - coined the
term nanotechnology.
Types of Electron Microscope
● Transmission Electron Microscopy
● Scanning Electron Microscopy
Scan Tunneling Microscope
Atomic Force Microscope
Fullerenes - sixty or more carbon atoms
Carbon Nanotubes - different properties from
fullerene-type materials.
Issues and Concerns of Nanotechnology
1. Health Risks
2. Environmental Risks
3. Ethical and Social Concerns
Climate Change - significant long-term change
in the expected patterns of average weather of a
region over a significant period of time.
Global Warming - slow increase in the average
of the Earth’s temperature.
● Causes:
○ Greenhouse gasses
○ Manufacturing goods
○ Generating power cutting down
forests
○ Solar radiation
Natural Causes of Climate Change Causes of Energy Crisis
● Volcanic eruptions\ocean currents ● Oil crisis
● Earth’s orbital changes ● Overconsumption
● Precession ● Infrastructure damage from severe
○ Eccentricity weather
○ Obliquity ● Aging infrastructure
○ Variation in Solar Radiation ● Political events
Anthropogenic Causes of Climate Change ● Attack of terrorists on important
● Greenhouse Gasses infrastructure
○ Water vapor Effects of Energy Crisis
○ Carbon dioxide ● Rolling blackouts
○ Methane ● Oil price increase
○ Ozone ● Inflation
○ Nitrous oxide ● Economic uncertainty
○ Hydrofluorocarbons ● Increase in prices 4O domestic goods
● Deforestation ● Retrenchment with the resultant increase
● Coal Mining in Unemployment Level
● Burning of Fossil Fuels ● Increased general poverty
● Industrial Processes ● Poor health delivery system resulting to
● Agriculture deaths
Climate Observations ● Absence/poor quality research with
● Temperature trends resultant low knowledge production
● Melting of glaciers and ice sheets ● Depletion of foreign reserve
● Thermal expansion of the upper oceans ● Devaluation of local currency
● El nino ● Increase in lending rate
○ Drought ● Slow pace of infrastructural
○ Dry spell development
● La nina Sources of Energy
Climate Change Impact Renewable Energy - unlimited amount in
1. Flooding nature.
2. Typhoons ● Solar energy
Energy ● Geothermal energy
● It is the capacity for doing work. ● Wind energy
Forms of Energy ● Biomass energy
1. Heat/Thermal ● Hydroelectric
2. Light/Radiant Non-renewable Energy - takes a long time to
3. Motion/Kinetic replenish.
4. Electrical ● Petroleum products
5. Chemical ● Hydrocarbon gas liquids
6. Nuclear Energy ● Natural gas
7. Gravitational ● Coal
Energy Crisis ● Nuclear energy
● significant shortage in energy supply.