Individuals and organizations use technology to enhance their daily operations, be it business, learning, construction, or therapeutic activities. Are there any ethical dilemmas faced by technological advancement? Or is it their use that raises them? Should there be an ethics of technology? Essays like this one explore these questions in depth.
Why is It Important to Question the Moral and Ethical Issues in Science and Technology?
Nuclear technology, biotechnology, and information technology (IT) are the major technological innovations raising ethical and moral issues. The major ethical or moral issues in technology include ethical dilemmas, health issues, job displacement, and gender.
Ethical issues in technology
Ethical dilemmas arise when there are competing goods and competing evils. Regarding IT, the sharing of private information within an organization raises the question of whether the action is moral or immoral. Companies can collect information about individuals using computer programs and even use the information for their benefit without morality.
Information systems enable people to manipulate records within a short period, thus raising questions on whether the information is genuine or vague. Moreover, will genetic engineering improve the quality of life or destroy it? These are some ethical dilemmas that are yet to be solved.
Furthermore, biotechnology raises some moral issues. It is difficult to justify the use of living organisms during research and other technological discoveries. For instance, in vitro fertilization enables women who are not in a position to have their children undergo the process. Religious groups are opposed to such practices because their beliefs do not agree with them.
Ethical implications on people’s health
The uses of technology have the capability of making many innocent people suffer, and this is a moral concern. An example of such an issue can be the fact that nuclear technology has the potential to kill many people and consequently destroy the environment. This issue raises some health problems.
People affected by nuclear emissions, such as those witnessed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are deemed to be genetically impaired. Such effects can impact the next generations of affected individuals. The use of computers also raises health issues. Even though machines make our work more comfortable, it is evident that prolonged use of computers results in repetitive stress injuries.
Job displacement ethics questions
Concerning job displacement, machines have enabled companies to cut down their labor force. Many companies use technological tools and knowledge, such as robots and computers, to run their business operations. Some people are forced to take different roles other than their qualification requirements, and others are faced with stress related to work difficulties.
More weight is placed on information, knowledge, and IT than ever before. This still raises important ethical and moral issues. Should those replaced be compensated? Should machines and humans be evaluated by the same criteria?
Technology and moral values: gender discrimination
Another essential aspect that raises ethical or moral issues in information technology is gender. Women are, in most cases, discriminated against in various ways due to the advancement in technology. For instance, in manufacturing systems, men are considered to be more productive than women. Many technological innovations were and still are discovered by men who, in turn, design the systems in favor of their gender, thus affecting the issue of gender equality.
For example, the computer field is more male-dominated since females tend to rely on easy subjects. Many females tend to avoid subjects such as engineering, mathematics, and computers, or if they do, many are frightened by the environmental setup, and they eventually leave.
Conclusion
The aspects that pose moral and ethical issues in technology today need to be outlined and controlled with consideration of all the parties involved. Ethical dilemmas, health issues, job displacement, and gender are situations that require ethical thinking through the analysis and application of ethical principles. Both people and the environment must be considered in any technological advancement.