Armin Grunwald

Vision Assessment: Shaping Technology in 21st Century Society

Outline.- I Introduction.- Vision Assessment to Support Shaping 21st Century Society? Technology Assessment as a Tool for Political Judgement.- II Case Studies. Technology Assessment and the Role of Visions.- Technology Assessment as Metaphor Assessment. Visions Guiding the Development of Information and Communications.- Technology Assessment in the Health Care Area: A Matter of Uncovering or of Covering Up?.- Bloodless War or Bloody Non-Sense? Technology Assessments Role in Uncovering Old Propositions behind New Airpower Concepts.- III Visions and Societal Rationality.- Technology Policy between Long-Term Planning Requirements and Short-Ranged Acceptance Problems. New Challenges for Technology Assessment.- Replacing Human Beings by Robots. How to Tackle that Perspective by Technology Assessment?.- IV Conclusions.- The Lessons we Learnt: First Outline of Strategy and a Methodical Repertoire for Vision Assessment.- List of Authors.

Strategic knowledge for sustainable development: the need for reflexivity and learning at the interface between science and society

Redirecting society onto paths of more sustainable development is inconceivable without the support of scientific knowledge. Scientific contributions to sustainable development, however, do not often follow the classical routes to cognition, and do not often correspond to the traditional concept of science. Our hypothesis is that strategic knowledge for sustainable development extends far beyond explanatory and observational cognisance. It much rather consists of a problem-oriented combination of explanatory, orientation- , and action-guiding knowledge. For the generation and application of this strategic knowledge, new trails, which are only rudimentarily discernible, have to be trod. Above all, reflexivity and making societal learning possible are important requirements. This has consequences, not only for the self-concept of the sciences, but also for the relationship between science, politics, and other societal areas.

Technology Assessment: Concepts and Methods

Publisher Summary The term “Technology Assessment” (TA) is the most common collective designation of the systematic methods used to scientifically investigate the conditions for and the consequences of technology and technicising and to denote their societal evaluation. At first sight, entirely heterogeneous activities are subsumed under this name, such as the predicting of the consequences of technology, the communicating of risk, promoting innovation, improving the legitimacy of decisions on technology through increased participation, mediating in technological conflicts, and observing sustainability. The problem met in defining TA consists in the fact that it is not a priori clear what the common denominator of such heterogeneous efforts should be. No consensual, unambiguous and selective definition of TA has yet been provided. As the emergence and development of TA are closely connected with specific situations arising at the interface between technology and society, these same situations form the central background to the introducing and clarifying of TA.

Working Towards Sustainable Development in the Face of Uncertainty and Incomplete Knowledge

Abstract It is an inherent constituent of the Leitbild of sustainable development to think about strategies for shaping current and future society according to the normative content of that Leitbild. Knowledge in different forms is an essential input to make reasonable and robust decisions about shaping strategies and adequate measures. Many of the types of knowledge involved, however, show general attributes of uncertainty. In the field of sustainable development, uncertainties from different areas merge and create a dramatic increase in the importance and relevance of this issue. Working towards sustainable development, therefore, is not feasible within a classical planning approach; new concepts for approaching the future are needed. Uncertainties are, on the other hand, an indication of the openness of the future and the possibilities of shaping it. Uncertainties in some sense disturb the options for working towards sustainable development, but also allow for learning over time, for adapting and modifying measures due to the results of monitoring processes, etc. Exploiting the chances offered by this situation requires specific implementation strategies in favour of sustainable development, in particular strategies that are open to adaptation and ‘online’ modification by monitoring the effects of the initial measures. Sustainability policies have to become reflexive more radically than policies in other areas.

The practice of TA : science, interaction and communication

As TAMI reflects on the activities of Technology Assessment (TA) institutions and their effectiveness, the central question seems to be: which methods should TA use in order to optimise impact? Although this question sounds quite easy, this paper shows that reflecting on the impact of TA methods is a very complex endeavour. The goal of optimising impact of TA activities requires a comprehensive reflection on TA processes, TA quality criteria and, the institutionalisation and mission of TA. In this paper we strive to provide a common ground for such a broad reflection.

Rational Technology Assessment as Interdisciplinary Research

The concept of rational Technology Assessment has been created and developed by an interdisciplinary scientific team of the Europaische Akademie.’ Several aspects of this approach to Technology Assessment have been published in the meantime (Decker 2000, Grunwald 1999, Grunwald/Saupe 1999, Grunwald 2000a, Grunwald 2000b). While Rational Technology Assessment is, up to now, mainly focussed on conceptual and methodological questions (in order to clarify the differences compared to other approaches to TA, cf. Grunwald 1999, pp 11–28), the intention of the present paper is to relate the organisation principle of the interdisciplinary research done by the Europaische Akademie to the methodological and conceptual cernel of rational TA. Accordingly, the paper starts by explaining central issues of rational TA, such as the concept of problem-oriented research and the concept of pragmatic rationality, and by deriving the resulting requirements for the quality control of rational TA as interdisciplinary research. The second half of the paper is dedicated to the way by which these requirements are realised in accordance with the organisation principles of the Europaische Akademie, namely to bring together interdisciplinary project groups consisting of disciplinary experts. In this way, the paper aims at interrelating theory and practice of Technology Assessment as interdisciplinary research as well as to discuss the chances of the approach presented to overcome the well-known expert dilemmas.

