Stoic Ethics Post 7
Summaries
Computer-Assisted Warfare
Stoics would support computer-assisted warfare based on how prominent Stoics felt about war in general. Traditional Stoics believe that anger and fear should be avoided and are irrational feelings. Historically, this has been applied to war to mean that soldiers should not act based on their feelings of fear or anger, but humans often struggle to maintain this rigorous discipline under the stress of battle. Computer-assisted warfare that can make decisions without taking these emotions into account would adhere to Stoicism best. Stoics would support either human soldiers or robots carrying out orders as computers free of emotion decided what to do.
Stoics emphasis on justice would also lead them to support most forms of computer-assisted warfare, though they would have the same reservations about completely automated robots and using robots in a “scorched earth” fashion that the article mentions. Overall, computer-assisted warfare seems more just than human-only warfare. Robots and real-time processing algorithms could make more accurate and faster observations and judgments in the field, which would help soldiers differentiate between civilians and intended targets, aim weapons more accurately, and overall help armies execute their goals more accurately. This increased ability could prevent innocent or accidental death and lead to battles being more effective, which could potentially shorten conflicts. Of course, computer-assisted warfare is only more just if the generals and soldiers already want to fight in a just manner, but that is true of all objects of war, such as weapons, fighter jets, and bombs. Computer-assisted warfare cannot guarantee that war is more just, but it can help armies fighting justly to fight as they intend, so Stoics would support its development and would take advantage of this technology.
Job Automation
The issue of job automation stems mainly from its consequences on workers. As businesses decide to transition traditionally human positions to robots and other processes for completion, the problem arises as those who were formerly employed now are without work. This is important to Stoics as Stoicism is focused on happiness through virtue and doing good, which comes into question as businesses remove their human element. First, Stoics would generally not support job automation under the notion of “doing good and only good in all cases”. This is because companies that participate in job automation today typically only attempt to automate to reduce costs, thereby raising profits without considering the human consequence. Today, when a person loses his or her job to automation, the company does not support that individuals next endeavor - he or she is simply left behind with only lateral-moving opportunities at best (often also at the risk of automation). Companies reducing costs to raise profits, thereby benefitting the company stakeholders, but that group does not do good “in all cases”. By only benefitting an extremely small amount of the population, Stoics would have to be against job automation. Second, under the virtue of justice, particularly the notion of equity and fair dealing, Stoics would have to reject job automation. In a similar way to “doing good in all cases”, job automation is the very definition of unfair dealing and inequity. Those making the decision to automate positions hold all of the power and all of the money, and those mostly greatly effected by the decision have no control whatsoever. With modern life and lifestyle fully dependent on a person’s income, this inequity puts those with the greatest risks under the most strain and harm. In order to be virtuous, Stoics would have to reject job automation.
Diversity in the Technology Sector
The ethics of diversity in the technology sector, or rather the lack thereof in many technology companies and other communities, can be understood quite well from Stoic framework. Actions that fit within the Stoic framework are devoid of human passions, and focus unilaterally on reason in accordance with virtue. In the simplest way we can approach diversity in the technology sector, Stoics would reason that the primary virtues have a smart dictation on how to proceed. Wisdom might show that incorporating a diverse array of people into a particular company is a great way of considering the company’s problems and deliverables from different perspectives, and bringing together the brightest and most potent ideas. Furthermore, the virtue of justice dictates that no qualified person should be discriminated against in the technology sector, or any sector, due to differences in things that do not apply to the job, such as sexual orientation, gender, age, or race. Therefore, there shouldn’t be a case in which the percentages of people employed in the technology sector is not representative of the percentages of diverse groups of people qualified for technology roles in the first place.
It is important to note that the lack of diversity in the technology sector cannot be fixed overnight by applying such a framework to only the career level. Creating sufficient conditions for a truly diverse and representative work force in technology requires removing implicit biases from technology education at all levels. This is important because implicit biases of whatever kind are not rooted in virtue; rather, they are irrational and fall more closely into the category of vice, a category of actions which Stoics condemn. To conclude, not only do Stoics see diversity in the technology sector as something that would benefit technology companies, they see it as an ethical imperative for those who are employed by such companies, as there is no objective reason for any group of people to be given lesser opportunities to engage in the same pursuits.