Exploring Responsibility Rationales in Research and Development (R&D)

Bibliographic Data

ID5337945
AuthorsNeelke Doorn (0000-0002-1090-579X, Delft University of Technology, corresponding author)
Year2012
Volume37
Issue3
Pages180-209
Publication date2012-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScience Technology & Human Values (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0162-2439 • E-ISSN: 1552-8251
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0162243911405344
OpenAlexW2157465302
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited46

The present article explores the rationales of scientists and engineers for distributing moral responsibilities related technology development. On the basis of a qualitative case study, it was investigated how the actors within a research network distribute responsibilities for these issues. Rawls' Wide Reflective Equilibrium model was used as a descriptive framework. This study indicates that there is a correlation between the actors' ethics position and their responsibility rationale. When discussing how to address ethical issues or how to distribute the responsibility for addressing them, actors with similar normative background theories referred to the same type of normative arguments. It was found that these deliberative processes could best be interpreted in terms of an interplay between different layers of morality. The case suggests that people seek coherence between these layers rather than work through them one-directionally. By distinguishing between rationales for distributing responsibilities and the actual distributions, possible sources of misunderstanding can be identified. The benefit from acknowledging these different rationales is that it enables actors to recognize the legitimacy of other people's opinions, ultimately contributing to a responsibility distribution that is both complete and accepted by all as justified

Business · Engineering ethics · Epistemology · Law and economics · Legitimacy · Moral responsibility · Morality · Normative · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Reflective equilibrium · Social responsibility · Sociology · Ethics in Business and Education · Ethics in medical practice · Law · Risk Perception and Management

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