Ethical Argument on Photo Bombing

Anmol Sehgal

Justice Institute of British Columbia

ETHS 1100: Applied Ethics

Instructor: Louai Rahal

November 1st, 2023

 Ethical Argument on Photo Bombing

Premise 1: We have an obligation to respect and safeguard human agents' freedom. We are

immoral in our work if we do not follow the rules of ethics.

This fundamental concept serves as the foundation for assessing the ethics of photo bombing, a

phenomena in which individuals purposely intrude into the images of others without their

agreement.

Premise 2 : emphasizes that photo bombing commonly infringes on people's ability to manage

their own pictures and privacy. Photo bombing is the act of placing oneself into another person's

image without their permission, usually with funny or attention-seeking objectives. Individuals

who photo bomb jeopardize the autonomy of people being shot by seizing control of the

narrative and using the subjects for their own interests, even if only for a brief period. They

frequently overlook the subject's need to manage their image and the privacy that comes with it.

This deceit can further erode people being photographer’s autonomy.

Premise 3: The deontological focus on considering people as ends in themselves, rather than as

means to an aim. Immanuel Kant's philosophy, which serves as the cornerstone for deontology,

emphasizes the idea of honoring each individual's intrinsic value and dignity. In the context of

photo bombing, this notion entails seeing each individual as an end in themselves, with their own

aims, wants, and autonomy, rather than as a tool to fulfill the photo bomber's purposes, such as

getting attention or comedy. Photo bombers utilize the subjects of the shot for their own

objectives, neglecting their autonomy and dignity, which breaches the deontological concept of

recognizing persons as ends in themselves.

Premise 4: The notion of universal applicability, which proposes that ethical behaviors should

be consistently willed as universal rules for all to follow. If everyone engaged in photo bombing

without concern for the autonomy and privacy of others, it would result in a society where one's

own limits and liberty were frequently breached. Universalized photo bombing shatters the

framework of polite interactions with others, undercutting deontological ethics' essential

principles. The implications would be disastrous if it were generally accepted and adopted

without regard for the autonomy and privacy of others.

Premise 5: Photo bombing usually contradicts the norms of truthfulness, permission, and

privacy. In deontology, honesty is a fundamental moral requirement, yet photo bombing

frequently entails lying or deception, since the photo bomber infiltrates another person's image

discreetly. Furthermore, permission and privacy are essential components of individual freedom

and autonomy, and photo bombing frequently violates both, especially when the people of the

shot are unknowingly participating.

Conclusion: It commonly violates the obligation to respect and preserve human agents' freedom

and autonomy by encroaching on their liberty and privacy. Photo bombing is ethically

problematic from a deontological standpoint, as it frequently violates the duty to respect and

protect individual freedom and autonomy, disregards the principle of treating individuals as ends

in themselves, and fails the universal applicability test, all while violating fundamental

principles of honesty, consent, and privacy.