Foundations of Tech Ethics: Theoretical Origins and Modern Practice

As technology and business evolve at an unprecedented pace, professionals face complex moral dilemmas that lack simple answers. Understanding the theoretical origins of ethics provides the framework needed to navigate these modern challenges with clarity and confidence. This text-only course guides you through classic ethical theories and demonstrates how to apply them directly to contemporary tech issues, from data privacy to algorithmic decision-making. You will transition from relying on gut feelings to using structured philosophical frameworks to evaluate business practices and technological developments. What you'll learn: Understand classical ethical frameworks, including utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics; Analyze how historical philosophical concepts apply to modern digital environments and business models; Evaluate ethical dilemmas in technology, such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and responsible AI; Develop structured arguments to support ethical decision-making in corporate and technical settings; Identify dark patterns and unethical design choices in modern software products. The course begins with foundational definitions of morality and core ethical theories before moving into practical case studies and written exercises exploring modern tech dilemmas. Designed for beginners, this course requires no prior background in philosophy, business management, or computer science. Start building your ethical decision-making framework today.