The document discusses two ethical theories - utilitarianism and Kantianism - and how they relate to autonomous vehicles. Utilitarianism focuses on creating the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, but allowing harm to come to individuals. Kantianism emphasizes respecting all individuals and treating them as ends in themselves rather than means. The author's top values of integrity, respect, and empathy align more closely with Kantianism. While driverless cars could provide benefits, developing and testing them must prioritize individuals' safety, well-being, and dignity to be ethical.
The document discusses two ethical theories - utilitarianism and Kantianism - and how they relate to autonomous vehicles. Utilitarianism focuses on creating the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, but allowing harm to come to individuals. Kantianism emphasizes respecting all individuals and treating them as ends in themselves rather than means. The author's top values of integrity, respect, and empathy align more closely with Kantianism. While driverless cars could provide benefits, developing and testing them must prioritize individuals' safety, well-being, and dignity to be ethical.
The document discusses two ethical theories - utilitarianism and Kantianism - and how they relate to autonomous vehicles. Utilitarianism focuses on creating the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, but allowing harm to come to individuals. Kantianism emphasizes respecting all individuals and treating them as ends in themselves rather than means. The author's top values of integrity, respect, and empathy align more closely with Kantianism. While driverless cars could provide benefits, developing and testing them must prioritize individuals' safety, well-being, and dignity to be ethical.
The document discusses two ethical theories - utilitarianism and Kantianism - and how they relate to autonomous vehicles. Utilitarianism focuses on creating the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, but allowing harm to come to individuals. Kantianism emphasizes respecting all individuals and treating them as ends in themselves rather than means. The author's top values of integrity, respect, and empathy align more closely with Kantianism. While driverless cars could provide benefits, developing and testing them must prioritize individuals' safety, well-being, and dignity to be ethical.
The three values I identified in the week 3 tutorial submission for assessment 1 are integrity,
respect, and empathy.
1. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory developed by British philosophers John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham in the 18th and 19th centuries. It focuses on the consequences of actions rather than the motives behind them. Actions are deemed ethical or non-ethical based on whether they result in the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. When applying utilitarianism to the loss of the pedestrian's life in the self-driving car accident, it is evident that the theory was not upheld. The loss of the pedestrian's life caused not only physical pain and psychological damage to the driver but also the suffering of the deceased's loved ones. Thus, the use of self-driving vehicles may not be creating the greatest happiness for the greatest number, and further research and testing are necessary to ensure their safety. Respect is one of the three ethical values discussed in the week 3 tutorial submission that is most related to utilitarianism. People who hold this value believe in treating others equally regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or religion. This aligns with utilitarianism's principle of valuing our pleasure as much as the pleasures of others. 2. In contrast to utilitarianism, Kantianism is an ethical theory that places greater emphasis on the morality of actions themselves. Kantianism emphasizes the importance of treating others as ends in themselves rather than as means to our ends. This means that we must respect every human being's intrinsic dignity and value, treat everyone as we want to be treated, and not use people as tools to achieve our aims or desires. The theory represents the values of respect and empathy. Respect involves treating everyone equally, treating them with courtesy, using polite language, and not behaving rudely or infringing on their rights. Empathy enables us to understand others by placing ourselves in their shoes, treating them as we would like to be treated, and recognizing their intrinsic dignity and value. 3. My top three values, namely integrity, respect, and empathy, align more closely with Kantianism. This ethical theory prioritizes treating others as ends in themselves and not merely as tools, respecting the inherent value of every human being, and empathizing with others' pain. According to Kantianism, individuals must be treated equally and given full autonomy over their lives, without being sacrificed or put in danger for the benefit of others. Thus, it is unethical and irresponsible to enjoy the benefits of driverless cars without considering the safety of others. Although driverless cars offer countless benefits, such as convenience, assisting disabled individuals, reducing traffic jams, and saving fuel, it is essential that autonomous vehicles are developed, tested, and utilized with the utmost care to prevent accidents and uphold the well- being and dignity of all individuals. Therefore, driverless cars should not be produced and used unless they undergo careful testing and experimentation.