Human Beings in a Technological World: Innovation, Ethical Responsibility, Sustainability

Der Mensch in einer technischen Welt: Innovation, ethische Verantwortung, Nachhaltigkeit

This course on the ethics of technology deals with the dynamics of modern technology, the possibilities of an ethically responsible use of technology and the ethical principle of sustainability.

Dozent / lecturer
Prof. Dr. Thomas Kriza, Fakultät ANK

Offen für Studierende von / open for students of
MEM, MAPR
_{Studierende anderer Studiengänge können sich diesen Kurs u.U. dennoch anrechnen lassen oder diesen freiwillig absolvieren. Weitere Infos dazu erhalten Sie in unseren FAQ’s.}

Veranstaltungstyp / event type
Seminaristischer Unterricht

Lehrsprache / teaching language
Englisch

4 SWS / 5 ECTS

Modultermine / module dates
Monday, 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Diese Kursübersicht ist ein Informationsangebot, bindend sind die Angaben in den Modulhandbüchern der einzelnen Studiengänge.

-> weiter zum Kurs auf GRIPS

Konkrete Kursinhalte / specific course contents

– selected innovative and dynamic fields of technology such as digitization (with aspects such as artificial intelligence and big data), renewable energies, biotechnology, etc.
– the general dynamics of (modern) technology and the underlying patterns of thought.
– the intended and unintended consequences of a globalized way of life shaped by the use of technology.
– the currently dominant cultural concepts of the human being, core values and horizons of existential meaning.
– humans’ ethical responsibility in dealing with technology.
– sustainability as a comprehensive ethical principle and as a central challenge in the present.

The selection of examples and fields of application will be directly related to the participants’ field of study.

Lernziel / learning objective

After successfully completing the course, students are able to:
– recognize important innovative and “disruptive” technologies (1) and to understand the core of their modes of operation (3).
– develop a deeper understanding of the general dynamics of modern technology (3).
– recognize basic cultural values and conceptions of the human being (1) and to ethically assess the potential of innovative technologies against this background (3).
– understand the basic idea of ethics and ethical responsibility as distinct from scientific provability and technical feasibility (2).
– develop an understanding of sustainability as a comprehensive ethical principle and as a central contemporary challenge (3).
– analyze the ethical strive for more sustainability, the search for technical and non-technical solutions and the contradictions that arise based on concrete cases (3).
– reflect independently and critically on the seminar topics, to adopt own ethical positions and to justify them with arguments in dialogue with others (3).
– develop an awareness of ethically responsible behavior in dealing with technology through free discussions with others (3).
– acquire knowledge from suitable scientific sources independently and thus preparing for the course assessment (3).

Literaturliste / literature

– Harari, Y. N. (2017). Homo Deus: A brief history of tomorrow (Revised edition). London: Vintage.
– Surampalli, R. Y., Zhang, T. C., Goyal, M. K., Brar, S. K. & Tyagi, R.D. (Ed.) (2020). Sustainability: Fundamentals and applications. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
– Jonas, H. (1982). Technology as a Subject for Ethics. Social Research, 49(4), 891-898.

> Further literature will be announced during the course.