Ethics encompasses a concept and its content that aims to define and pass judgment on human behaviors through the notions of “good” and “bad”. Moral philosophy, on the other hand, is a discipline dedicated to exploring questions such as “What is morality?”, “What constitutes moral good or evil?”, “What is the source of morality?”, and “What are the criteria for determining whether an action is morally good or bad?” Throughout the history of thought, humanity has sought answers to these and similar questions in almost every age, and has tried and continues to try to find a solution to the problem of morality.
Ethics and moral philosophy have primarily focused on human behavior throughout history. When examining human behaviors, ethics primarily focuses on those actions that are outwardly observable (eating, drinking, speaking, sitting and standing, and interactions between individuals, etc.). In recent times, however, the scope of ethics has begun to encompass intangible phenomena that are imperceptible to the eye and cannot be directly classified as behaviors. Today, with the widespread use of the internet, the introduction of the social media factor into our lives, some of the work we do on social media, situations such as advertisements, announcements, etc. that we have to encounter against our will, and various stimuli that suddenly appear before us can be given as examples. While these stimuli may bear a resemblance to human actions, their origins diverge from classical human behaviors in several respects, thus potentially falling outside the purview of traditional ethical descriptions when examined from the perspective of moral philosophy.
Do ethics change? Indeed, change is an inevitable reality for humankind. Correspondingly, humanity’s moral comprehension is also susceptible to transformation. All organisms in nature are universally recognized as entities that inherently exist in harmony with the natural world. Asserting that organisms actively intervene in the natural world beyond the confines of sustenance and shelter proves to be rather difficult. Among these living beings, humans stand out as an entity capable of altering their surroundings for a multitude of purposes, including mere change itself. Transformations undertaken solely for the sake of change often contravene the inherent nature (fitrah) of humanity, ultimately leading to outcomes that deviate from the intrinsic essence of their surroundings.
Human beings are in a relationship with all spheres of existence, especially with their own existence. The realm of nature and natural entities, the sphere of social beings, and the domain of metaphysical entities encompass humanity, encircling it from all sides. Human beings establish an interaction with nature in three ways: First of all, humanity harbours a desire to exert dominion over the natural world, striving to mold it into a reflection of its own mental constructs and classifications. Secondly, human beings seek to change or transform themselves, to put themselves into the forms of their own minds. This is best exemplified by the fact that the masses of human beings, left as crowds in their natural environment, try to attribute a meaning to the events or phenomena that they, as mere biological singular beings, infer. Unlike animal herds, human beings, through the sciences of religion, morality and law, politics, and management organization, make sense of biological human events as events constituted by cultural individuals, transforming them into rational actions of individuals instead of the instinctive movements of living beings. The final mode of interaction delves into the cognitive and intellectual aspects of humanity. At this stage, people train and artificialize their emotions, moods, and behaviors. Just as in other realms of fictional entities and, consequently, in artificial natures, humanity’s actions give rise to a human-like nature within the domain of spiritual existence.
So, why does humankind not leave all these natures to their own devices but imposes its own scenario on them? In other words, why do they reconstruct them with the forms in their minds through some scientific means when there are already the real beings and states of these natures? Why do they create artificial natures? Will ethics also take its share from all these artificialities and will an artificial ethics be created?
The question of whether the artificiality of intelligence will lead to the artificiality of humans and ultimately to the artificiality of ethics raises concerns about the end of humankind. Cognitive functions such as the ability to reason, gather data, and analyze information have been successfully transferred to artificial intelligence. However; it is widely acknowledged that emotions and thoughts share a complex and interconnected relationship. If the predictions come true, artificial intelligence will not only be limited to thought and knowledge, but will also become a mathematical modeling of emotions and feelings, of the self and personality, resulting in the creation of artificial human beings. As a matter of fact, the fact that those working on artificial intelligence have not succeeded in transferring even the simplest intellectual functions to robots as a result of nearly one hundred and fifty years of intensive work, let alone giving them human-like emotions, shows that the human mind has been taken too lightly.
Moral principles have consistently held a position of paramount importance in human existence. At its core, the concept of morality is founded upon the distinction between good and evil, encompassing notions such as free will, responsibility, conscience, virtue, happiness, and duty. For this reason, many thinkers have articulated diverse perspectives on the subject. For instance, the basis of the good is sought by Socrates in “virtue”; Plato in “the idea of the good”; Kant in “a good will or volition based on duty”; Bentham and Mill in “utility”; and Islamic thinkers in “ensuring happiness”. As is evident, morality has, throughout the ages, been fundamentally grounded in the distinction between good and evil. In this context, the aforementioned ideas are rooted in the concept of natural human ethics. So, can terms such as good, evil, intention, virtue, responsibility, freedom, happiness, duty, etc. belonging to natural ethics continue to live in the world of the future, or will they be affected by change with the digital world as artificial morality?
Within the realm of academic literature, three primary approaches have been identified regarding the application of ethical values in the digital sphere. The first approach entails the articulation of specific ethical values or the application of normative ethical principles derived from traditional moral philosophy to the new world. These normative rules should be carefully selected to minimize ambiguity and eliminate opportunities for debate regarding their application to modern human behavior. From the perspective of traditional philosophy, utilitarianism and deontology serve as illustrative examples of this approach.
As can be seen, human beings seem to be at the mercy of the artificial intelligence that they have created and are developing. In the history of philosophy, the philosophy of human beings has not yet completed a century of questioning the totality of human existence. In other words, throughout the vast expanse of philosophical and scientific inquiry, humanity has dedicated centuries to unraveling the mysteries of the external world, while the exploration of its own essence has only commenced within the past century. Paradoxically, within this brief period, humanity has diverted its attention away from its own exploration and instead fixated upon the very machines it has brought into existence, effectively placing a pause on its own self-discovery. This phenomenon starkly underscores the irony of prioritizing artificial digital happiness over humans.
Furthermore, the sheer diversity of scenarios surrounding the ascent of digital life has served to amplify, among scientists as well as the general populace, the uncertainty regarding the timing and ultimate consequences of this phenomenon, whether for better or for worse. While some thinkers anticipate that such an ascent will usher in an era of hardship, others argue that it would be much better for humanity.
It is also claimed that the era of transhumanism will come with the realization of artificial super life in the near future. Transhumanism is a concept that aims to improve people’s cognitive abilities, eliminate defects such as aging, and live a life in which the possibilities of technology and science are more utilized. This transformative ideology, poised to revolutionize human existence, is centered on three primary objectives: enhanced quality of life, extended longevity, and the attainment of superintelligence.
Transhumanists, who advocate for the transformation and recreation of humanity through the application of science and technology, further posit the universal proliferation of digital life and the comprehensive renewal of the world, facilitated by the powerful possibilities of technology. All these developments are aimed at building a world that will change the perception of reality. For some, the notion of the universe attaining perfection through evolutionary processes evokes anxiety. For others, these concerns do not warrant apprehension. Proponents of this ideology assert that there is no need for apprehension regarding the advent of perfect digital capabilities or the emergence of a superior human in the future. This phase, heralding a fundamental transformation of humanity, signifies the elevation of human intelligence to a higher level, distinct from its current state. The exponential advancement of knowledge and the transformation of technology render the universe’s transformation an inevitable reality. The current state of technological advancement serves as a harbinger of the future transformation of human intelligence, elevating it to a superior structure distinct from its present form. The superhuman, who will be the ultimate invention of technological developments, will be the most important instrument of change in the new world order as a superior intelligence. At this juncture, humans will continue to uphold their status as humans and represent their civilization.
