Crash Algorithms for Autonomous Cars: How the Trolley Problem Can Move Us Beyond Harm Minimisation

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Autoren

  • Dietmar Hübner
  • Lucie White

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OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)685-698
Seitenumfang14
FachzeitschriftEthical Theory and Moral Practice
Jahrgang21
Ausgabenummer3
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 24 Juli 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.

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Crash Algorithms for Autonomous Cars: How the Trolley Problem Can Move Us Beyond Harm Minimisation. / Hübner, Dietmar; White, Lucie.
in: Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, Jahrgang 21, Nr. 3, 24.07.2018, S. 685-698.

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Hübner, D & White, L 2018, 'Crash Algorithms for Autonomous Cars: How the Trolley Problem Can Move Us Beyond Harm Minimisation', Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, Jg. 21, Nr. 3, S. 685-698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-018-9910-x
Hübner D, White L. Crash Algorithms for Autonomous Cars: How the Trolley Problem Can Move Us Beyond Harm Minimisation. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice. 2018 Jul 24;21(3):685-698. doi: 10.1007/s10677-018-9910-x
Hübner, Dietmar ; White, Lucie. / Crash Algorithms for Autonomous Cars : How the Trolley Problem Can Move Us Beyond Harm Minimisation. in: Ethical Theory and Moral Practice. 2018 ; Jahrgang 21, Nr. 3. S. 685-698.
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