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Decision Making Manual: A Toolkit for Making Moral Decisions. William J. Frey (UPRM) José A. Cruz-Cruz (UPRM) Chuck Huff (St. Olaf). There is an analogy between design problems and ethical problems. Problem-solving in computing can be modeled on software design.
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Decision Making Manual: A Toolkit for Making Moral Decisions William J. Frey (UPRM) José A. Cruz-Cruz (UPRM) Chuck Huff (St. Olaf)
There is an analogy between design problems and ethical problems
Problem-solving in computing can be modeled on software design • The software development cycle can be presented in terms of four stages: • Problem Specification • Solution Generation • Solution Testing • Solution Implementation
What is a Socio-Technical System (STS)? • “an intellectual tool to help us recognize patterns in the way technology is used and produced” • Constituents: engineering system/technology, physical surroundings, people/groups/roles, procedures, laws & regulations, information collection & storage structures • A STS is a conceptual tool we use to help us understand the entire system within which a particular engineering system/technology is embedded. Ethical issues hardly ever arise about disembodied, abstract systems. Instead ethical issues arise when an engineering system/technology comes into contact with the real world. • STSs embody values • STSs exhibit trajectories i.e., coordinated sets of changes
Engineering takes place within a Socio-technical System • 1. Engineering technology always operates within a socio-technical system • 2. Engineering technology and socio-technical systems embody values • 3. Mismatches between the values embodied by engineering technology and socio-technical systems produce ethical problems
2. Specify the problem: 2a. Is the problem a disagreement on facts? What are the facts? What are cost and time constraints on uncovering and communicating these facts? 2b. Is the problem a disagreement on a critical concept? What is the concept? Can agreement be reached by consulting legal or regulatory information on the concept? (For example, if the concept in question is safety, can disputants consult engineering codes, legal precedents, or ethical literature that helps provide consensus? Can disputants agree on positive and negative paradigm cases so the concept disagreement can be resolved through line-drawing methods? 2c. Use the table to identify and locate value conflicts within the STS. Can the problem be specified as a mismatch between a technology and the existing STS, a mismatch within the STS exacerbated by the introduction of the technology, or by overlooked results?
3. Develop a general solution strategy and then brainstorm specific solutions • 3a. Is problem one of integrating values, resolving disagreements, or responding to situational constraints? • 3b. If the conflict comes from a value mismatch, then can it be solved by modifying one or more of the components of the STS? Which one?
3. Develop a general solution strategy and then brainstorm specific solutions
4. Test Solutions • Develop a solution evaluation matrix • Test the ethical implications of each solution • See if the solution violates the code • Carry out a global feasibility assessment of the solution. • What are the situational constraints? • Will these constraints block implementation?
5. Implement solution over feasibility constraints • Restate your global feasibility analysis • Are there resource constraints? • Are there technical or manufacturing constraints? • Are there interest constraints?
