Finding a place for buddhism in the ethics of the future

comments on Shannon Vallor's Technology and the virtues

Emily McRae

pp. 277-282

in: Anna L. Hoffmann (ed), Countercultures of data, Philosophy & Technology 31 (2), 2018.

Abstract

In her fascinating recent book, Shannon Vallor presents a set of dispositions and associated moral skills that, she argues, are fundamental for effectively responding to the moral demands of emerging technologies. These dispositions and moral skills, or “technomoral virtues,” are grounded in what she calls the “classical virtue traditions”: Aristotelian virtue ethics, Confucianism, and Buddhism. As a scholar of Buddhism, I was excited to see Buddhist ethical concepts included in this discussion, since it is still rare in philosophical discussions of virtue to consider traditions that are not grounded in Aristotle. I appreciate both Professor Vallor’s willingness to explore what Buddhism, and Confucianism, can offer to this important inquiry and her assumption that these Asian traditions should contribute to thinking about the possibility of living well in our increasingly interconnected global future.

Cited authors

Aristoteles

Vallor Shannon