Philosophy needed now more than ever

Established in 1900, Dominican University College in Ottawa has long been recognized for its strong programs in philosophy and theology. The recent establishment of its Centre for New Questions in Ethics, Technology and Society (CETS) should be applauded for drawing on those roots to deliberate on the ethical and social questions that arise in today’s technologically advanced world of clones and drones.

Photos of two adorable baby monkey clones were prominently featured in the world news recently. Meanwhile, the tragic loss of a pedestrian hit by a self-driving vehicle raised moral issues. In the 18th century, Vaucanson, a Swiss watchmaker, boasted that he could create a mechanical chess player that could compete with a human expert.

It set off a large debate. Was this possible? Could a “mechanical” person compete with humans?

Today, Artificial Intelligence can be pre-programmed to react to situations, even those we have neither contemplated nor foreseen.

It is no longer a question of if this will happen but of when.

We need to look at the shrinking number of philosophy graduates in our universities with concern. In this era of rapid change, we need them more than ever. The CETS aims to illuminate their considerations and

I, for one, look forward to hearing the results of their thoughtful deliberations. Roseann O’Reilly Runte, Ottawa, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation