Teaching Ethics and (Metaphysics) in an Age of Rapid Technological Convergence

This paper examines some philosophical parameters facing ethics education in an age of rapid technological change and suggests some strategies for teaching ethics in such an age. The paper argues that we need to ask metaphysical questions to understand the nature of ethics, then addresses the question of the decentered self and its relation to moral agency, arguing that we must go beyond instrumental reason to include communicative rationality. Two brief case studies are then explored before an approach to teaching ethics is outlined. This approach takes account of different learning styles and focuses on outcomes and in-class collaboration between students.