Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
An example is to compare two options: A. Make a device that helps 90% of the general population,
harms 9% and kills 1%
versus
B. A device that does not work as well (helps only 15% of the population),
but harms no one. If one of our moral principles is to protect life, the 1% mortality rate of Device A
may render the goodness component to be negative. If the importance and likelihood of outcomes are
about the same, the comparative scores are:
A
=
−
3
×
1
×
1
=−
3
B
=
1
×
1
×
1
=+
1
So of the two options that are both somewhat important and somewhat likely, option B is clearly more
ethical. Note that a goodness value of 0 can either mean there is disagreement about its moral standing
(e.g., a bimodal distribution) or it is not really a moral decision (i.e., an amoral question).
There are two cautions in using this approach. First, although it appears to be quantitative, the
approach is very subjective. Second, as we have seen many times in cases involving health and safety,
even a very unlikely but negative consequence is unacceptable.
Step 3d - Line Drawing: Graphical techniques like line drawing, flow charting, and event trees are
very valuable in assessing a case. Line drawing is most useful when there is little disagreement on
what the moral principles are, but when there is no consensus about how to apply them. The approach
calls for a need to compare several well-understood cases for which there is general agreement about
right and wrong and to show the relative location of the case being analyzed. This is a type of ethical
extrapolation from the known to the unknown. Two of the cases are extreme cases of right and wrong,
respectively. That is, the positive paradigm is very close to being unambiguously moral and the negative
paradigm unambiguously immoral as shown in Figure 7.7.
Our Case
NP
PP
Feature 1
X
Feature 2
X
Feature 3
X
Feature
n
X
Figure
7.7
First steps in line drawing analysis: comparing features of a decision. The number and types of features depend on
the case or decision being considered. For example, a conflict of interest decision is influenced by the size and the level of funding
of the project being affected, the reasons for the conflict, and the effects or outcomes likely to result from the conflict (negative and
positive). For example, if the outcome results in diminished product quality or safety, the decision is clearly unethical. However,
if the outcome results in no product quality or even improved quality (e.g., the spouse's company is really better than the one that
would have received the bid without the conflict), the decision is still unethical because it violates the principles of fairness and
honesty.
Adapted from: C.E. Harris, 2004, “Methodologies for Case Studies in Engineering Ethics,” in: National Academy of Engineering.
Emerging
Technologies
and
Ethical
Issues
in
Engineering:
Papers
from
a
Workshop
, 14-15 October 2003, pp. 77-94.
