Ethical Principles, Criteria, and the Meaning of Human Values

Abstract The use of drones in public healthcare is suggested as a means to improve efficiency under constrained resources and personnel. This paper begins by framing drones in healthcare as a social experiment where ethical guidelines are needed to protect those impacted while fully realizing the benefits the technology offers. Then we propose an ethical framework to facilitate the design, development, implementation, and assessment of drones used in public healthcare. Given the healthcare context, we structure the framework according to the four bioethics principles: beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice, plus a fifth principle from artificial intelligence ethics: explicability. These principles are abstract which makes operationalization a challenge; therefore, we suggest an approach of translation according to a values hierarchy whereby the top-level ethical principles are translated into relevant human values within the domain. The resulting framework is an applied ethics tool that facilitates awareness of relevant ethical issues during the design, development, implementation, and assessment of drones in public healthcare.

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The natural ambiguity of the notion of ‘natural', and how to overcome it

EPISTEMOLOGIA ◽

10.3280/epis2012-002006 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 247-263

Author(s):

Mauro Dorato

Keyword(s):

Human Values ◽

Ethical Principles ◽

Natural Laws ◽

Descriptive Sense

In this paper I will explore the ramification of the distinction between fact and values in order to show that human values enter in various ways in both science and (nano)technologies without violating Hume's fact/value distinction. Among the nanotechnologies, I will discuss the case study provided by the use of microchips implanted under our skin: though they do not obviously overcome the limits of the natural laws (intended in the descriptive sense), their application might in principle jeopardize our ethical principles in a way that is more powerful than previously existing ‘macrotechnology'. This greater power depends on the fact that the properties of the macroworld depend on the ‘nanoworld', but not conversely.

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Islamic Identity, Ethical Principles and Human Values

European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies ◽

10.26417/ejms.v6i1.p325-336 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 325

Author(s):

Mansoureh Ebrahimi ◽

Kamaruzaman Yusoff

Keyword(s):

Code Of Ethics ◽

Human Values ◽

Ethical Principles ◽

Human Beings ◽

Islamic Ethics ◽

Personal Morality ◽

Human Ethics ◽

Islamic Identity ◽

Matters Of Concern ◽

Comprehensive Study

Human ethics and values in general and Islamic ethics in particular have been studied as matters of concern since prophet Adam received respect from the angels in form of their prostration and then descended from al-Jannah (heaven) to earth. In surah al-Isra’, verse 70, Allah says, “And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.” Hence, human beings were created to do what is good while being granted good things in the world. Islamic ethics address the means whereby mankind ideally accommodates divine guidance as applicable human behavior as well as good conduct and personal morality. This paper investigates the importance, essence and characteristics of Islamic ethics. Although Islamic attributions have significantly contributed to all civilizations, contemporary events raise issues that require a revisit. The authors submit this is because Islam’s Code of Ethics is grossly misunderstood, especially concerning the office of God’s vicegerent. This comprehensive study uses a qualitative approach and cites various verses of al-Quran and portions of the Prophet’s Sunnah to support an analysis that emphasizes Islam’s ethical principles and human values. By widely referencing verses from al-Quran, the authors highlight Islamic ethics and life principles that have had significant effects on civilization as valuable precepts for all aspects of daily living.

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The Long Road Toward Tracking the Trackers and De-biasing: A Consensus on Shaking the Black Box and Freeing From Bias

Review of European Studies ◽

10.5539/res.v11n1p27 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 27

Author(s):

George Bouchagiar

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Human Rights ◽

Decision Maker ◽

Black Box ◽

Human Values ◽

Risk Assessments ◽

Ethical Principles ◽

Automated Decision Making

Automated decision making is both promising and threatening. Processing the biggest data possible may lead to societal advances but also violate human rights. There is, then, an acute need to protect individuals without impeding major benefits. Non-human agents may be biased; and they may not lend themselves to easy explanations. Instead of focusing on interpreting models, there seems to be a shift toward a concept of risk assessments. Opaque systems are aimed at predicting, or forecasting, future situations. This challenges human values and ethical principles. Even though incorporating ethics in machines is an old subject of legal discussion, consensus has not yet been reached; for theories and values may be controversial. This paper examines whether there could be an agreement on fundamental principles. A commonly understood basis could allow for fair and proportionate mechanisms to address crucial aspects of partiality and opacity in automated decision making. It could trigger a shift toward a concept of ‘tracking the trackers’ and a discussion on a ‘right to an unbiased decision maker’.

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