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- School of Science
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School of Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Systems and Control Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Information and Communications Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Industrial Engineering and Economics
- Common courses
- School of Materials and Chemical Technology
- School of Computing
- School of Life Science and Technology
- School of Environment and Society
- 工学院，物質理工学院，環境・社会理工学院共通科目
- Liberal arts and basic science courses
- First-Year Courses
- School of Science
- School of Engineering
- School of Materials and Chemical Technology
- School of Computing
- School of Life Science and Technology
-
School of Environment and Society
- Department of Architecture and Building Engineering
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
- Department of Social and Human Sciences
- Department of Innovation Science
- Graduate major in Technology and Innovation Management
- Common courses
- Liberal arts and basic science courses
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Takaki Yuki
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- Day/Period(Room No.)
- -
- Group
- -
- Course number
- LAH.A536
- Credits
- 1
- Academic year
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- 2024/3/15
- Lecture notes updated
- -
- Language used
- Japanese
- Access Index
-
Course description and aims
This course will examine the use of science and technology to augment human capabilities, or "enhancement," from an ethical perspective. Traditionally, it has been naively believed that scientific and technological advances enhance or enrich human life. However, "enhancement technology," the use of science and technology to directly intervene in the human body to temporarily and sustainably augment various human capacities, makes people uneasy. Enhancement technology transforms the human condition and human nature, and at first glance makes people happy, but on the other hand, it is feared that it may cause people to lose something ethically important. In this lecture, we will examine the pros and cons of such technologies, covering classic topics such as cosmetic surgery and doping, as well as relatively new topics such as genetic engineering and BMI (Brain-Machine-Interface).
The aim of this course is to enable students to critically examine the impact of science and technology on human beings and human ethics by directly enhancing human beings themselves from an ethical perspective. We hope that students will experience the pleasure of thinking about the ideal form of ethics, which is behind and supports human life, and learn how to explain it to others in a persuasive way.
Student learning outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to: (1)Explain various enhancement techniques.
(2) Explain various enhancement techniques from various ethical viewpoints.
(3)Formulate one's own opinions about the pros and cons of enhancement techniques from an ethical viewpoint and explain them to others.
Keywords
human enhancement, ethics, science and technology
Competencies that will be developed
| Specialist skills | ✔ Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
Class flow
PowerPoint slides will be used.
Course schedule/Required learning
| Course schedule | Required learning | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction | Explain what ethics is. |
| Class 2 | Physical Enhancement | Explain ethical issues of physical enhancement |
| Class 3 | Mood Enhancement | Explain ethical issues of mood enhancement |
| Class 4 | Cognitive Enhancement | Explain ethical issues of cognitive enhacement |
| Class 5 | Moral Enhancement | Explain ethical issues of moral enhancement |
| Class 6 | Other Issues of Enhancement | Explain other issues of enhancement in general |
| Class 7 | Conclusion | Form one's own opinion about enhancement from an ethical point of view and explain it to others. |
Out-of-Class Study Time (Preparation and Review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to material presented in the lectures.
Textbook(s)
None required.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Materials are presented in the lectures.
Assessment criteria and methods
Report （35%）・Final report（65%）
Related courses
- None
Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)
None required.
Other
This course is 500-level course.
Tokyo Tech’s “wedge-shaped style education” enables students to pursue liberal arts education in a phased manner throughout undergraduate and graduate programs.
Students are encouraged to take 100-level to 600-level courses in order. As such, master’s students must begin Humanities and Social Science courses at the 400 level (in 1Q/2Q of the first year for those entering in April, and 3Q/4Q for those entering in September), then proceed to 500-level courses (in 3Q/4Q or later for those entering in April, and 1Q/2Q of the following year or later for those entering in September).
