Back to TGE 1257 - Ethics in Applied Technology

Part 4.6: Ethical Excavations (DeBeauvoir - Feminism, or, Ethics of Care)

Authors: Clayn D. Lambert
License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Topic Outcomes

Concise Learning Outcomes Summary

By the end of Part 4, you should be able to:

  • Excavate existing de Beauvoirian patterns in your personal reasoning

  • Analyze origins and development of your social construction-focused thinking

  • Navigate tensions between de Beauvoirian and other reasoning approaches

  • Apply archaeological analysis method to discover rather than learn framework concepts

  • Integrate de Beauvoirian insights into your ongoing conflict map through citations and addenda

Topic Summary

Excavate Existing De Beauvoirian Patterns in Personal Reasoning

Students will identify where social construction awareness, "othering" recognition, and authentic existence-focused thinking already appears in their ethical decision-making.

Evidence of Learning:

  • Recognizes existing awareness of how identities are socially constructed rather than naturally given

  • Identifies personal sensitivity to "othering" dynamics and exclusion of marginalized voices

  • Discovers unconscious authenticity vs. conformity considerations in decision-making patterns

  • Maps where social construction reasoning conflicts with essentialist or universal principle approaches

Analyze Origins and Development of De Beauvoirian Thinking

Students will trace how their social construction-focused reasoning patterns developed through personal experience and cultural influences.

Evidence of Learning:

  • Connects "othering" awareness patterns to experiences with marginalization, identity expectations, or formative social situations

  • Explains how focus on authentic self-definition might have been shaped by personal history

  • Identifies sources of their approach to questioning social roles and challenging imposed identities

  • Recognizes environmental or experiential factors that encouraged attention to power dynamics and social construction

Navigate Tensions Between De Beauvoirian and Other Reasoning Patterns

Students will explore conflicts between social construction thinking and universal principle, natural law, or equality-focused approaches in their reasoning.

Evidence of Learning:

  • Identifies specific conflicts between recognizing difference and treating everyone equally

  • Explores tensions between embracing ambiguity and seeking clear moral guidelines

  • Recognizes where de Beauvoirian logic conflicts with natural law essentialism or utilitarian efficiency

  • Analyzes situations where attention to "othering" feels paralyzing or divisive

Apply Archaeological Analysis Method to Philosophical Framework

Students will use AI-guided excavation to discover rather than learn about de Beauvoirian concepts, treating themselves as the primary source.

Evidence of Learning:

  • Maintains focus on personal reasoning patterns rather than theoretical knowledge

  • Uses AI to probe for hidden social construction assumptions and "othering" awareness

  • Engages in genuine discovery of existing patterns rather than confirmation of framework

  • Demonstrates honest assessment of de Beauvoirian presence (or absence) in their thinking

Integrate De Beauvoirian Analysis into Ongoing Conflict Map

Students will add de Beauvoirian insights to their developing understanding of personal ethical complexity through citations and addendum creation.

Evidence of Learning:

  • Creates de Beauvoirian addendum that identifies specific patterns and tensions

  • Adds citations to existing conflict map indicating social construction reasoning

  • Updates understanding of ethical complexity based on de Beauvoirian excavation

  • Builds cumulative analysis that integrates multiple philosophical perspectives

Topic Sources

Topic Authors

Clayn D. Lambert