Education and Algorithms – where to? Some Ethical Issues of concern
"Ethics and Deontology" Journal,
Vol. 3 No. 1 (2023): "Ethics and Deontology" Journal
Abstract
School and education in general are confused, lost somewhere between the excesses and perversions of laissez-faire democracy coupled with the après nous le déluge philosophy of libertine consumerism. Such manifestations are, unmistakable evidence of neoliberalism. Our great moral-axiological benchmarks, the voice of authority, respect for the specialist or reverence for the professional found themselves set aside by the postmodern spirit – the "anything goes" philosophy – to which we all obey as a fashion or a universal trend. Unfortunately, such fashion leaves deep traces in our very human evolution which is called into question by the latest developments, tendencies or trends. The positioning of the human being – as the crown of evolution –, although exaggerated by its excessive anthropocentrism, is challenged by the current evolution of machines and computers – faster, more efficient and infinitely more unpretentious. In this paper we want to review at least some aspects of the general field of education, understood as influencing and manipulation, aspects that point, if we squint a little beyond the immediate present, to the worrying destinations, worrying both from an ethical point of view and from a broader anthropological or ontological perspective. It seems that the human being ends up being "raised" or "educated" to "serve" the algorithms of the machine, be it a robot or a computer. From an ethical point of view, this should give us something to think about in the most serious way possible. From this perspective, the present paper is meant to be an alarm that invites, at least, to some fundamental moral inquiries and reflections regarding the question: "What should I do?". We believe that ethics – given its orientative mission and its teleological "regard" – is able to offer us at least some markers to navigate through the thicket of equivocal possibilities of informatics and the Internet.
Keywords
- Ariely, D. (2011), The Upside of Irrationality, The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Works and at Home, Harper Collins Publishers, New York.
- Bowen, M. (2004), Family Therapy in Clinical Practise, A Jason Aronson Book, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, Maryland.
- Bregman, R. (2018), Utopia for Realists, And How We Can Get There, from Dutch by E. Manton, Bloomsbury Paperback, London.
- Canetti, E. (1996), Masse und Macht, Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt am Main.
- Gozo, Z. (2018), Despre noi, Reflexii, refracții, reflecții actuale, Editura Paideia, București.
- Gozo, Z. (2021), Adultus rex, Psihologie și pososlogie a semi-conștientului, Editura Universitară, Universul Academic, București.
- Harari, Y.N. (2017), Homo Deus, A Brief History of Tomorrow, Vintage, Penguin Random House, London.
- Harris, M. (2018), Solitude, In Pursuit of a Singular Life in a Crowded World, Random House Books, London.
- Hickel, J. (2020), Less in More, How Degrowth Will Save the World, Penguin Books, London.
- Horckheimer, M. & Adorno, T.W. (1947). Dialektik der Aufklärung. Querido Verlag N.V. Amsterdam
- Kahneman, D. (2012), Thinking, Fast and Slow, Penguin Books, London.
- Kiss. C. & Rad, D. (2023), Critical mass dynamics and nudge theory: implications for change in regards to Digital Well-being, în Designing for Digital Wellbeing, Peter Lang, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin.
- Le Bon, G. (1983), Psychologie des foules, Quadrige/Press Universitaires de France, Paris.
- Nørretranders, T. (2009), Iluzia utilizatorului, Despre limitele conștiinței, trad. L. Staicu, Editura Publica, București.
- Rad, D., Rad, G., Tulceanu, V. (2023), Feature engineering for digital well-being psychological data predictive analysis, în Designing for Digital Wellbeing, Peter Lang, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin.
- Thaler, R. H., Sunstein, C. R. (2008), Nudge, Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness, Yale University Press, US.
- Waters, R. (1975), Welcome To The Machine, pe albumul Wish You Were Here, Produced by Pink Floid, EMI Records.
- Watson, P. (2016), The Age of Nothing, How We Have South to Live Since the Death of God, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, A W&N Paperback, London.
- The Truman Show (1998), Director: Peter Weir, Written: Andrew Niccol, Scott Rudin Productions.
- Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), Director: Michael Radford, Virgin Films.
References
Ariely, D. (2011), The Upside of Irrationality, The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Works and at Home, Harper Collins Publishers, New York.
Bowen, M. (2004), Family Therapy in Clinical Practise, A Jason Aronson Book, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, Maryland.
Bregman, R. (2018), Utopia for Realists, And How We Can Get There, from Dutch by E. Manton, Bloomsbury Paperback, London.
Canetti, E. (1996), Masse und Macht, Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt am Main.
Gozo, Z. (2018), Despre noi, Reflexii, refracții, reflecții actuale, Editura Paideia, București.
Gozo, Z. (2021), Adultus rex, Psihologie și pososlogie a semi-conștientului, Editura Universitară, Universul Academic, București.
Harari, Y.N. (2017), Homo Deus, A Brief History of Tomorrow, Vintage, Penguin Random House, London.
Harris, M. (2018), Solitude, In Pursuit of a Singular Life in a Crowded World, Random House Books, London.
Hickel, J. (2020), Less in More, How Degrowth Will Save the World, Penguin Books, London.
Horckheimer, M. & Adorno, T.W. (1947). Dialektik der Aufklärung. Querido Verlag N.V. Amsterdam
Kahneman, D. (2012), Thinking, Fast and Slow, Penguin Books, London.
Kiss. C. & Rad, D. (2023), Critical mass dynamics and nudge theory: implications for change in regards to Digital Well-being, în Designing for Digital Wellbeing, Peter Lang, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin.
Le Bon, G. (1983), Psychologie des foules, Quadrige/Press Universitaires de France, Paris.
Nørretranders, T. (2009), Iluzia utilizatorului, Despre limitele conștiinței, trad. L. Staicu, Editura Publica, București.
Rad, D., Rad, G., Tulceanu, V. (2023), Feature engineering for digital well-being psychological data predictive analysis, în Designing for Digital Wellbeing, Peter Lang, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin.
Thaler, R. H., Sunstein, C. R. (2008), Nudge, Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness, Yale University Press, US.
Waters, R. (1975), Welcome To The Machine, pe albumul Wish You Were Here, Produced by Pink Floid, EMI Records.
Watson, P. (2016), The Age of Nothing, How We Have South to Live Since the Death of God, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, A W&N Paperback, London.
The Truman Show (1998), Director: Peter Weir, Written: Andrew Niccol, Scott Rudin Productions.
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), Director: Michael Radford, Virgin Films.