The hermeneutic side of responsible research and innovation

The word ‘hermeneutics’ has been be used repeatedly in the scientific debates on responsible research and innovation (RRI). In this paper I present the thesis that this omnipresence is no coincidence. Rather, technology assessment (TA) exercises, reflections in applied ethics, and studies of the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) must necessarily involve hermeneutic effort, in particular in the field of new and emerging sciences and technologies (NEST). The main objective of hermeneutic analysis is uncovering the (frequently controversial) meanings that are attributed to NEST and that mold the RRI debates. The subjects of hermeneutic analysis are in particular technological futures and visions because they are of major importance to attribute meaning to NEST. The goal of this paper is, in the sense of a hermeneutic turn, to no longer treat the understanding of the possible meanings of NEST in the RRI debates as a secondary feature, but to put them at the focus of analysis and reflection. In or...

The normative basis of (health) technology assessment and the role of ethical expertise

The role of normative reflection and the possibilities of ethical inquiry in technology assessment have been under discussion in the TA community for several years. As an outcome of this discussion the necessity of explicitly dealing with normativity in TA has widely been acknowledged. However, it is still quite unclear in which way this should be done. This paper is dedicated to the role (and limitations) of ethical expertise in this field, especially in HTA. By methodological analysis an approach is developed to show how entry points for ethical expertise could be identified. The result is that ethical expertise can inform moral debates by uncovering underlying assumptions, by making the normative structure of argumentation transparent, and by weighing the strength of the arguments. In this way moral debates in HTA can become more transparent and opened to argumentative reasoning instead of consisting of bargaining processes determined by power distributions. Ethical reflection, however, does not replace decision-making.ZusammenfassungDie Rolle normativer Reflektion und die Möglichkeiten ethischer Hinterfragung in der Technikfolgenabschätzung werden seit mehreren Jahren innerhalb der TA-Gemeinschaft diskutiert. Ein Ergebnis dieser Diskussion ist, dass ein explizites Angehen der Normativitätsfrage in der TA heute allgemein als notwendig anerkannt wird. Dennoch ist es vollkommen unklar, in welcher Weise diese Frage anzugehen ist. Dieser Beitrag widmet sich der Rolle (und den Grenzen) der ethischen Expertise auf diesem Gebiet, besonders im HTA-Sektor. Durch methodologische Analyse wird hier ein Ansatz entwickelt, wie man Einstiegspunkte für die ethische Expertise identifizieren könnte. Das Ergebnis ist, dass ethisches Fachwissen den Unterbau für Moraldebatten liefern kann, indem es zugrunde liegende Annahmen aufdeckt, die normative Struktur von Argumentationen transparent macht und die Stärke verschiedener Argumente gegeneinander abwägt. Auf diese Weise können wir Moraldebatten in der HTA transparenter gestalten und argumentativer Beweisführung zugänglich machen und somit dazu beitragen, dass sie nicht weiterhin als durch Machtverteilungen bestimmte Verhandlungsprozesse geführt werden. Ethische Reflektion ist jedoch kein Ersatz für Entscheidungsfindung.RésuméLe rôle de la réflexion normative et les possibilités d’investigation éthiques sur l’évaluation technologique (ET) font l’objet de discussions depuis plusieurs années au sein de la communauté ET. La reconnaissance d’une nécessité explicite de tenir compte de la normativité dans l’ET en est l’un des résultats. La manière de procéder à cet égard n’est cependant pas le moins du monde claire. La présente contribution s’intéresse au rôle (et aux limites) de l’expertise éthique dans ce domaine, et en particulier dans celui de l’ETS (évaluation des technologies de la santé). L’analyse méthodologique permet de développer une approche sur la manière d’identifier des points d’accès pour l’expertise éthique. Le résultat est que la compétence éthique peut informer le débat moral en mettant en lumière les postulats sous-jacents, en rendant transparente la structure normative des argumentations et en évaluant le poids des arguments. De cette manière, les débats moraux dans le domaine de l’ETS peuvent gagner en transparence et s’ouvrir au raisonnement argumentatif au lieu de consister dans des processus de négociation déterminés par la répartition des pouvoirs. La réflexion éthique ne remplace pas toutefois la prise de décision.

Ethics and HTA: Some lessons and challenges for the future

What have we learned? Is there in the contribution to this special theme a clue as to what is the best way of integrating ethical inquiry into health technology assessment (HTA)? Particularly, what is the significance of the social shaping perspective in this respect? In this concluding paper, we attempt to collect the lessons we have learnt and to answer these questions. Of course, our answer will not be the final one. It is difficult to find an appropriate and widely endorsed model of integrating ethical implications in HTA studies, if there is such a single appropriate model at all. But despite reserves, it is equally fair to claim that it is definitely possible to reach beyond what ethical inquiry in HTA too often concerns, namely to conclude that ‘‘the technology raises serious ethical concerns that must be dealt with.’’ This is truly a death sentence, for both HTA and medical ethics, just when their integration is called for. In the remainder of this paper, we address three questions. First, the main question of this issue is: How could ethical inquiry be integrated into HTA? Or in other words: What methods do we have to address moral aspects of technology in a valid and useful way? This question is addressed by discussing the following aspects: How can ethical issues be identified and addressed, and how could the perspective of social shaping of technology add to this? Second: Who is to face the challenge of ethical inquiry? Under this header, we discuss the role of researchers, policy-makers, laypersons, and ethicists. In addition, we address the issue of moral competence. Poiesis Prax (2004) 2: 247–256 DOI 10.1007/s10202-003-0054-1

Technology Policy Between Long-Term Planning Requirements and Short-Ranged Acceptance Problems. New Challenges for Technology Assessment

Modern societies are facing strong demands for a reliable long-term orientation of technology policy, environmental policy and science policy. These demands result, on the one hand, from the very complex nature and the extended time frame of research and development processes and, on the other hand, from the aim to realise the agenda of Sustainable Development (Kuik and Verbruggen 1992).Technology and environmental policy, however, must — in pluralistic and democratic societies — also be based on certain forms of acceptance, otherwise its success would be questioned on principle.