HUMN 15Ethics and Technology
Addresses the role of values in technology: Who is technology for? What could it be? How does it relate to its social and historical contexts? Students think systematically and imaginatively about how the design of different technologies assists and constrains everyday life. Course asks whether there is a ''right'' way to do technology, and if there is, how we might go about pursuing it. To explore this question, the course draws on cross-disciplinary materials taken from literature, history, sociology, anthropology, politics, and philosophy, and introduces students to the principles of design justice and inclusive design.
- From the Instructor: In this course we will examine the ethics of technology, broadly conceived. This will involve not merely theoretical and philosophical discussions concerning the nature of technology, but also practical engagements with material objects in our own and others' environments. You will be asked to bring your own objects to class, and to engage with the diverse and unique perspectives of others. You will also be asked to both center and decenter your own experience with the technological world, and to consider the various ways in which this world is designed (or not designed) for you and others. Students are encouraged to consider their own academic and practical engagements with technology, and to integrate their own interests and priorities into the course discussions and assignments.
- Be advised: this is a writing intensive class. However, each assignment is oriented around a reflection of course materials in relation to students' own life experiences and is designed, in part, to draw upon your own expertise.
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When it runs
Summer 2026Open Summer 2026
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Seminar | Mon Wed 9:00am–12:30pm | Online | M. R. Howard | Open 24/35 |
Winter 2026Open Winter 2026
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Seminar | Tue Thu 9:50am–11:25am | Earth&Marine B210 | R. G. Winther | Open 33/35 |
Fall 2025Open Fall 2025
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Seminar | Mon Wed 5:20pm–6:55pm | R Carson Acad 252 | L. M. Lyons | Open 34/35 |
Who teaches it
| Instructor | Rating | Difficulty | Would take again | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Howard | 4.8 / 5 | 3.0 / 5 | 80% | 4 |
| Rasmus Winther | 4.0 / 5 | 3.4 / 5 | 47% | 44 |
| Lauren Lyons | 4.6 / 5 | 3.0 / 5 | 67% | 5 |
From RateMyProfessors, which is student-submitted and not a survey. Small review counts move a long way on one bad quarter.
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