Technology cannot be separated from ethics

On March 28 and 29, 2013, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in collaboration with Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz, Germany) organized an international conference: "Ethics and Technology".Attending the workshop were Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quang Minh - Vice Rector of the University, along with scientists from international agencies, organizations, universities, research institutes from Germany, Japan, India and lecturers, students, graduate students and PhD students of the University. In his welcoming speech at the workshop, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quang Minh - Vice Rector of the University thanked the professors and scientists for attending the workshop and sharing scientific ideas on a topic that is still quite new in Vietnam. According to Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quang Minh, ethics and technology require an interdisciplinary approach, are two important aspects that are closely related and have a significant impact on the development of all countries, especially developing countries. From the perspective of a training institution, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quang Minh said: universities have an extremely important mission in training intellectuals who are both knowledgeable and ethical in order to build a prosperous, peaceful and progressive world. The future of society depends greatly on the training and research of universities. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities is trying to carry out this important task. In total, the conference received 23 reports, including 13 reports from foreign scholars. The papers presented at the conference considered and evaluated issues related to ethics and technology in the fields of culture, literature, art, cinema, media, international cooperation, etc. Discussing the issues of ethics and technology in the field of cinema, Dr. Marcus Stiglegger (Germany) mentioned the ethical issues of fictional characters in Japanese cinema through the works of director Shinya Tsukamoto. Director Tsukamoto has exploited the dark side of human condition in post-industrial society, the strangeness and alienation of humans in a completely industrialized world, thus facing new ethical challenges. Studying and discussing ethical issues in the application of knowledge, Prof. Dr. Kumkum Bhattacharya (India) emphasized that: technology is not simply the expansion of knowledge, but also requires consideration of ethical aspects. Therefore, people must be more aware and concerned about this issue. Prof. Dr. Konrad Meisig (Germany) discussed ethical issues related to technology at three levels: the base level, the mainstream level and the upper level. According to the Prof. at the base level, technology is managed, guided and directed by the state. At the mainstream level, growth and consumption are easily dominated by a belief in technology. The upper level is determined by the reflection on technology - ethics, ethical and philosophical concerns aimed at decentralization and growth control. Discussing the relationship between science and technology and social ethics, Dr. Luong Van Ke (University of Social Sciences and Humanities) analyzed Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on 6 aspects: social function of scientific and technological innovation; economic function of scientific and technological innovation; function of building peace and friendship between nations of science and technology; ethics of scientists and technology. In general, Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on the relationship between science and technology and ethics are the development of Marxist views on science and technology in the specific conditions of Vietnam. Other presentations at the conference also showed that ethics and technology are interdisciplinary fields, requiring the cooperation of many scientists and a new approach. In the face of the rapid development of technology, it is impossible not to pay attention to the issue of ethics and traditional values, especially in developing Eastern countries. The results of this Conference will be published in Germany this year.