etik och it

Conflicting values and norms

Lars SandmanProfessor, University of Borås

2023-04-12 Lars Sandman 2

Ethical issues

Ethical issues = issues about values and norms …but also about facts… Factual propositions be true or false Value propositions be true or false?

Nothing ’out there’ corresponding to our propositions…except our opinions? A relativistic claim…

Or…also values and norms can be true or false Test what these different assumptions imply – and

whether we act as to fulfil these assumptions However – we seem to take ethical issues

seriously and argue around ethical issues when having different opinions as if they were factual issues


Ethical issues

So…it would seem the assumption that there might be true or false answers also to ethical issues fits better with how we deal with these issues. That will be my assumption here.

If accepting that assumption – we need to find an answer to what these values and norms are…a bit more difficult – here we can resort to peoples critically analyzed, argued and consistent opinions about this – hoping that this will bring us closer to the truth.

I will present a possible model for how to think around ethical issues in concrete cases – that you will have to critically scrutinize


An ethical model

The goal of ethical conduct Side-constraints to reach this goal Ethical competency Structural factors


An ethical model – the goal

The goal of ethical conduct is to realize a good life for people Experiential well-being Desire-fulfilment In what way does this information

technology add to the good of people’s lives? Who will be benefited and who will not? Can we assess a total net benefit of the technology?


An ethical model – side-constraints

Respect for autonomy If people are autonomous – competent Strong norm which we need good

reasons to go against Respect for integrity

Physical integrity Privacy According to peoples preferences If not possible to assess preferences -

caution


An ethical model – side-constraints Justice and fair distribution

Being treated justly – not take into account irrelevant characteristics of the person

Scarce resources being fairly distributed Different ideas around fair distribution Equal distribution – type of goods to be

distributed? Some factors should not guide the distribution Outcomes or possibilities? Needs Desert and individual responsibility


An ethical model – ethical competency and structural factors Ethical competency

Skills needed to identify, analyze, argue and act in relation to ethical issues

Structural factors Factors that normally will influence our

competency and our alternatives Legal Economical Organizational Cultural

In conclusion

Some critical remarks Provide a structure and joint

framework for ethical deliberation aroundn the use of information technology in concrete situations


etik och it

Technology