HIST 1332 Ethics and Civics Essay Prompt

Context:

Rapid scientific and technological developments in the long 20^th century have led to societal change in unexpected ways. But, with progress, challenges and unintended consequences rise to meet the change. These developments and their associated unintended consequences, as well as the responses to these developments, have had significant civic and ethical implications.

Prompt:

Using your materials and notes from this course, discuss 2-3 major events, inventions, or innovations of science and/or technological progress in the 20^thcentury of America’s history. Explain and analyze the unintended consequences of these advancements, the responses to those unintended consequences within both the science and technology communities and within American society as a whole (the general public). Additionally, discuss what civic responsibilities and ethical considerations these advancements and their respective responses involved.

This is a classic cause-and-effect essay. Your essay should address the causes of unintended consequences and the responses (effects) of unintended consequences, as well as the civic and ethical considerations that were involved. Your essay should not spend significant energy discussing the unintended consequences themselves but rather emphasize the responses and the civic and ethical considerations.

In this essay you should:

• Discuss specific technologies or systems of technologies that have introduced major unintended consequences
• Discuss the civic and ethical considerations involved in acquiring technological/scientific progress
• Discuss how scientists, engineers, and/or technologists have responded to these unintended consequences and the key factors that led to these responses.
• Discuss how society has reacted to these unintended consequences
• Explain and analyze the civic and ethical considerations involved in responses to unintended consequences

Format:

Times New Roman 12 pt. Font. Chicago style format. Follow the outline given to you from the ethics and civics worksheet.