Episode #45 – Vallor on Virtue Ethics and Technology

19 snips

Sep 18, 2018

In a riveting discussion, Shannon Vallor, a professor of philosophy at Santa Clara University, delves into the ethical implications of technology. She highlights the phenomenon of acute techno-moral opacity, emphasizing the limitations of traditional ethical frameworks like utilitarianism in our rapidly changing world. Vallor advocates for a virtue ethics approach to navigate these complex moral challenges. The conversation also touches on the role of social media in shaping self-perception and its impact on society's ethical landscape.

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Intro

00:00 • 4min

Shifting Student Attitudes Toward Technology and Social Media

04:00 • 2min

Navigating Technosocial Opacity

06:18 • 8min

Navigating Moral Challenges in Technology

14:24 • 24min

Navigating the Ethics of Technology and Human Nature

37:55 • 12min

The Impact of Business Models on Social Media Engagement

49:30 • 3min

Navigating Ethics in Market Dynamics

52:47 • 12min

Navigating Self-Regard in the Age of Social Media

01:05:00 • 6min

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In this episode I talk to Shannon Vallor. Shannon is the Regis and Diane McKenna Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Santa Clara University, where her research addresses the ethical implications of emerging science and technology, especially AI, robotics and new media. Professor Vallor received the 2015 World Technology Award in Ethics from the World Technology Network. She has served as President of the Society for Philosophy and Technology, sits on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics, and is a member of the IEEE Standards Association’s Global Initiative for Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems. We talk about the problem of techno-social opacity and the value of virtue ethics in an era of rapid technological change.

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Show Notes

0:00 – Introduction
1:39 – How students encouraged Shannon to write Technology and the Virtues
6:30 – The problem of acute techno-moral opacity
12:34 – Is this just the problem of morality in a time of accelerating change?
17:16 – Why can’t we use abstract moral principles to guide us in a time of rapid technological change? What’s wrong with utilitarianism or Kantianism?
23:40 – Making the case for technologically-sensitive virtue ethics
27:27 – The analogy with education: teaching critical thinking skills vs providing students with information
31:19 – Aren’t most virtue ethical traditions too antiquated? Aren’t they rooted in outdated historical contexts?
37:54 – Doesn’t virtue ethics assume a relatively fixed human nature? What if human nature is one of the things that is changed by technology?
42:34 – Case study on Social Media: Defending Mark Zuckerberg
46:54 – The Dark Side of Social Media
52:48 – Are we trapped in an immoral equilibrium? How can we escape?
57:17 – What would the virtuous person do right now? Would he/she delete Facebook?
1:00:23 – Can we use technological to solve problems created by technology? Will this help to cultivate the virtues?
1:05:00 – The virtue of self-regard and the problem of narcissism in a digital age

Relevant Links

Shannon’s Homepage
Shannon’s profile at Santa Clara University
Shannon’s Twitter profile
Technology and the Virtues (Now in Paperback!) – by Shannon
‘Social Networking Technology and the Virtues‘ by Shannon
‘Moral Deskilling and Upskilling in a New Machine Age‘ by Shannon
‘The Moral Problem of Accelerating Change’ by John Danaher