Humanity and Technology: Global Ethics 9781305024571, 1305024575

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Timeline of Significant Technological Innovations Below are a number of key events related primarily to technological innovations, including both devices and processes, although not all are inventions in the normal sense of the word. In the authors’ views, these innovations have had significant impact on human life. They are listed in alphabetical order to make it easier to locate each specific item. A few events were included merely for their whimsical value because they have become so much a part of our culture and are technologically based. To the extent possible, the dates are accurate and reflect current thinking although not all sources agree on a specific date for many of the ancient items. Establishing a specific date of discovery or invention for a device or process is very difficult. In some cases, the date has been established based on when a particular name was first used, but there are many earlier innovations and discoveries that the specific invention was based upon. For example, the first examples of what eventually became the bicycle as we know it today

Event

Date

Event

Date

Abacus Aqueduct Agriculture (dry) Air conditioner Airplane (first flight) Airplane (jet) Algebra (Boolean) Alphabet Amniocentesis Amphibious life Anesthetic (ether) Aqueduct Arch (masonry) Assembly line Astrolabe Astronomical calculator (Antikythera mechanism) ATM (unlinked /linked) Atomic bomb Audio cassette Automobile Ball bearings Balloon (hot air)

5000 BcE 700 BCE 8000 BcE 1902 1908 1939 1854 1600 BcE 1952 410 mya 1842 1000 BcE 3500 BcE 1913 1100 BcE

Beer Bellows (air) Belt drive (China/Europe)

8000 BcE 2000 BcE

Ballpoint pen Bandage (compressive) Bar-code scanner Barbie doll Barometer Bathroom Batteries

Bicycle Big Bang Bikini bathing suit Black Death Blanket (electric) Blood transfusion (direct) Books (printed) Boomerang Bow (and arrow) Bow (long) Bread (commercially sliced) Bricks (sun dried /fired)

British East India Company 100 BCE 1969/1977 1945 1962 1887 50 1783 1938 1746 1974 1959 1643 2000 BcE 230 BCE

Button /buttonhole Calculus Calendar (Aztec)

Can opener Canal Candle Canning Cast iron Catapult/trebuchet Cave painting Ceramics Chair, recliner (La-Z-Boy) Charge card (AMEX) Chewing gum

15 BcE/1430 cE 1869 12-14 sya 1946 1340 1912 1905 1440 25,000 BcE 25,000 BcE 1415 1930 6000/3500 BcE 1600 1200/1250 1687 1400 BcE 1858 200 BCE 3500 BcE 1809 300 BcE 400-300 BcE 20,000 BcE 28,000 BcE 1928 1950 1870

appeared around 1800 in Paris. Early “velos” were powered by pushing on the ground with the feet and were not steerable until 1818. Velos were powered using treadles and rods by 1840 and by foot pedals in 1861. Finally, in approximately 1869, a chain was used to transmit power, creating a machine that is recognizable as a modern bicycle. In other situations, an invention’s date was established by determining when the device or process was first depicted in illustrations or mentioned in writings. In yet other cases, the date a patent was issued for the process or device is indicated. Obviously, the dates of recent discoveries are accurate as a result of better record keeping and documentation. In some cases, two dates are shown matching the two places that those events /discoveries (or variations of the technology) took place. This may be useful in understanding the time that elapsed for a given technology in moving from one locale to another (technology diffusion) or in evolving separately in two different societies.

Event

Date

Event

Date

Chronometer Circumnavigation of globe Cities Clock (mechanical) Clock (pendulum) Clock (water) Cloning (fish) Coca-Cola Codes/ciphers

1735 1589 8000 BCE 1300 1656 1400 BcE 1981 1866 2000 BCE

Crop rotation (theory) Crossbow Crystal radio Diaper (disposable) Dinosaurs (era) DNA discovered DNA evolves Drill (bow) Drill (dental)

1804 200 BCE 1901 WO}! 245 to 65 MYA 1953 1.8 BYA 20,000 BcE 1790

Coffee

1400

DVD

1995

Coins Compact discs

700 BCE 1982 300 BCE 1832 1942 1946

Dynamite Earth Day Electrocardiogram (EKG) Electroencephalogram (EEG) Elevator (electric) ; vac

1867 1970 1924

transplant Embryo (cattle/ human)

1950/1983

Computer (programmable)

1938 1975 1941

Erector set

1901

Concrete

200 BcE

@ontact lens Container shipping (ships /trucks)

Contraception

Compass Computer (mechanical) Computer (electromechanical) Computer (electronic) i igi eet cael tent

Escalator

1929 1887 1987

1911

1954

Fastener (Velero) Fastener (zipper) Fax machine

1948 1923 1902

2000 BcE

Fetal surgery

1984

Contraceptive pill

1956

Fiber optics

1955

Contracts (written) © Copper

2700 BcE 6400 BCE

Fire (human made) First mammals

1.5 MYA 65 MYA

1887

Copying (Xerography)

