Pocket psychopaths: An anthropomorphic intentional stance to facilitate moral intuitions about (Consumer) technology

Abstract

This essay employs an anthropomorphic intentional stance to describe and analyse the relationship between especially young users and (consumer) technology by treating smart phones, social networks etc. as if they are human themselves. By doing so it is intended to allow for an easier intuiting of the moral dimensions of technologies. To illustrate the point, a mock application of the PCL-R checklist standard test for psychopathy is performed on the intentional stance representation of the technologies that young users mostly carry around in their pockets, and confirmed as positive. Although there are clear limitations to this method, viewing technologies in this mode of thinking may prove useful for anyone interested in communicating the moral dimensions of technologies to the general public, and thus may contribute to the overarching struggle for ethical technology.