An illustrative example of ethical theory

IT-related application of ethical egoism

Ethical egoism is constantly present in everyday life. Today, many people see only benefits for themselves in everything and this applies not only to everyday life but also to the IT sphere.

The example that I want to give regarding the IT sphere is related to security protection systems. Today, the IT field is very advanced, which includes the advancement of hacking, the spread of malicious applications and attacks on government agencies, business organizations and civilians. If there is a “disease”, that is, a virus, then a “medicine”, that is, a protective system is always needed. Speaking of the latter, most of the good, high-quality and reliable security protection systems are not free. If state structures and organizations can afford not only protection but also a specialist who is responsible for security, then the general people cannot always afford to purchase even a simple antivirus or firewall.

Indeed, it is rare to find a high-quality and reliable protection system that is cheap or free. Ethical egoism means does not help others until there is any benefit and this is where it manifests itself. It can be said that companies that are responsible for creating and selling security systems are profiting from the problems that people face. This is the demonstration of ethical egoism. As a solution to this issue, the creators of security systems could make them free or at least reduce the cost to an acceptable level. Obviously, this will affect the financial condition of the company, but most of them produce not only ordinary security protection systems such as antiviruses but also more complex protection systems for all kinds of organizations, so a decrease in the cost of one product will definitely not lead to bankruptcy.

In addition, I can give an example from my personal experience. I myself use an antivirus, which has never let me down in 3 years of use, but at the same time a subscription for a year is really expensive, while this antivirus does not have any additional protection functions, they need to be purchased additionally.