Approach	Philosophical Basis	Key Proponents	Core Principles	Applications in AI Ethics
Consequentialism	Utilitarianism	John Stuart Mill, Peter Singer	Maximize overall good	Cost-benefit analysis, harm reduction strategies
Deontological Ethics	Kantian Ethics	Immanuel Kant	Duty-based morality	Rights-based frameworks, moral rules
Virtue Ethics	Aristotelian Ethics	Aristotle	Focus on moral character	Nurturing virtues in AI development
Care Ethics	Feminist Ethics	Carol Gilligan, Nel Noddings	Importance of relationships and care	Emphasizing human-centered AI
Social Contract Theory	Political Philosophy	Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau	Mutual agreements for societal good	Legitimacy of AI laws and governance
Rights Theory	Liberalism	John Rawls, Robert Nozick	Emphasis on individual rights	Protecting privacy and autonomy in AI
Existentialism	Existentialist philosophy	Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir	Focus on individual freedom and choice	Autonomy in AI decision-making
Postmodern Ethics	Poststructuralism	Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida	Critique of universal truths	Complexity of narratives in AI influences
Critical Theory	Frankfurt School	Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno	Critique of power structures	Addressing biases in AI and societal impact
Transhumanism	Futurism	Nick Bostrom, Max More	Enhancement of the human condition	AI augmentation and ethical implications
Ecological Ethics	Deep Ecology	Arne Naess, Aldo Leopold	Intrinsic value of nature	AI's impact on the environment
Phenomenology	Existential Phenomenology	Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger	Study of experiences	Understanding human experiences with AI
Pragmatism	Pragmatic Philosophy	William James, John Dewey	Truth as a process	Iterative AI design based on user feedback
Feminist Ethics	Feminist Theory	Judith Butler, Virginia Held	Centering women's experiences and perspectives	Gender biases in AI development
Disability Ethics	Disability Studies	Tom Shakespeare, Lennard J. Davis	Focus on the rights of people with disabilities	Designing AI for accessibility
Emotivism	Ethical Non-Cognitivism	A.J. Ayer, C.L. Stevenson	Moral judgments are expressions of emotion	Addressing emotional impacts of AI
Legal Positivism	Legal Theory	H.L.A. Hart, Joseph Raz	Law as social fact	Regulation of AI technologies
Socialism	Political Philosophy	Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels	Collective ownership and social equality	AI's role in wealth distribution
Democratic Theory	Political Philosophy	Robert Dahl	Emphasis on participation and equality	AI in democratic deliberation processes
Behaviorism	Psychological Theory	B.F. Skinner	Focus on observable behavior	AI models based on behavioral data
Cognitive Ethics	Cognitive Science	Daniel Dennett, John Searle	Mind and thinking processes	Cognitive models in AI reasoning
Realism	Philosophical Realism	Aristotle, David Hilbert	Acceptance of the world as it is	Real-world implications of AI behavior
Constructivism	Social Constructivism	Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky	Knowledge as constructed through interaction	Building ethical AI through social context
Relativism	Cultural Relativism	Margaret Mead, Ruth Benedict	Ethics varies between cultures	Global perspectives on AI ethics
Objectivism	Ayn Rand's Philosophy	Ayn Rand	Rational self-interest	AI should promote individual success
Metaethics	Ethical Theory	G.E. Moore, David Hume	Study of moral language and ontology	Foundation of ethical AI discussions
Utilitarianism in AI	Utilitarian Philosophy	John Stuart Mill	AI actions assessed by consequences	AI for maximizing societal benefits
Libertarianism	Political Philosophy	Robert Nozick	Emphasis on individual freedom	AI regulation limits personal liberties
Rawlsian Justice	Justice as Fairness	John Rawls	Fair distribution of benefits and burdens	Equitable AI access across societies
Deep Learning Ethics	Machine Learning Theory	Geoffrey Hinton, Yann LeCun	Ethical use of algorithms in AI	Managing biases in deep learning models
Algorithmic Accountability	Accountability Theory	Kate Crawford	Responsibility for AI actions	Ensuring transparency in algorithmic decisions
Bias and Fairness	Critical Race Theory	Ruha Benjamin	Examining racial biases in data	Mitigating systemic injustices in AI
Ethical Pluralism	Pluralistic Ethics	William David Ross	Multiple ethical perspectives coexist	Integrative approaches to AI ethics
Ontology of AI	Philosophical Ontology	Martin Heidegger, Gilbert Simondon	Nature of being and existence in AI	Understanding AI as an entity
Technomoral Virtue Ethics	Technoethics	Peter-Paul Verbeek	Virtues tailored to technology	Promoting ethical virtues in tech usage
Posthumanism	Philosophical Movement	Rosi Braidotti, N. Katherine Hayles	Beyond human-centric ethics	AI's role in redefining existence
