TY - JOUR
T1 - Moral impact of technologies from a pluralist perspective
T2 - Artificial photosynthesis as a case in point
AU - Popa, Eugen Octav
AU - Blok, Vincent
AU - Katsoukis, Georgios
AU - Schubert, Cornelius
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - We propose and illustrate a model for evaluating the moral impact of technologies from a pluralist perspective. We conceptualize technological artefacts as having moral profiles that consist of the values served and disserved along five levels of decision-making: (1) problem, (2) strategy, (3) resources, (4) product and (5) design. The notion of complex equality, directly stemming from the pluralist philosophy of Michael Walzer, can function as a heuristic principle to guide the identification and analysis of imbalances along these five levels. We provide an illustrative case study of the moral profile of artificial photosynthesis (AP), an emerging technology for renewable fuel production that promises to resolve our current dependence on fossil fuels. We conclude by providing future directions for the implementation of pluralist ideas in R&D policy and in societal discourse on emerging and incumbent technologies.
AB - We propose and illustrate a model for evaluating the moral impact of technologies from a pluralist perspective. We conceptualize technological artefacts as having moral profiles that consist of the values served and disserved along five levels of decision-making: (1) problem, (2) strategy, (3) resources, (4) product and (5) design. The notion of complex equality, directly stemming from the pluralist philosophy of Michael Walzer, can function as a heuristic principle to guide the identification and analysis of imbalances along these five levels. We provide an illustrative case study of the moral profile of artificial photosynthesis (AP), an emerging technology for renewable fuel production that promises to resolve our current dependence on fossil fuels. We conclude by providing future directions for the implementation of pluralist ideas in R&D policy and in societal discourse on emerging and incumbent technologies.
KW - Artificial photosynthesis
KW - Complex equality
KW - Pluralism
KW - Renewable energy
KW - Sustainable technologies
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85171137275&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102357
DO - 10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102357
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85171137275
SN - 0160-791X
VL - 75
JO - Technology in Society
JF - Technology in Society
M1 - 102357
ER -
