Crash Algorithms for Autonomous Cars: How the Trolley Problem Can Move Us Beyond Harm Minimisation
Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 21 (3):685-698 (2018)
Abstract
The prospective introduction of autonomous cars into public traffic raises the question of how such systems should behave when an accident is inevitable. Due to concerns with self-interest and liberal legitimacy that have become paramount in the emerging debate, a contractarian framework seems to provide a particularly attractive means of approaching this problem. We examine one such attempt, which derives a harm minimisation rule from the assumptions of rational self-interest and ignorance of one’s position in a future accident. We contend, however, that both contractarian approaches and harm minimisation standards are flawed, due to a failure to account for the fundamental difference between those ‘involved’ and ‘uninvolved’ in an impending crash. Drawing from classical works on the trolley problem, we show how this notion can be substantiated by reference to either the distinction between negative and positive rights, or to differences in people’s claims. By supplementing harm minimisation with corresponding constraints, we can develop crash algorithms for autonomous cars which are both ethically adequate and promise to overcome certain significant practical barriers to implementation.Author's Profile
DOI
10.1007/s10677-018-9910-x
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Citations of this work
Autonomous Driving Ethics: from Trolley Problem to Ethics of Risk.Maximilian Geisslinger, Franziska Poszler, Johannes Betz, Christoph Lütge & Markus Lienkamp - 2021 - Philosophy and Technology 34 (4):1033-1055.
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The Ethics of Automated Vehicles: Why Self-driving Cars Should not Swerve in Dilemma Cases.Rob Lawlor - 2022 - Res Publica 28 (1):193-216.
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The Relativistic Car: Applying Metaethics to the Debate about Self-Driving Vehicles.Thomas Pölzler - 2021 - Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 24 (3):833-850.
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