Academic Course
Experiential Ethics
Trying to navigate the complex, ever-changing ethical terrain of science and technology? Experiential Ethics is a collaborative, discussion-based summer course where students gain theoretical and practical tools while reflecting critically on their personal, professional, and political roles. The class can be taken by itself or alongside popular experiential learning programs and internships, such as UROP, MISTI, or PKG opportunities. In small-group weekly sessions, students engage in conversations about their own values as well as the moral, social, and political dimensions of their summer experiences. In the 2025 session, we will once again offer a 3-unit version (24.133) and a more intensive 6-unit version (24.134) of the class with more extensive readings and longer class time.
Discussions of the ethical implications of science and technology have reached a new level of prominence on MIT’s campus with the founding of the Schwarzman College of Computing. Leaders in industry, academia, and the public sector all acknowledge the ubiquity of technology and the vital role that ethics must play in the creation of new technology. MIT graduates have the opportunity to become pioneers in fields like inclusive AI practices and cybersecurity policy, but only if they possess both technical expertise and an understanding of how technology impacts various groups of people.
These conversations are not new. More than 50 years ago, a group of MIT faculty, students, and alumni came together to speak out against nuclear warfare and formed the Union of Concerned Scientists. As our society wrestles with those challenges that the UCS founders foresaw, as well as many new challenges that they could not yet imagine, we need MIT graduates who are not afraid to ask the tough questions.
MIT students can now gain the skills and knowledge they need in a class designed to complement students’ summer experiential learning activities. This approach to ethics education is not imagined or intended as a substitute for philosophy courses taught by MIT faculty; rather, the experiential setting can be a supplemental exposure that contextualizes and reinforces more traditional or theoretical approaches to ethics. Classes will offer thought-provoking readings, videos, and case studies; small group in-person or online discussions; simulations with practitioners, alumni, faculty, and peers; guided critical reflection on personal values and professional purpose; and a culminating showcase event/presentation.
Key Links
- Subject listing
- Syllabi (2024): 3-unit & 6-unit
- Evaluation Summary (2024)
Student Testimonials
Students who took Experiential Ethics in 2020 and 2021 overwhelmingly reported high satisfaction with the course, increased knowledge and ability to engage with ethics, and increased interest in ethics. Most students said they now envision themselves pursuing extracurricular or volunteer opportunities related to ethics, taking ethics classes, continuing to learn about ethics independently, and/or engaging in ethical discussions with friends and classmates. Here are a few of their comments:
[I would recommend this course to] anyone who has some free time during their summer… I think it’s really good for first years and the like, since they are so new and would get to see through an ethical lens right at the beginning of their MIT experience.❞
I loved the supportive and creative discussion environment fostered by my [teaching fellow] and peers. I felt comfortable to share my thoughts at all times, and the conversations really expanded my thinking and encouraged me to dig deeper into the topics.❞
I think Experiential Ethics is crucial for anyone majoring in a technical field and beyond.❞
Being in Experiential Ethics completely changed the way that I view ethics, transforming my relationship with the field of AI, my research, courses at MIT, and the interface between science, technology, and society.❞
Experiential Ethics is what motivated me to apply to be in a SERC (Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing) Action Group, an opportunity that became a highlight of the past semester. I’ve found a sense of purpose working to make MIT a more ethical place, and I hope to continue that work during my years at MIT (and beyond!).❞
Being in Experiential Ethics offered me the opportunity to explore my field of interest from a new perspective, allowing me to see the underlying ethical and safety issues. I realized these are as fundamental as the technical issues and decided to evaluate PhD programs in large part on the opportunities they would provide me to address the social issues that prevent further development in my field. I believe many students would benefit from taking this time to step back and consider a broader perspective on their field of interest.❞
The class expanded my definition of ethics to not just include personal definitions of right/wrong, but to also include broader ideas of institutional/systemic ethics. It made me more aware of the articles and books and social issues that usually fly under my radar.❞
FAQ
Do I have to pay summer tuition to participate?
No; because the class includes a final project due in September, it is listed as a Fall semester class. Therefore, it only impacts your tuition costs if you are not registered as a full-time student in the Fall. Similarly, the class will apply toward Fall credit limits, rather than Summer.
