Overview
- Addresses the theory, methods and practice of participatory technology assessment (pTA) in relation to large-scale technological and environmental policies and programs
- Presents a practical and participatory decision procedure that facilitates the non-specialists' deliberations on the ethical aspects of controversial technologies
- Develops and discusses an ethical decision-support procedure termed “Reflective Ethical Mapping” (REM), and evaluates it in a practical context: radioactive waste management in nuclear communities
Part of the book series: Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics (SAPERE, volume 13)
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About this book
Whether it is nuclear power, geo-engineering or genetically modified foods, the development of new technologies can be fraught with complex ethical challenges and political controversy which defy simple resolution. In the past two decades there has been a shift towards processes of Participatory Technology Assessment designed to build channels of two-way communication between technical specialists and non-expert citizens, and to incorporate multiple stakeholder perspectives in the governance of contentious technology programmes. This participatory turn has spurred a need for new tools and techniques to encourage group deliberation and capture public values, moral and choices. This book specifically examines the ethical dimensions of controversial technologies, and discusses how these can be evaluated in a philosophically robust manner when the ones doing the deliberating are not ethicists, legal or technical experts. Grounded in philosophical pragmatism and drawing upon empirical work in partnership with citizen-stakeholders, this book presents a model called “Reflective Ethical Mapping” - a new meta-ethical framework and toolbox of techniques to facilitate citizen engagement with technology ethics.
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Table of contents (8 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Authors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Ethics and Technology Assessment: A Participatory Approach
Authors: Matthew Cotton
Series Title: Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45088-4
Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Philosophy and Religion (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-642-45087-7Published: 01 July 2014
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-662-52167-0Published: 17 September 2016
eBook ISBN: 978-3-642-45088-4Published: 11 June 2014
Series ISSN: 2192-6255
Series E-ISSN: 2192-6263
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XII, 172
Number of Illustrations: 8 b/w illustrations
Topics: Philosophy of Technology, Industrial and Production Engineering, Environmental Economics, International Political Economy, Ethics, Environmental Law/Policy/Ecojustice