Regulation or Responsibility? Autonomy, Moral Imagination, and Engineering

Coeckelbergh, Mark (2006) Regulation or Responsibility? Autonomy, Moral Imagination, and Engineering. Science, technology & human values, 31 (3). pp. 237-260. ISSN 0162-2439

PDF
Restricted to UT campus only: Request a copy
2398Kb

Abstract:	A prima facie analysis suggests that there are essentially two, mutually exclusive, ways in which risk arising from engineering design can be managed: by imposing external constraints on engineers or by engendering their feelings of responsibility and respect their autonomy. The author discusses the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches. However, he then shows that this opposition is a false one and that there is no simple relation between regulation and autonomy. Furthermore, the author argues that the most pressing need is not more or less regulation but the further development of moral imagination. The enhancement of moral imagination can help engineers to discern the moral relevance of design problems, to create new design options, and to envisage the possible outcomes of their designs. The author suggests a dual program of developing regulatory frameworks that support engineers’ autonomy and responsibility simultaneously with efforts to promote their moral imagination. He describes how some existing institutional changes have started off in this direction and proposes empirical research to take this further
Item Type:	Article
Copyright:	© 2006 Sage
Link to this item:	http://purl.utwente.nl/publications/76134
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0162243905285839
Export this item as:	BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager

Show download statistics for this publication

Repository Staff Only: item control page