Provide a Short Answer to Each of These Questions

question 52

Essay

Provide a short answer to each of these questions.Be sure to fully explain your answer.
One of the ways to make judgments about the ethical impacts of technology is to employ prevailing norms of acceptability in determining what is fair and to avoid harm.Provide a critique of using this criterion.
Using prevailing norms of acceptability to make ethical judgments about technological advances is problematic,for the simple reason that prevailing norms may not be applicable to new technologies.We currently see this in the debate over embryonic stem cell research.The key question in this debate is what constitutes human life;alternatively,when does life begin? Our prevailing norms of acceptability leave this question unanswered.We can't even use current standards to adequately answer the question of abortion,much less the less known implications of stem cell research.

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Definitions:

Perceived Inequities

The feeling among individuals that they are not receiving a fair share of rewards or resources compared to others.

Continuous Reinforcements

A method in behavior modification that involves providing a reward after every desired behavior, aimed at establishing or strengthening a behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

A behavioral conditioning technique where the removal of an unfavorable outcome or stimulus strengthens a desired behavior.

Instrumentality

The perceived relationship between performance and the outcome, often related to the expectation that efforts will lead to desired rewards.