1937

Crank handle Crayons (Crayola)

100 BCE 1902

Fork -

:

Formation of Earth

600 5 BYA

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HUMANITY AND TECHNOLOGY Global Ethics

Morton Winston | Ralph Edelbach

=. CENGAGE «©

Learning

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te GENGAGE «© Learning’ HUMANITY AND TECHNOLOGY; Global Ethics

Society, Ethics, & Technology Morton Winston | Ralph Edelbach © 2014, 2009, 2006 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

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SO

NENTS

2 PREFACE xi HOW TO USE THIS BOOK INTRODUCTION:

PART

MORTON

xiii WINSTON,

Children of Invention Revisited

1

ONE

Perspectives on Technology

2],

1-1 Historical Perspectives

28

1.1.1 JAMES BURKE: Something for Nothing

28

1.1.2 RUTH SCHWARTZ COWAN: /ndustrial Society and Technological Systems 37 1.1.3 ARTHUR DONOVAN: Containerization and Globalization: An Innovation and Its Impact 54 1.1.4 ROSALIND WILLIAMS: History as Technological Change

60

1.1.5 The World is Flat 68 - 1

1.2 Social/Political Perspectives

69

1.2.1 RICHARD SCLOVE: /’d Hammer Out Freedom: Technology as Politics and Culture 69 1.2.2 ANDREW

FEENBERG:

Democratic Rationalization

77

1.2.3 SHEILA JASANOFF: Technologiesof Humility: Citizen Participation in Governing Science 92

1.2.4 JUDY WAJCMAN: Addressing Technological Change: The Challenge to Social Theory 103

1.3 Ethical Perspectives

116

1.3.1 HANS JONAS: Technology and Responsibility: Reflections on the New Task of Ethics 116 1.3.2 MICHAEL DAVIS: Constructing the Professional Responsibility of Engineers 127 Vii

Viii

Contents

1.3.3 DAVID STRONG:

145 POWERS: Ethics and M. THOMAS AND 1.3.4 DEBORAH G. JOHNSON 156 Technology: A Program for Future Research

PART

Technological Subversion

TWO

Contemporary Technology and the Future 2.1 Security and Surveillance

167

168

2.1.1 MAX BOOT: The Consequences of the Information Revolution

168

2.1.2 NOEL SHARKEY: The Automation and Proliferation of Military Drones and the Protection of Civilians 180 2.1.3 JAY STANLEY

Chains

AND

BARRY

STEINHARDT:

Bigger Monster,

Weaker

189

2.1.4 JAMES STACEY TAYLOR: /n Praise of Big Brother

2.2 Artificial Intelligence and Robotics 2.2.1 ABIGAIL TUCKER: Birth of aRobot

203

216 216

2.2.2 FIORELLA OPERTO: Ethics in Advanced Robotics

2.2.3 STEPHEN BAKER: Fina/ Jeopardy

2.3 Nanotechnology

224

234

242

2.3.1 RAY KURZWEIL: Neuroscience, Nanotechnology, and Ethics: Promise and Peril 242 2.3.2 LYNN L. BERGESON: Emerging Nanomaterial Governance Systems:

The State of Play

251

2.3.3 ARMIN GRUNWALD: Nanotechnology—A New Field of Ethical Inquiry? 264 2.3.4 Why the Future Doesn't Need Us 275-1

2.4 Internet and Social Media

276

2.4.1 NICHOLAS CARR: /s Google Making Us Stupid? 2.4.2 REBECCA MACKINNON:

Corporate Censorship

2.4.3 ANDREW

CRAIG

J. FLANIGAN,

FLANIGAN,

276 283

AND JON FLANIGAN:

Technical code and the Social construction of the Internet

2.5 Biotechnology

306

2.5.1 FRANCIS FUKUYAMA: Our Posthuman Future

306

2.5.2 LEON R. KASS: Preventing a Brave New World

331

2.5.3 MICHAEL J. SANDEL: The Case against Perfection

343

292

Contents

2.6 Energy and the Environment 2.6.1 2.6.2 2.6.3 2.6.4

355

~~

ROBERT W. KATES: The Nexus and the Neem Tree 355 DONALD AITKEN: Global Warming 370 DAVID FRIDLEY: Nine Challenges of Alternative Energy 386 LESTER BROWN: Stabilizing Climate: An Energy Efficiency Revolution 397

APPENDIX A: TECHNOLOGY AND ETHICS IN THE NEWS) “4

ix

APPENDIX B: CODES OF ETHICS BIBLIOGRAPHY

415

435

455 aed

mode

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