Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Technology and disability are both terms laden with associations, values, meanings and even myths. This becomes clear in this research when both terms are described in the first part, and the various understandings of the terms are explained. When the two terms are considered in relation to each other, the result is a series of questions and ethical problems. In this assignment the focus is specifically on these questions and ethical problems that arise out of the relationship between technology and disability. The research is not done from a natural science perspective (with regard to technology) and lor a medical perspective (with regards to disability), but from a philosophical-ethical perspective. The main aim of this research is to think about what the role of technology is in the life of the disabled in general and what ethical questions arise from it. To form a philosophical-ethical perspective the question is asked: should technology be accepted unequivocally as something that always contributes to the humanization of the disabled? More specifically the assignment focuses on the issue: does cochlear implants contribute to the humanization of the deaf? The potential problematic relationship between the concepts is clear from the separate discussions. The limitations and problems of cochlear implants as an example of technology is shown when it is placed within the framework of a humanizing relationship. It is clear that technology can not be accepted unequivocally as something that always contributes to the humanization of the disabled. The research emphasizes that disability is much more than physical limitations and that compensating for the limitations through technology does not always address all the aspects of a disabled person's life - and can consequently have a dehumanizing effect. A more holistic approach is considered - one in which all the aspects of being human is addressed. The unique challenges of the South African context is discussed shortly and in conclusion the necessity of an "ethics of responsibility" is shown. Reflection on technology and disability is in the end reflection on life and the mysteries of life. Disability that reminds us of our limitations and shortcomings, also reminds us that life is not in our control and that a big part of living is an unsolvable riddle, a mystery. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tegnologie en gestremdheid is twee gelade terme. Beide verwys na 'n omvangryke wêreld en potensiële probleme. Dit word duidelik in hierdie ondersoek wanneer beide terme omskryf word in die eerste afdeling, en die verskillende verstaansmoontlikhede van die terme uitgewys word. Waar die twee terme in verband met mekaar gebring word, ontstaan daar uiteindelik 'n hele string vrae en etiese probleme. In hierdie skripsie word daar spesifiek op hierdie vrae en etiese probleme, wat ontstaan uit die verhouding tussen tegnologie en gestremdheid, gefokus. Die ondersoek vind nie plaas vanuit 'n suiwer natuurwetenskaplike perspektief (mbt tegnologie) en/of mediese perspektief (mbt gestremdheid) nie, maar vanuit 'n filosofies-etiese perspektief. Om 'n filosofies-etiese perspektief te vorm, word die vraag gevra: moet tegnologie ongekwalifiseerd aanvaar word as iets wat altyd bydra tot die humanisering van die gestremdes? Meer spesifiek word dan ondersoek ingestel na die vraag: dra kogleêre inplantings by tot die humanisering van die dowe? Die vernaamste doel met hierdie ondersoek is dus om na te dink oor wat die rol van tegnologie in die lewe van gestremdes in die algemeen is en watter etiese kwessies dit oproep. Die problematiek rondom dowes en kogleêre inplantings gaan as 'n spesifieke voorbeeld bekyk word. Die begrippe tegnologie en gestremdheid word eers omskryf in die ondersoek. Die potensiële problematiek tussen die verhouding tussen die twee terme (en wêrelde) blyk reeds uit die afsonderlike bespreking van die terme. Die verhouding waarin tegnologie en gestremdheid tot mekaar staan word uitgelig deur sekere voorbeelde te noem, en dan word daar spesifiek op kogleêre inplantings gefokus. Die beperkings en problematiek van kogleêre inplantings as spesifieke tegnologie word duidelik wanneer dit binne die raamwerk van die vraag gestel word of dit 'n humaniserende verhouding is. Dit is duidelik dat tegnologie nie ongekwalifiseerd aanvaar kan word as iets wat altyd bydra tot die humanisering van die gestremdes nie. Die ondersoek beklemtoon uiteindelik dat gestremdheid veel meer behels as blote liggaamlike gebreke en dat die kompensasie daarvoor deur tegnologie nie altyd as humaniserend ervaar word nie. 'n Meer holistiese benadering word bepleit - een waarin alle fasette van die mens (gestremde) se behoeftes aangespreek word. Die unieke uitdagings wat dit inhou vir ons Suid-Afrikaanse konteks word kortliks bespreek en ten slotte word daar gewys op die noodsaaklikheid van 'n letiek van verantwoordelikheid'. Nadenke oor tegnologie en gestremdheid is uiteindelik nadenke oor die lewe en oor die geheimenisse daarvan. Gestremdheid wat ons herinner aan ons tekortkominge en beperkinge, herinner ons ook daaraan dat die lewe 'n misterie is.

