A short look at EthicsMathias Klang

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior.

Can you make an ethical choice?

Which choices don’t need to be ethical?

Ethical choice: you & others

Ethical zones

Ethical choicesEffects on

others

Effects onother

sentientbeings

Effects on non-feelingbeings, ecosystems &culture etc

The non-choice choice: ethics without thought? Why did you drink coffee this morning?

The unreasoned choice

Which reasoning makes a choice ethical?

Choices are difficult

Problem of conflictProblem of motivation

Problem of attentionProblem of knowledge

Ethical theories

“Ethics is the knowledge about which response to choose and which action to do in a given situation”

Meta ethics

how we understand, know about, and what we mean when we talk about what is right and what is wrong.

Normative ethics

the study of what makes actions right and wrong

Ethics:a very very

short version

ethnocentrism

Cultural relativism

Culture

Human Nature

Good Evil

Choice?

Nurture Nature

absolutism

Ethical relativism

Social construct

Social Contract

Rousseau Hobbes

Utilitarianism

Bentham - Happiness

Teleological ethics

Mill - Good

Rule ethics

Kant

Duties – not impulses

Categorical imperative

Rawls

Rule creation

Veil of ignorance

Habermas

Discourse ethics

Virtue ethics

Aristotle’s Golden mean

Applied ethics

to apply ethical theory to real-life situations

Computer ethics

Computer Ethics is the analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of such technology

Technological determinism

determinism Nothing to be done.

Technological determinism: society's technology drives the development of its social structure and cultural values

Hard vs soft deterministsWe role the dice

L. Winner: do artifacts have politics?

Who creates what controls us?

What is technology?

Technology: techne (art) & logos (discourse)

• T as object– Tools, instruments, machines…

• T as knowledge– How to make and use the objects

• T as activity– Methods, routines & skills

• T as sociotechnical system– Design, development & control

A pattern of tech adoption

Initial optimism

Euphoric optimism

Concern

Social media & social change

optimism

Pessimism

an attempted revolution

balance

Technology changing society, but social rules slow to evolve…

THANKS!

Mathias Klang klang@ituniv.se or @klang67

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