- Acting in accord with duty - Doing a moral duty for the wrong reasons
- Acting from duty - Doing a moral duty because one feels like its the right thing to do
For-profit anti-virus companies are acting in accord with duty because they are making the product to protect people from what they feel is a threat, with the interest in monetary compensation, and only concerned for paying customers. However non-profit anti-virus companies are acting from duty because they feel they should put out protection for people, and they also feel it is important enough for people to have that it is free. Also a large number of people volunteer to help update and maintain the free anti-virus programs.
Categorical Imperative
Formula of Humanity as an End: "Always treat humanity whether in your own person or the person of another, always as an end and never merely as a means."
- Ends - Things with value in and of themselves
- Means - The way we go about achieving our ends
- Mere means - Using someone only as a means and not considering them as an end in themselves
An example of this would be identity thieves propagating a virus which scans a person's computer for personal information including: credit cards, social security numbers, bank accounts, and tax information with the intent to steal it or sell it. This would be using the person's property as a mere means. You can tell if one is acting with Kantian Ethics by seeing if they are using respect.
Principles of Justice
Justice: Treating people with equal respect, assuming that all people have the same value or worth.
An example would be if somebody is stealing someone else's identity, they are treating themselves with greater value or worth than the victim, so therefore it is an injustice.
- Liberty Principle: Each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others.
- Difference Principle: Social and economic inequality is structured in such a way that both are: a) reasonably expected to be to everyone's advantage and b) attached to positions and offices open to all.
Original Position
Hypothetical theory created by John Rawls which assumes bias is non-existent, ethical discussion is facilitated, where a consensus is not required, and that reflective equilibrium is applied.
- Reflective Equilibrium: Some inequalities are allowed, but they have to be to every one's advantage.
Veil Ignorance:
- Assumes everyone is equal
- No one knows their social status or power
- Decisions are made that any rational person would make if s/he didn't know his/her individual characteristics, such as class, race, education, ability, or gender.