Orientadora: Mariana Claudia Broens / Resumo: Neste trabalho nos propomos a desenvolver uma análise crítica dos conceitos de agênciae responsabilidade no contexto tecnológico contemporâneo em que são produzidossistemas artificiais ditos autônomos. Tendo esse objetivo em foco, apresentamosprimeiramente teorias da ação e problematizamos as noções de evento causal e açãocausal, objeto e agente, visando clarificar a noção de agência. Analisamos, em seguida,a noção de ação responsável proposta por Hans Jonas uma vez que ele propõe umanoção de responsabilidade considerando o desenvolvimento tecnológicocontemporâneo. Em especial, apresentamos e discutimos a noção de heurística do temorproposta por Jonas (2004) cujo objetivo é criar cenários possíveis que antecipemimplicações a longo prazo do uso de novas tecnologias e auxiliem a informar asociedade sobre as possíveis consequências de seu uso para as novas gerações.Por fim,tratamos mais especificamente da legitimidade da atribuição de agência eresponsabilidade a sistemas artificiais, especialmente a robôs, na perspectiva daFilosofia e da Robótica, a partir de teses defendidas por Hans Jonas (2004, 2013) eWillem Haselager (2005). Em seus textos, ambos autores discutem a possibilidade deatribuir agência e responsabilidade a sistemas artificiais capazes de aprender e tomardecisões que ultrapassem os limites de sua programação inicial. Concluímos que pareceproblemático tanto atribuir agência a sistemas artificiais autônomos no mesmo sentidoem que ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In this work, we propose to develop a critical analysis of the concepts of agency and responsibility in the contemporary technological context in which artificial systems said to be autonomous are produced. Aiming on this goal, we present, firstly, some theories of action, and we problematize the notions of causal event and causal action, object and agent, aiming on clarifying the notion of agency. Following, we analyze the notion of responsible action proposed by Hans Jonas, once he proposes a notion of responsibility considering the contemporary technological development. In particular, we present and discuss the heuristic notion of fear proposed by Jonas (2004) whose goal is to create possible scenarios which may anticipate long-term implications of the use of new technologies and may help to inform society about the possible consequences of their use for the new generations. Finally, we deal more specifically with the legitimacy of the attribution of agency and responsibility to artificial systems, specially robots, from the perspective of Philosophy and Robotics, from theses defended by Hans Jonas (2004, 2013) and Willem Haselager (2005). In their texts, both authors discuss the possibility of attributing agency and responsibility to artificial systems capable of learning and making decisions which surpass the limits of their initial programming. We conclude that it seems problematic both to attribute agency to autonomous artificial systems in the same sense in which human beings are considered to be agents, and to reduce such systems to mere causally determined objects. / Mestre

