Diversity in Ethical Reasoning &the Art of Teaching - Philosophy

Richard Burgess, M.A. Deputy Director

Murdough Center for Engineering Professionalism And

National Institute for Engineering Ethics

2012

“The value of philosophy is, in fact, to be sought largely in its very uncertainty. The man who has no tincture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his nation, and from convictions which have grown up in his mind without the cooperation or consent of his deliberate reason. To such a man the world tends to become definite, finite, obvious, common objects rouse no questions, and unfamiliar possibilities are contemptuously rejected”

Bertrand Russell from The Problems of Philosophy (New

York: OUP, 1969)

On the Value of Philosophy

What’s so special about human beings? What makes us worthy of special moral and ethical consideration?

Is there a particular characteristic? Several? If so, what are they and why are these important?

Discussion I

What is happiness? What is well-being? Are these distinct?

Is happiness more than just contentment?

Are all forms of happiness equally valid? Can someone be mistaken about being happy?

Discussion II

Notice the dialectic – The Socratic Method – Flow

Critical discussion without personal criticism (judgment vs. being judgmental)

Interactive and engaging One principle, multiple origins

Discussion Highlights

Our claim: philosophical inquiry, including discussions about ethics, can promote diversity and equity. It can do this in two ways: – Direct: Philosophical inquiry is capable of critically

examining the nature and extent of our biases. We can talk about the ethical underpinnings of equity.

– Indirect: Philosophical discussion often reveals that we have more in common than we realize – biases diminish and disappear as a sense of “otherness” becomes more illusory.

Philosophy and Diversity

• What is philosophy?• What do you think about philosophy?• Defining philosophy (dispelling confusion)– What philosophy is not:

• Waxing profound with little substance • Life “philosophy”• Business “philosophy”

– What philosophy is:• Defined by the questions it asks • Defined by its method

Philosophy – What is It?

• Philosophical questions – fundamentally important and sometimes uncomfortable – What is the good life?– Does God exist and, if so, what is the nature of

God?– What role does and should technology play in our

lives?– What is truth?– What is beauty?

Philosophy – Questions

• “If you have 5 philosophers, you’ll get 6 opinions”

• The philosophical method – A willingness to critically examine everything; even

the nature and value of philosophical inquiry itself – Systematic • Conceptual analysis • Looking for patterns and generalizability • Looking for inconsistencies • Rigorous and rational (but not necessarily devoid of

emotion)

Philosophy – Method

• Who can and should do philosophy?– Everyone!– The role of philosophers

• Philosophical Disciplines – Logic – Epistemology – Aesthetics–Metaphysics – Ethics

Philosophy - Disciplines

In the early 70’s there was an effort to introduce philosophy into middle and high schools

“Since philosophy traditionally has been taught only at the college level in the United States, it might be thought that it can be suitable for only a small segment of students at pre-college levels—the two percent of students who are classified as “gifted and talented.” However, Philosophy for Children programs have shown themselves to be remarkably successful in drawing virtually all students in the classroom together in inquiry. Teachers are often surprised, and pleased, to see many of their most reticent, “underachieving” students actively join in the discussion of philosophical ideas.” (Pritchard)

The value of philosophical inquiry – it is critical thinking epitomized

Philosophy and K-12 Education

• Important methodological cue above• Teaching ethics – talking about what is the

case– More than just exposure to issues – More than just expressing views

• Traditional goals – emphasis on the first two– Increase ethical sensitivity– Strengthen ethical reasoning– Foster behavioral change - caveat

Ethics: The science of morals

Description vs. Prescription– Description: discussing what is the case. Often falls

under social sciences– Prescription: discussing what should be the case.

Principles: Statement vs. Origins– Examples:• Kantian principles and Christianity• Aristotle and Jesus

Making a judgment vs. being judgmental

Some Distinctions

One tried and true method – start with several thought provoking questions.

The Socratic Method Questions to consider in the context of engineering/technology:

1. What materials and resources are needed to build, operate, and maintain the technology in question?

2. Who will use this technology?3. Besides those people using the technology, who else might be affected

by it?4. What else might be affected? 5. What will we do with the technology once it is outdated/not being used

anymore?Integrate these questions with more technically oriented ones

Getting the Conversation Started

Why case studies/examples are not enough

Religious beliefs

Codes of Ethics: – National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)– Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)– American Chemical Society (ACS)

Fundamental principles – today’s focus – P1: The right thing to do is to promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people – P2: Persons should be treated not merely as means, but as ends-in-themselves– P3: Right and wrong is not only about performing a certain action, but about being a the right

kind of person (cultivating the right virtues) • Moral virtues• Intellectual virtues • Role virtues

– These principles not only provide guidance, but help us identify issues to begin with. – Conflicting prescriptions and “teachable moments”

• Eminent Domain

Sources of Guidance

• Relativism: “it’s true for me but not for him…” • Absolutism: “this is THE way…full stop” • Simplism: “We should just protect the health,

safety, and welfare of the public.”• Legalism: “As long as we are following the law,

we are ok…”

Challenges – Some ‘isms

Stepping on parental territory

The difficulty of talking about ethics:– Time – Confidence– Effectiveness

“Facilitating a…discussion does not mean dominating it; it is important for teachers to allow their students to develop their own ideas. Teachers are not expected to provide, or even have, answers to all the questions. They can share puzzlement with their students, be open to unexpected but suggestive responses to the questions they and their students pose, and take pleasure in observing the exchanges students have with each other. This means shedding the traditional role of teacher as lecturer and answer-giver.” (Pritchard)

Ethics in the K-12 Classroom

• Design a lecture, project, and/or assignment with a significant ethics component

• Should include follow-up/teachable moments including, ideally, some critical discussion

• Possibilities:– Projects– Social Impact Analysis

Activity

“The Hellenistic philosophical schools in Greece and Rome – Epicureans, Skeptics, and Stoics – all conceived of philosophy as a way of addressing the most painful problems of human life…They practiced philosophy not as a detached intellectual technique dedicated to the display of cleverness, but as an immersed and worldly art of grappling with human misery.”

- Martha Nussbaum from The Therapy of Desire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994)

Philosophy as Therapy