Different ethical frameworks can produce different, equally reasoned conclusions because each framework prioritizes different values, duties, rights, or consequences. In IB Digital Society, this shows that ethical judgments about digital systems are contested rather than automatically right or wrong. This topic is shared by SL and HL.
Ethical frameworks provide structured ways to distinguish between right and wrong, fair and unfair, or just and unjust. Consider the same digital issue: a government proposes facial-recognition surveillance in public spaces to improve security.
| Ethical framework | Reasoning applied to facial recognition | Possible conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Consequentialism | Weighs likely benefits and harms for affected people and communities, such as crime prevention, misidentification, and loss of privacy. | Accept it if overall benefits outweigh harms, possibly with safeguards. |
| Deontology | Focuses on duties and rules, such as the duty to protect citizens and the duty not to monitor people without consent. | Reject it if surveillance violates a fundamental duty, even when it produces useful outcomes. |
| Rights-based ethics | Examines competing rights, including privacy, equality, security, and freedom of movement. | Permit only limited use that protects due process and prevents discrimination. |
| Virtue ethics | Asks whether decision-makers demonstrate qualities such as justice, honesty, and responsibility. | Accept or reject it according to whether its design and use reflect good institutional character. |
The frameworks therefore shape which stakeholders, evidence, and values receive priority. They can also expose conflicts between personal, collective, and professional values, which may be expressed through codes, policies, and laws.
A common misconception is that applying ethics reveals one objectively correct answer. Ethical analysis instead requires a justified judgment that recognizes competing claims and the unequal distribution of power.
In an exam response, apply at least two frameworks to one specific digital issue, compare their conclusions, and support your judgment with evidence. For discuss or evaluate, present competing perspectives before reaching a balanced conclusion; naming an ethical framework without applying its reasoning is insufficient.
