A Philosophical Analysis: Ethical Considerations of Job Automation

This essay provides an ethical analysis of job automation in the service and manufacturing industries, utilizing utilitarianism, deontological theory, virtue theory, and contract theory. It explores the conflicting interests arising from technological advancements that automate processes, potentially leading to job displacement. The analysis considers the consequences of automation from different perspectives, including its impact on employment, business revenues, and ethical principles. While automation can enhance business profitability and efficiency, it also raises concerns about unemployment and individual livelihoods. The essay concludes that while job automation may have negative aspects, it is not ethically wrong according to the majority of the ethical theories discussed, as it is often viewed as a necessary requirement for industry growth and maintaining a competitive edge.

Automation of Jobs
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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Summary of the Article...................................................................................................................3
Theory of Utilitarianism..................................................................................................................4
Deontological theory.......................................................................................................................4
Virtue theory....................................................................................................................................5
Contract theory................................................................................................................................5
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................7
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Introduction
The concept of ethics can be effectively defined as the morals or good reasoning branch in which
the systemization of the protection and suggestion of good or bad ideas is done. The morals are
used to determine the inquiries of profound quality of human in which the quality is
characterized by the means of ideas. There are various contradictory identifications and analysis
done in the ethical concept of theory such as great and shrewd, good and bad, equity and
wrongdoing etc. In this report provided below the major emphasis is paid on the identification of
moral ethics in relation to the topic of automation of jobs in the service and manufacturing
industry. In order to analyse the same, the researcher has effectively taken use of various theories
such as utilitarian theory, deontological theory, contract theory and virtue theory. These theories
will effectively help the reader to gain the essential insights on the goods and bad about the topic
of study (Wilson, Daugherty, & Morini-Bianzino, 2017).
Summary of the Article
As per Wilson et. al. (2017), the ethical issues presented in this article directly conflict with the
interests of the individuals that are working in the service and manufacturing industry. With the
new innovation in the technology that is currently being used in the industry, many processes are
now becoming automated and this conveyance of people and industry is the major reason behind
the recession in some jobs. It has been identified that with the automation process, there are some
jobs which will be vanished from the world completely. This automation of processes in
significantly proliferating in each and every aspect of life, there is a big concern for many people
and the impact of automation on their jobs as well. It has been identified from a report published
by McKinsey Global that there are many robots which have the potential and scope to effectively
replace the workers and employees which are indulged in the activities of mining, factory work
such as physical labour, bank tellers, travel agents and data analysts. It has been found that due to
this automation of processes; around 5% of the occupations are expected to be wiped out
completely (Lawrence, Roberts, & King, 2017).
It should be noted that the impact of automation of services is directly dependent on the
occupation of the individuals. The positives and negatives of this impact will be further studies
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taking into consideration the Utilitarian theory, Deontological theory, Virtue theory and Contract
theory.
Theory of Utilitarianism
As per Mill (2016), the theory of utilitarianism the theory in which the right and wrong of the
action are effectively determined by the outcomes form a particular process. This theory can also
be stated as the theory of consequentialism. It should be noted that this theory holds as one of the
most ethical choices and helps in producing the greatest good for the greatest number. This is a
framework which can be used by the researcher in order to justify the happenings of war and
military forces. This theory is also being used in this assignment as it is one of the most common
approaches to the business practices and its morals because it helps in identification of the costs
and benefits of a particular action. It should be noted that this theory cannot be used to predict
the future as it is likely to identify the good or bad outcomes from a particular action (Mill,
2016).
Applying the theory of utilitarianism in the automated jobs, it has been found that the
consequences and the ethics of the theory are dependent on the perspective of the parties. In the
automation of jobs, it has been found that with this aspect there are many individuals in the
industry which could be left unemployed which not only affects the economy but also the
livelihood of the people. While on the other hand from the perspective of the businesses if we see
the application of this theory, it could be said that the automation of jobs is justified as this has
not only helped in increasing the business revenues but has also helped in fastening of the
process. This is one of the major contradictory statements. Based on the outcomes it has been
found that where at one place this theory helps the company to foster, it also affects the
livelihood of other individuals. Thus it can be said that the major profitability is seen from the
business point of views and this process does not harm any ethical or moral laws which make the
application of this process ethical in nature (Mill, 2016).