Recognitional Justice	Social Justice	Rahel Jaeggi	Recognition of individual identity	AI respecting diverse identities
Metaethical Constructivism	Metaethics	John Rawls, John Searle	Constructing moral truths through consensus	Consensus-driven AI ethics
Interpersonal Ethics	Interpersonal Theory	Martin Buber	Focus on relationships with others	Human-centered AI development
Global Ethics	Global Justice	Peter Singer, Thomas Pogge	Ethics that transcends borders	AI addressing global inequalities
Stable-Environment Model	Ecological Ethics	Hannah Arendt	Sustainability in ethical considerations	AI promoting environmental sustainability
Semantic Web Ethics	Information Ethics	Tim Berners-Lee	Ethics of web data and usage	AI in semantic data interpretation
Neuroethics	Neuroscience Philosophy	Martha J. Farah, William F. McGowan	Ethical implications of neuroscience	Interfacing neuroscience and AI ethics
Virtue Epistemology	Epistemology	Ernest Sosa, Linda Zagzebski	Virtues in knowledge acquisition	AI's role in epistemic virtues
Practical Ethics	Applied Ethics	Peter Singer, Tom Regan	Ethics applied to real-world situations	Implementing ethical AI practices
Bioethics	Medical Ethics	Peter Singer, Ruth Faden	Ethics in biology and healthcare	AI in health informatics and ethical dilemmas
Animal Ethics	Ethics of Non-Human Beings	Peter Singer, Tom Regan	Moral consideration for animals	AI addressing animal welfare concerns
Distributive Justice	Social Justice	John Rawls, Amartya Sen	Fair allocation of resources	AI's role in allocating societal resources
Framework Ethics	Analytical Ethics	Nicholas Rescher	Systems for ethical reasoning	Structuring ethical AI frameworks
Semiotic Ethics	Semiotics	Charles Peirce, Umberto Eco	Ethics through signs and meanings	Interpreting AI actions in a semiotic context
AI Alignment Problem	Alignment Theory	Eliezer Yudkowsky	Aligning AI goals with human values	Ensuring compatible objectives in AI design
Interspecies Ethics	Environmental Philosophy	David Abram	Ethics concerning interspecies relationships	AI's impact on animal rights and ecosystems
AI and Dignity	Human Rights Theory	Michael Sandel	Respecting human dignity in technology	Dignity considerations in AI usage
Generational Ethics	Futurism	Hans Jonas	Ethics across generations	AI decisions affecting future generations
Futuristic Ethics	Futurism	Nick Bostrom	Ethical implications of future technologies	Preparing ethical frameworks for emerging AI
Technological Determinism	Social Theory	Marshall McLuhan, Jacques Ellul	Technology shapes society	Impacts of AI on social interactions
Cultural Narrative Ethics	Narrative Ethics	Alasdair MacIntyre	Influence of cultural narratives	AI's role in shaping societal stories
Collective Responsibility	Social Ethics	Martha Nussbaum	Responsibility of groups over individuals	Responsibility of technologists in AI ethics
Emancipatory Ethics	Critical Theory	Herbert Marcuse	Freedom from oppressive structures	Empowerment through ethical AI
Human-Centric AI	Humanism	Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow	Focus on human values	Developing AI for human enhancement
Normative Ethics	Ethics Framework	Philippa Foot, G.E. Moore	Assessment of ethical standards	Establishing ethical norms in AI
Cognitive Computing Ethics	Information Ethics	Douglas Lenat, Patrick Winston	Ethics of cognitive computing	Cognitive AI's impact on society
Affective Ethics	Emotional Ethics	Martha Nussbaum	Role of emotions in ethical considerations	AI empathy and emotional intelligence
Information Privacy Ethics	Privacy Theory	Daniel J. Solove	Rights concerning personal information	Protection of data privacy in AI systems
Autonomous Ethics	Autonomous Systems	Rodney Brooks, Alan Turing	Ethical considerations for autonomous entities	Navigating ethics for self-driving systems
Complexity Ethics	Complexity Theory	Stuart Kauffman, Ilya Prigogine	Interplay of complex systems	Understanding AI as a complex system
Aesthetic Ethics	Aesthetic Philosophy	Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche	Aesthetics in ethical considerations	AI in creative fields and arts
Responsibility Ethics	Moral Responsibility	Peter van Inwagen, R.M. Hare	Attribution of moral responsibility	Clarifying who is responsible for AI actions
AI Governance	Political Philosophy	Elinor Ostrom, David G. Victor	Frameworks for AI oversight	Governance models for ethical AI deployment
Postcolonial Ethics	Postcolonial Theory	Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Edward Said	Critique of colonialism in ethics	AI applications in postcolonial contexts
Transcendental Ethics	Kantian Philosophy	Immanuel Kant	Ethical truths are universally valid	Universalizing AI ethical considerations
Critical Rationalism	Epistemology	Karl Popper	Knowledge should be critically tested	AI assumptions subjected to critical scrutiny
AI and Social Good	Social Responsibility	Peter Singer, Tim O'Reilly	Leveraging AI for societal benefits	AI initiatives aiming for social good