Universität Wien

180179 SE Philosophy and Ethics of Emerging Technologies (2022S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 30 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 09.03. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 10.03. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 2G, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/2.Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 12.05. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3B NIG 3.Stock
  • Friday 13.05. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3B NIG 3.Stock
  • Thursday 09.06. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3B NIG 3.Stock
  • Friday 10.06. 13:15 - 17:15 Hörsaal 3B NIG 3.Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Emerging technologies like AI, the Internet of Things, and Blockchain Technology, have an increasingly transformative impact on people and society. In this course, students will be introduced to the different ways to theorise emerging technology, reflect on its ethical impacts, and use practical tools to integrate ethical reflection in day-to-day projects.

The course will consist of three parts. The first part will cover the basics: presenting major ethical issues with emerging technologies from a historical perspective, explaining the link between ethical theories and technology, and presenting different ways to think about technological mediation. The second part will focus on ethics of particular types of emerging technologies: of artificial intelligence (e.g., deep learning), artificial life (e.g., genetic modification) and existential machines (e.g., the atomic bomb). The third part will contextualise the ethics of emerging technologies in a discussion of three global challenges: global citizenship and human rights, climate change, and violence.

The course will use methods of philosophical reflection, argumentation, empirical and historical research, and applied ethics.

Assessment and permitted materials

50% of the grade will consist of bi-weekly exercises based on the readings.
50% of the grade will be based on a final writing assignment. This assignment consists of writing a ‘longread’ journalistic article, as can be found in Wired or the Guardian, which discusses a particular issue related to ethics of emerging technologies.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Attendance of the classes is mandatory
You have to hand in all bi-weekly assignments on time; but you are allowed to miss one of them.
You have to hand in the final essay.

Examination topics

- history of technology ethics
- theories of normative ethics
- technology and values
- theories of technological mediation
- theories of technology and the human condition
- responsible innovation
- engineering ethics
- ethics of artificial intelligence
- ethics of artificial life
- citizenship and emerging technologies
- sustainability and emerging technologies
- violence and emerging technologies

Reading list

Vallor, Shannon. 2010. “Social Networking Technology and the Virtues.” Ethics and Information Technology 12(2):157–70.
Rehg, W. 2015. “Discourse Ethics for Computer Ethics: A Heuristic for Engaged Dialogical Reflection.” Ethics and Information Technology 17(1):27–39.
Bostrom, Nick. 2013. “Existential Risk Prevention as Global Priority.” Global Policy 4(1):15–31.
Winner, Langdon. 1980. “Do Artifacts Have Politics?” Daedalus 109(1):121–36.
Latour, Bruno. 1994. “On Technical Mediation - Philosophy, Sociology, Genealogy.” Common Knowledge 3(2):29–64.
Fourcade, Marion and Berkeley Jeffrey Gordon. 2020. “Learning Like a State: Statecraft in the Digital Age.” Journal of Law and Political Economy 1(1):78-.
Pasquale, Frank. 2018. “Digital Capitalism: How to Tame the Platform Juggernauts.” Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung - Division for Economic and Social Policy 1–4.
Nissenbaum, Helen. 2004. “Privacy as Contextual Integrity.” Washington Law Review 101–39.
Ananny, Mike and Kate Crawford. 2018. “Seeing without Knowing: Limitations of the Transparency Ideal and Its Application to Algorithmic Accountability.” New Media and Society 20(3):973–89.
Taylor, Linnet. 2017. “What Is Data Justice? The Case for Connecting Digital Rights and Freedoms Globally.” Big Data & Society (December):1–14.
Friedman, Batya and P. Kahn. 2002. “Value Sensitive Design: Theory and Methods.” University of Washington Technical (December):1–8.
Blok, V., L. Hoffmans, and E. F. M. Wubben. 2015. “Stakeholder Engagement for Responsible Innovation in the Private Sector: Critical Issues and Management Practices.” Journal on Chain and Network Science 15(2):147–64.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Th 03.03.2022 15:28