Weber and the Ethics of Contemporary Technology: The Case of Self-Driving Cars

Abstract: This article connects prominent debates within the ethical literature on self-driving cars to themes explored in the work of Max Weber. I will draw on Weber’s analyses of how modern scientific and technical advancements have destabilized traditional moral value claims, and of how the spread of highly specialized forms of technical expertise has impacted the development of responsibility for the outputs of modern organizations. I will link these analyses to the prominent contemporary ethical questions surrounding: 1) how self-driving cars should be guided in navigating moral driving situations; and 2) whom should be held responsible when these cars cause road accidents. By drawing this link, I will show how ethical debates surrounding self-driving cars connect with, and expand upon, questions that Weber grappled with over a century ago. I will thereby display the continuing relevance of Weber’s thinking to ethical dilemmas raised by contemporary technology.