I’m going to be on the West Coast/in India/in Australia/working full time, so my schedule will be constrained. Will I still be able to participate?
We welcome applications from students all over the world and with all different schedules. Accommodating everyone’s schedules so that no one is excluded is a top priority for the class. We will consider a wide variety of discussion group times and do our very best to make sure that every student is assigned to a discussion group that fits their schedule.
How will the course be held?
The class will include virtual discussion sections, activities for students around the world, and an in-person showcase on the MIT campus in the fall. There may be an in-person discussion section option for students in the Boston area. Students who will not be on campus in the fall should reach out to experientialethics@gmail.com.
How will the course be graded?
The class is set up for standard A-F grading. The grade will be computed based on attendance and participation (40%), written assignments (20%), and a final project (40%).
What can/will the course count for?
Experiential Ethics has been required for 6A students since 2022 (FAQ for 6A students can be found here). The 6-unit version can count as a Leadership Elective for GEL 2 students. For all other students, the class can count toward general elective credit. We’re working to evaluate whether the class can count for other purposes, but we, unfortunately, can’t confirm other credit uses at this time. However, the class is a great opportunity to get a taste of ethics material to help you consider future courses in this area, such as HASS electives.
What is the final project like?
The final project for this class is highly flexible, both in terms of format and in terms of topic. We will provide you with a variety of format options (e.g., a 2000-word essay, a website, an interview and commentary, a series of vlogs, etc.) You are also welcome to propose your own format. We encourage you to connect your final project to something you are working on or experiencing during the summer—an internship, UROP, or independent project, for example. However, the topic is ultimately up to you, pending approval by your teaching fellow. Scroll down for examples of past projects.
Student Projects
Students enrolled in the Experiential Ethics course design and execute a final project. The final project is highly flexible, both in terms of format and in terms of topic. All students have given express permission for their projects to be shared on the website.
Monica Liu | 2023 | The Climate Change Comics
Teresa Gao | 2022 | Human-Computer Interaction and the Ethical Computing Protocol (poster)
Joshua Kuffour | 2022 | Ethical Wind Farm Siting
Erika Leasher | 2022 | From HeLa to Hip Replacements: Is American Patient Consent Ethical?
Matthew Leonard | 2022 | pAper_tIger: a video game
Anna Plank | 2022 | Bioethics in Brief
Krittamate Tiankanon | 2022 | AI for Job Candidate Screening: Are There Any Ethical Alternatives?
Shannon Weng | 2021 | The Ethics of Gene Editing: How Far is Too Far?
Randi Williams | 2021 | Integrating Ethics into Embedded Machine Learning Education with Model Blocks
Joyce An | 2020 | Video on the ethics of social-network-based hiring
Dasha Castillo | 2020 | Police Presence in K-12 American Schools
Tyler Schoulte | 2020 | Tell Me About Yourself: A.I. Edition
Daniela Velez | 2020 | Ethics of Facial Recognition Technology During Covid-19
Resources
Learn about and apply ethics at MIT and beyond!
General
Expand your moral imagination and build your ethical toolkit by completing a HASS Concentration in Ethics, or develop a multidisciplinary understanding of the technical and sociocultural practice and human implications of computation through the HASS Concentration in Computing and Society.
Engage with industry-specific ethical dilemmas in classes like Bioethics, The Ethics of Climate Change, Ethics of Technology, and more.
Get another dose of embedded ethics education and build other professional skills essential to your engineering career through GEL and NEET.
Put your moral imagination to work by engaging in public service through the PKG Center or co-designing solutions to poverty with communities around the world through D-Lab.
Web
Stand up for ethical and impactful uses of science with the Union of Concerned Scientists, an organization formed in 1969 by student and scientist activists at MIT.
Find articles and videos discussing the societal impacts of technology curated by Build Tech We Trust.
Become an agent of change by joining the Algorithmic Justice League, an MIT-based organization that combines art and research to illuminate the social implications and harms of artificial intelligence
Cool Stuff
Use Envisioning Cards to help you consider long-term societal implications of your design and engineering projects.
