Ethics in the Innovation Process: Some Unaddressed Issues for Pragmatists

What is it about?

Larry Hickman's philosophy of technology is analyzed in light of other attempts to incorporate a philosophically based ethical evaluation of technological innovations. Although Hickman offers useful ideas, embedding them within Dewey's philosophy continues to present barriers to their uptake in actual efforts to undertake anticipatory ethical evaluations of tools and techniques. The argument is developed first through a case study of a socially oriented technology assessment, then through a discussion of how elements in pragmatist epistemology themselves create barriers. This is followed by an argument to show that pragmatist epistemology itself provides an explanation of why key pragmatist ideas will be difficult to apply in multidisciplinary contexts. My concluding suggestion is to learn from Dewey and Hickman, but give up on the idea that working scientists and engineers must also appreciate the nuances and history of pragmatist philosophy.

Featured Image