Flourishing Ethics

Abstract

This essay describes a new ethical theory that has begun to coalesce from the works of several scholars in the international computer ethics community. I call the new theory 'Flourishing Ethics' because of its Aristotelian roots, though it also includes ideas suggestive of Taoism and Buddhism. In spite of its roots in ancient ethical theories, Flourishing Ethics is informed and grounded by recent scientific insights into the nature of living things, human nature and the fundamental nature of the universe -ideas from today's information theory, astrophysics and genetics. Flourishing Ethics can be divided conveniently into two parts. The first part, which I call 'Human-Centered FE,' is focused exclusively upon human beings -their actions, values and characters. The second part, which I call 'General FE,' applies to every physical entity in the universe, including humans. Rather than replacing traditional 'great ethical theories,' Flourishing Ethics is likely to deepen and broaden our understanding of them.

Ethical Stewardship: Designing Serious Games Seriously

“…Information systems literature offers serious games a bridge that supports the inclusion of the designer as an ethical variable. The information system field places the emphasis of ethics on pre-production (design) and extends a consideration of morality to values and beliefs in design [6,7]. If digital games reflect ethical perspectives of those who design them, then digital game ethics would do well to expand on current definitions, by including game designer's ethical perspectives that inform: (a) ethical play, (b) actions of the player, and (c) the game itself.…”

Dao, Harmony and Personhood: Towards a Confucian Ethics of Technology

“…In short, Dao provides a direction to ethics of technology that investigates human flourishing via technology. As such, the Confucian ethics of technology properly belongs to a form of "flourishing ethics" (Bynum 2006 More importantly, in a Confucian ethics of technology, the ideal of harmony, as a process of harmonisation, calls for a continuous negotiation and adjustment of relationships between human beings, society and technology. As such, it does not seek a final answer to issues in ethics and technology, but to identify the possibility of harmony and disharmony in the relationships, and to preserve or to amend it.…”

Engaging the students of technology in an ethical discourse in the information age

“…Prima facie, that is morally good which fulfils the criteria of being acceptable to the large community of rational beings. Thus goodness is related to human acceptability under the strict conditions of its increasing the human happiness or well-being [Ross 1984;Bynum 2006]. Such a view of ethics ensures that a moral society consists of rational beings that have the capacity to make moral decisions and judgments in furthering the well-being of all human beings.…”