Does kindness towards robots lead to virtue? A reply to Sparrow’s asymmetry argument

Author(s)

Mark Coeckelbergh

Abstract

Does cruel behavior towards robots lead to vice, whereas kind behavior does not lead to virtue? This paper presents a critical response to Sparrow's argument that there is an asymmetry in the way we (should) think about virtue and robots. It discusses how much we should praise virtue as opposed to vice, how virtue relates to practical knowledge and wisdom, how much illusion is needed for it to be a barrier to virtue, the relation between virtue and consequences, the moral relevance of the reality requirement and the different ways one can deal with it, the risk of anthropocentric bias in this discussion, and the underlying epistemological assumptions and political questions. This response is not only relevant to Sparrow's argument or to robot ethics but also touches upon central issues in virtue ethics.

Organisation(s)

Department of Philosophy

Journal

Ethics and Information Technology

Volume

23

Pages

649–656

No. of pages

8

ISSN

1388-1957

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-021-09604-z

Publication date

12-2021

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

603122 Philosophy of technology

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Library and Information Sciences, Computer Science Applications

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/21db0e9c-f586-4859-8eed-3cf03b8478e5