Deontological theory
In the views of Bowen (2017), the deontological theory on the other hand with is contrasting
with the theory of utilitarianism and in this theory, more emphasis is laid on the relationship
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between the duty and the morality of human actions. In the ethics of deontology, it should be
noted that the actions are considered as morally good in nature because of some essential
characteristics of the process but not because of the outcome of the process. The acts are
considered as morally and ethical welfare regardless of their consequences. Here the main
criterion for judgment is “Duty for duty’s sake” (Bowen, 2017).
The application of this theory to the scenario being discussed is considered as ethical in nature. It
should be noted that the main aim of the automation of jobs is to help the businesses to foster in
the industry and also fasten their processes. Considering from the point of view of businesses and
deontological theory, the actions have been considered as morally justified. There is no violation
of the ethical principles as the only motive is to earn more profits and it should also be noted that
automation of jobs is a completely legal activity (Bowen, 2017).
Virtue theory
According to Murray (2016), virtue ethics is considered as one of the three most important
ethics in the normative ethics and in this, the main emphasis is laid on the virtues or the moral
character of the individuals. It should be noted that this theory is completely in contrast to the
theory of utilitarianism and the theory of deontology. Here the ethics of the action of an
individual are critically defined by the morals that are being violated and not by the actions or
outcomes (Murray, 2016).
With reference to the theory of virtue, it has been identified that the automation of the jobs in the
services, as well as the industry sector, is not a moral or ethical action irrespective of the profits
and benefits that are gained by the companies. This not only takes away the livelihood of the
individuals but also affects their future preferences regarding that particular sector. It has been
identified from various sources that with the development and digitalisation of services the jobs
in the mining sector are on a verge of extinction. Thus considering the rights of individuals, this
is not considered as an ethical action (Murray, 2016).
Contract theory
As stated by Schwartz (2017), the contract theory or social contract theory can be considered as a
philosophy in which the obligations or the moral rights of the persons is totally dependent upon
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the contract or agreement that has been formed among them in order to form the society.
Considering this theory, if the individuals live in accordance with the social contract they might
be able to live by their own choice and not because it is a requirement of a divine being
(Schwartz, 2017).
Application of this theory in the automation of jobs critically examines that it is at the discretion
of the companies that they would like to automate the jobs or not. Though this automation might
have a negative impact on the workers and employees, it is the choice of the workers to work in
an industry that is facing rapid digitalisation which further states that the automation of jobs
might have a negative impact, but this is not wrong on the ethical grounds (Schwartz, 2017).
From the arguments and discussions presented above it can thus be concluded that automation of
jobs is just a requirement of industry and if not done, the growth and competitive edge cannot be
gained. This might have some negative aspects as well but according to the majority of theories
of ethics, job automation is not ethically wrong.
Bibliography
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Bowen, R. T. (2017). What Is Ethics? In Ethics and the Practice of Forensic Science, Second
Edition , 19-36.
Lawrence, M., Roberts, C., & King, L. (2017). Employment, inequality and ethics in the digital
age. Retrieved May 5, 2018, from ippr.org:
https://search.proquest.com/openview/27d54ad979f5570e226499252c458835/1?pq-
origsite=gscholar&cbl=26142
Mill, J. S. (2016). Utilitarianism. 337-383. Routledge.
Murray, C. (2016). Being Right or Doing Right? Employing Virtue Theory in Response to
Religious Student Discourse in First-Year Writing (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved May 5,
2018, from digital.library.txstate.edu:
https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10877/6121/MURRAY-THESIS-2016.pdf?
sequence=1
Schwartz, M. S. (2017). Corporate social responsibility. Routledge.
Wilson, H. J., Daugherty, P. R., & Morini-Bianzino, N. (2017). The jobs that artificial
intelligence will create. MIT Sloan Management Review 58 , 58 (4), 14.
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