The Value of Care: Feminism and Ethics
Jun 10, 2018We sometimes think of the domains of ethics and morality as divorced from feeling and emotion. You keep your promises because it maximizes good.
Should Robots Be Caregivers?
08 June 2018
I was delighted to learn that my native country, Ireland, now has a competition called the Irish Young Philosopher Awards. This year's inaugural competition awared the "Young Philosopher of the Year" prize to 16-year-old Luke Rickard, whose project was "Is it ethical for robots to be caregivers?”
Irish President Michael D. Higgins, who awarded the prize to Luke, is a vocal advocate for introducing philosophy into schools in Ireland. He expressed hope the the annual Young Philosopher Awards will become as big as the Young Scientist competition.
In this interview with Luke, he explains that the inspiration for his project came when his ailing grandfather fell in the middle of the night and was unable to reach the help button in his assisted living facility. He was found dead a day later. Luke wondered how the presence of a care robot might have changed the outcome for his grandfather.
Although Luke sees an important role for robot caregivers in the future, especially as the elderly population increases, he believes robots can never fully replace humans in this role because they cannot provide that essential "human touch" and connection.
To learn more about the IYPA and Luke's winning project, you can read the interview with him here:
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/meet-ireland-s-young-philosopher-of-t...
Do you think Luke is right that robots could never provide something like "human touch"? Or is this simply a matter of design?
Also, tune into this week's show on the ethics of care. We probably won't be talking about robot caregivers, but we will be discussing other ethical aspects of caregiving.
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Related Shows
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Jun 10, 2018We sometimes think of the domains of ethics and morality as divorced from feeling and emotion. You keep your promises because it maximizes good.
Driverless Cars at the Moral Crossroads
Jul 30, 2017Autonomous vehicles are quickly emerging as the next innovation that will change society in radical ways.
Artificial Intelligence
May 20, 2007At least some versions of artificial intelligence are attempts not merely to model human intelligence, but to make computers and robots...
The Internet of Things
Oct 15, 2017Smart TVs, refrigerators, cars, and entire houses—the internet of things refers to the networking of all the devices in our lives, as t...
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Dec 19, 2010Because of their innocent approach to things, do children make good philosophers? Or do they lack the equipment for clear-thinking?
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Why do some people have a strange desire to do weird things for no (good) reason? There's something fascinating about kids who eat laundry soap as part of a “challenge,” or people who deliberately... Read more
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In her time—the 4th century CE—Hypatia was one of the most famous philosophers in Alexandria, and indeed in the ancient world. She studied and taught mathematics,... Read more
Mexican philosophy is full of fascinating ideas, from Mexica ("Aztec") and Mayan thought to Sor Juana’s feminism and Emilio Uranga’s existentialism... Read more
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This week we’re thinking about how to create a world in which our leaders are not just effective legislators, but also good people.
Some might think there are not enough leaders like that... Read more
This week we're thinking about the British Liberal tradition and its relationship to colonialism and self-government. Classical Liberal thinkers, like John Locke and John Stuart Mill, held that... Read more
This week we’re thinking about Collective Action and Climate Change. With floods and fires getting more frequent and intense, and with the summer just ended shattering heat records around the... Read more
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Comments (1)
Harold G. Neuman
Sunday, June 10, 2018 -- 11:09 AM
Hmmmm. I wonder if theHmmmm. I wonder if the question, "It is ethical..." is somehow missing the point? Or, if not, where does this leave us with regard to the grandfather who was found a day after he died? Seems to me the bigger (and more immediate) question is: who was caring for the grandfather when he died, and why was his demise unnoticed for an entire day? Isn't an assisted living arrangement supposed to minimize such untimely deaths, and if so, where were the caregivers? Everyone dies. Deaths are, more-or-less, untimely, but convenience is not the issue either.
A L institutions are charged with providing assisted living care and are paid well for this service. I could fall and die at home, at great savings to my wife and family. Let's not confuse ethics with responsibility.Maybe my rotting corpse would even be discovered the same hour. Or at least within the ensuing eight. There is always already too much confusion about responsibility, A contract is still a contract...