Martin Peterson
Professor of Philosophy and Elisabeth Scurlock Chair of Human Values
Southern Methodist University
News & Publications
"The book is superb. It is clearly written, is efficiently structured, and manages a thorough defense of a controversial view." A. Domosławski, Ethics 134 (4):609-614.
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"Peterson provides a much needed clarification of what gradualism is,
and makes a powerful case both that it is a decisive advance over
alternatives, and that ethicists working within a broadly consequentialist
framework are driven to it. He makes the case, moreover, that the
ability of consequentialist theories – in particular, his preferred version –
to accommodate gradualism amounts to a real advantage of such theories
over alternatives that eschew it. An important contribution to core debates
in normative ethics and beyond.” Paul Hurley, Claremont McKenna College"
March 2019, 2nd ed. Jan. 2025
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"An essential all-in-one introduction, Ethics for Engineers provides in-depth coverage of major ethical theories, professional codes of ethics, and case studies in a single volume. Incorporating numerous practical examples and about 100 review questions, it helps students better understand and address ethical issues that they may face in their future careers. Topics covered include whistle-blowing, the problem of many hands, gifts, bribes, conflicts of interest, engineering and environmental ethics, privacy and computer ethics...."
Profile
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I received my Ph.D. in philosophy from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden in 2003. After that I did a postdoc for three years at Cambridge University.
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I worked at Eindhoven University of Technology from 2009 to 2014. I then moved to Texas A&M University, where I held the Sue and Harry Bovay Jr. Chair for the History and Ethics of Professional Engineering in the Department of Philosophy from 2014 to 2026.
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Since August 1, 2026, I hold the Elisabeth Scurlock Chair in Human Values of Ethics in Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Philosophy at Southern Methodist University.
July 2017
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"Autonomous cars, drones, and electronic surveillance systems are examples of technologies that raise serious ethical issues. In this analytic investigation, Martin Peterson articulates and defends five moral principles for addressing ethical issues related to new and existing technologies: the cost-benefit principle, the precautionary principle, the sustainability principle, the autonomy principle, and the fairness principle...."
March 2017
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"Now revised and updated, this introduction to decision theory is both accessible and comprehensive, covering topics including decision making under ignorance and risk, the foundations of utility theory, the debate over subjective and objective probability, Bayesianism, causal decision theory, game theory, and social choice theory....."