Technology has always been a pervasive force in society. But the last century, and especially the last 50 years have seen an unprecedented acceleration of the growth and permeation of technology. The central role of technology and engineering in the modern world calls for a reflective examination of the responsibility of those who develop, deploy and spread technologies as well as those who avail of them for various purposes. This course will explore one technology of recent origin in detail biotechnology. After examining the way people think about and deal with technological risk, the basic science behind the technology and the ethos of science and technology, the students will learn about the philosophical foundations of possible ethics for science and technology. Projects and discussions will explore how these foundations can be used to provide ways to frame important questions and develop an understanding of an ethic for the development and use of biotechnology.
