Imagination, distributed responsibility and vulnerable technological systems

Author(s)

Mark Coeckelbergh, Ger Wackers

Abstract

An influential approach to engineering ethics is based on codes of ethics and the application of moral principles by individual practitioners. However, to better understand the ethical problems of complex technological systems and the moral reasoning involved in such contexts, we need other tools as well. In this article, we consider the role of imagination and develop a concept of distributed responsibility in order to capture a broader range of human abilities and dimensions of moral responsibility. We show that in the case of Snorre A, a near-disaster with an oil and gas production installation, imagination played a crucial and morally relevant role in how the crew coped with the crisis. For example, we discuss the role of scenarios and images in the moral reasoning and discussion of the platform crew in coping with the crisis. Moreover, we argue that responsibility for increased system vulnerability, turning an undesired event into a near-disaster, should not be ascribed exclusively, for example to individual engineers alone, but should be understood as distributed between various actors, levels and times. We conclude that both managers and engineers need imagination to transcend their disciplinary perspectives in order to improve the robustness of their organisations and to be better prepared for crisis situations. We recommend that education and training programmes should be transformed accordingly.

Organisation(s)

External organisation(s)

Maastricht University (UM)

Journal

Science and Engineering Ethics

Volume

13

Pages

235-248

No. of pages

14

ISSN

1353-3452

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-007-9008-7

Publication date

06-2007

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

603113 Philosophy

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pathology and Forensic Medicine

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/851c0279-b98d-425c-802a-929094eb3b0b