After successful completion of the course, students are able to understand society (i.e. industry, politics, NGOs and other relevant actors and interests) as an important factor for “success”, i.e. the development and implementation of (new) technologies. By means of concrete examples, it will be shown what role technology plays in modern society and what ethical challenges it sometimes poses. So, students are encouraged to think about their own professional role from a broader perspective.

(Lecture in German language!)

The lecture addresses topics such as:

• Das Unbehagen an der Technik
• Die Technokratiedebatte
• Techik und Risiko
• Technik und Demokratie
• Responsible Innovation
• Sind Technologien politisch? Haben Technologien eine Moral?
• Die gesellschaftliche Konstruktion von Technologie
• Die Handlungsmacht der Nicht-Menschen: Die Akteur-Netzwerk-Theorie
• Nutzer/innen und Technologie
• Politische Steuerung der Technik
• Technikkontroversen und Technikfolgenabschätzung
• Technik und Gender

The course contents are taught in the form of a lecture. The focus is on the lecturer’s input, whose structure is documented in the slides. Furthermore, the active participation of the students is encouraged in the form of joint discussions.

Written exam (Single-Choice-test)

This is an introductory class.