Abstract not available

In the last 30 years, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has created a significant amount of controversy around the world. Within the U.S., policy movement has been limited, occurring primarily at the state level, which has created a fragmented system of rules to manage the technology. However, there appear to be indications that how the issue is presented, and which actors are chosen to be represented in legislation, may impact the passage of policy, thereby also providing a reason for why little policy movement has occurred. In this study, pieces of federal, California and Georgia legislation were examined for the occurrence of differing frames, as identified by the actors presented, in order to determine whether different frames occurred in passed legislation than those found in failed legislation. It was determined that, while actors did not differ significantly between passed and failed legislation, there were some slight differences between actors used at the federal level, as well between the different state levels. Even further, the presentation of actors and their interests did appear to differ slightly between passed and failed legislation.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of examining the work and leisure values in the industrial society and identifying objectives and methods which develop these two values in the student through industrial arts. Information was gathered from the written works of industrial arts, general education, sociology, and psychology. The study offers a survey of work and leisure values which have evolved in the twentieth century. Also, it presents a historical perspective of industrial arts objectives relating to work and leisure values as they are influenced by the vocational, social, and general education movements. Finally, the study presents specific strategies and tactics which develop work and leisure values through industrial arts.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the legal and ethical consequences of new reproductive technologies in the context of Kenya's two systems of law, namely, English-based statutory law and native customary law. The paper starts by examining how infertility was dealt with by traditional Kenyan societies before the advent of reproductive technologies and proceeds to look at some of these customs that have survived in contemporary Kenya. / Currently reproductive technologies are being carried out in a legal vacuum in Kenya and in the event of any dispute involving the procedures, courts have to refer to existing laws, both customary and statutory. The thesis therefore examines what these technologies are and how Kenya's dual system of law would respond to some of the family law dilemmas raised by the use of these reproductive procedures. The thesis then discusses whether there is enough justification to enact a new, uniform, hybrid Act that takes into consideration both systems of laws in relation to the challenges brought on the technologies. / It is the position of the author that an integrated hybrid Act ought to be passed. This Act would act as a broad framework for regulation, however the Act would not be the exclusive form of regulation. The last part of the thesis therefore makes recommendations on other forms of control that ought to be considered by legislators and policy makers in Kenya, to deal with the myriad of legal and ethical issues precipitated by reproductive technologies.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Applied ethics for professionals Johannesburg / The advent of digital ICT has raised a range of privacy problems that previously did not occur, owing to the scope and volume of data that can be collected, as well as the processing capacity of the application. These digital privacy problems are arguably not easily addressed within any particular traditional macroethical framework. We may therefore need to find an alternative approach. One such approach is proposed by Luciano Floridi, who has devised “Information Ethics” - a macroethics for the identification, clarification and solution of digital ethical issues. While IE is useful in that it highlights questions of digital agency, it will be demonstrated that it is flawed when applied to problems of privacy posed by digital ICT. IE, however, points us in the right direction: An object-oriented ethics may be able to address the issue of digital agents. In this essay I develop an argument for the moral intentionality of digital agents, based on the concepts of emergent value and indirect intentionality, that can underpin an object-oriented ethical approach to digital privacy for both digital and human agents. Using Nissenbaum’s concept of contextual spheres, I provide normative guidelines for evaluating the competing interests of agent-objects in various digital spheres. A brief evaluation of the approach, by way of an example, shows that the object-oriented LoA that I am proposing can be adopted for digital privacy problems. In such cases, and for the specific purpose of weighing up the competing rights and values of the agents and patients, we can treat all agents (human and non-human) as both intentionality and real. This provides a reading of the case that goes beyond the consequentialist or ownership-based approaches, and arguably gets closer to the heart of the issue. Where the approach is still open, however, is that we still have to justify and balance these interests. There is no simple formula to apply. A need for practical wisdom or Phronesis, in the form of a judicious weighing of moral interests, continues to apply to digital problems posed by ICT. / GR2017

No description available.

Introduction: We analyse the privacy policies of 15 private corporations to understand if the data handling practices – data collection, storage, and sharing –described in the policies are ethical or unethical. The data we leave behind when we use the Internet are crucial for corporations. The data provides valuable insights into our lives, thus helping corporations improve targeted marketing campaigns and increase their revenue. Method: Extensive literature review of peer-reviewed articles, written between1993 and 2021, to examine how theoretical perspectives and empirical findings evolved over time; combined with empirical research to analyse the privacy policies and “dark patterns” of 15 companies. The companies were chosen at random and belong to different sectors to give a broader understanding of the current privacy and data handling practices. Analysis: Discourse analysis of the privacy policies to evaluate the type of language used, if it is clear, easy to understand, and if the policy informs users about how their data are collected, shared, and stored. But also, a visual analysis to understand if the company is implementing “dark patterns”. Results: The results indicate that most privacy policies use misleading terms, are not fully transparent about the company’s data handling practices, and often implement “dark patterns” to try to influence the users’ decisions. Conclusion: Most companies have privacy policies available on their websites due to a clear influence from the GDPR legislation, however, there appears to be a conflicting relationship between wanting to comply with the GDPR and wanting to gather as much information as possible.