Bednar, Kathrin. 2020. The power to design: Exploring utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics in three technology case studies. ETHICOMP 2020 [online], Logroño, La Rioja, Spanien, 15.06.-06.07.
BibTeX
Abstract
New technological products often show their negative potential only once they are in widespread use. This motivates the consideration of a technology's impact early in the design process, when its characteristics can still be adjusted. Little empirical research compares different ethical approaches and their usefulness for technology design. In this paper, we present a two-study mixed-method research project where participants analysed three IT products from the perspectives of utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and deontology. Preliminary results show that each of the ethical analyses has its unique focus, with utilitarianism considering the broadest range of stakeholders and values, a clear focus by virtue ethics on individual growth and development, and an emphasis on more generic concepts and values by deontology. Because of their unique foci, we see a potential to combine the three ethical perspectives in the elicitation of value-related ideas.
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Status of publication | Published |
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Affiliation | WU |
Type of publication | Paper presented at an academic conference or symposium |
Language | English |
Title | The power to design: Exploring utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics in three technology case studies |
Event | ETHICOMP 2020 [online] |
Year | 2020 |
Date | 15.06.-06.07. |
Country | Spain |
Location | Logroño, La Rioja |
URL | https://www.unirioja.es/ethicomp/2020/ |
Associations
- People
- Bednar, Kathrin (Details)
- Organization
- Institute for Information Systems and Society IN (Details)
- Research areas (ÖSTAT Classification 'Statistik Austria')
- 1161 Human-computer interaction (Details)
- 2948 Information society (Details)
- 2962 Philosophy of technology (Details)
- 6103 Ethics (Details)
- 6815 Product design (Details)