Ethics
4 articles-
The Argument Against Terraforming Mars
When it comes to the ethics of actions, such as the decision to terraform Mars, we should ask: What sort of person would do that—a virtuous or vicious one?Photograph by Kees Veenenbos / Science Photo Library Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . In Kim Stanley Robinson’s science-fiction Mars Trilogy, […] -
The Moral Importance of Understanding Consciousness
As we get better and better ideas of what is conscious and what is not, they might change the kinds of experiments we will be able to comfortably and ethically perform.“The Scream” (1893) by Edvard Munch Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . Debating whether other beings are conscious can […] -
It’s Time to Retire the “Trolley Problem”
In the 1960s, the moral philosopher Philippa Foot devised a thought experiment that would revolutionize her field. This ethical puzzle, today known as the “trolley problem,” has become so influential—not just in philosophy but also in neuroscience, behavioral economics, evolutionary psychology, and meme culture—that it’s garnered its own tongue-in-cheek sub-discipline, called “trolleyology.” That body of […] -
Will Humans Be Able to Control Computers That Are Smarter Than Us?
Let’s consider the fear that once surrounded another powerful technology: recombinant DNA.