Computational Ethics

Abstract

Computational ethics is the integration of computer simulation and ethics theory. More specifically, computational ethics is an agent-based simulation mechanism that takes a computational perspective to ethics theory. This approach uses computer modeling and multiagent systems to generate societies of agents capable of adopting various ethical principles. The principle adopted by an agent will dictate its moral action in response to a moral dilemma. By simulating the agents’ application of ethical principles to moral dilemmas and observing the resulting moral landscape of a group of affected agents, we are better able to understand the social consequences of individual ethical actions.