Ethical Frameworks and Process of Technology Assessment

Historically, technology has improved the human condition, and it remains a major hope for further improvement worldwide. Yet its consequences have not all been positive. Environmental and social costs have accrued; many of these were unanticipated at the time the technology was introduced. Three ethical frameworks are examined for what they suggest about the process by which decisions on new technologies are made. A case study, focused on a water-development project, is used to provide specificity. The impacts of alternative approaches for supplying water to Denver, Colorado, are examined in the context of deontological (duty-based), teleological (utilitarianism), and mixed deontological (utilitarianism with attention to our duty not to harm) ethical frameworks. Results suggest that these frameworks can provide assistance in deciding among alternatives. But, more importantly, the frameworks, taken together, suggest 10 components of a process that could lead to better decisions. Some of these components are already part of the environmental impact statement process; more are part of the technology assessment process. But, others have not yet been incorporated in societal controls of technology.