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Chapter 6: Digital Media Ethics - Coggle Diagram
Chapter 6: Digital Media Ethics
Consequentialism
Utilitarianism
We must do what brings the most favourable outcome for the majority of people
Figuring out the full extent of possible results and weighting them against each other
Disadvantages
Some outcomes cannot be quantified to be measured up against each other
The number of utils changes with time therefore raising the question when do we consider the end to be to quantify the pleasure/pain
We must decide for whom are the consequances that we are weighting - do we choose only us, our family, our friend, our nation, a different nation, our society or the humanity as a whole?
Betham´s utils - every resulting pleasure/pain can be given a value - util - to quantify possible results sp that we can compare them
Deontology
The consequenced don´t matter. What matters is the fundamental right/truth.
Religiously grounded deontology - if godhas given them rules to obey (for example the 10 commnadments) then it´s essential to obey them even if it means losing possible advantages.
Religious pacifists - If god(s) of given religion forbid harm to another then it´s not right to harm even in self-defence and better to lose life than thus our inner morale.
Rationalist deontology
Kant´s Cathegorical imperative: "It is our duty to act in such a manner that we would want everyone else to act in a similar manner in similar circumstances towards all other people"
Disadvatange - posible need for an exception to the rule - if for example lying would save a life.
Ethical relativism, ethical absolutism (monism), ethical pluralism
Ethical relativism
Advantages
If allows to to "tolerate" people with different views
We don´t have to continue searching for universal ethics but can make do with thou available to us in our culture
As utalitarian and deontological views seem to be in opposition to each other, ethical relativism states that all views are always relative to the situace/place/culture/time.
Disadvatanges
Considering everything to be a matter of cultural setting leads to be an excuse for all (even very negative) behaviours
Observing that we share no mutual ethics accross cultures doesn´t prove that there are none.
An argument can be made that a terror practice is just a result of a specific culture and therefore cannot be condemned.
Ethical pluralism
We all share ethical norms but interpret them differently
Advantages
Allows us to have a global media ethics
Approach that works from all possible cultural and religious viewpoints
Ethical absolutism (monism)
Polar extreme to ehtical relativism
We know what base ethical guideline are. If there are behaviours showing a different view of ethics then they are wrong.
Advantages
We are able to be sure about the right ethical behaviour and able to fully condemn the wrong one.
Disadvantages
Intolerance to diversity
Feminist ethics and ethics of care
Ethical researched have been historically done by men on men.
Carol Gilligan - In a Different Voice (1982) about how women approach ethical decisions
Women faced with an ethical question will demonstrate 3 "maneuvers"
Emotion
Women focus on the emotive dimension of an ethical problem
Feeling - will be more concerned than men about everyone in a group feeling like they are being treated fairly and feel included (even if it means breaking rules)
Justice - less concerned with following rules than men
Relationships
Ethical problem arises when a group of people facesa dilemma rather than an individual
Virtue ethics
We should strive to become excelent humans to develop our human capacities
Socrates and Aristotle
Aristotle-Kant - practical reason
Aditional perspectives - African
A person is "a being under construction whos character changes as the relationstips to other persons change"
Ethical reflexions of digital media went hadn in hand with the technology that brought the problem with it
Discussion has threfore been happening mostly in Western countries with Western ethics principles and views
As a result of PCs being more easily accesible information and computing ethics became global ethics
Can privacy even keep the same meaning now as it did in the pre-digital era?
Confucian ethics
A life-long project of cultivating one´s person through exercising appropiriate conduct and ritual propriety
A person becomes a person in meeting with others