<討論>〈証拠に基づくロボット倫理〉の擁護 --髙橋優子「人と人以外との倫理構築に向けて: 「アニミズム」「テクノアニミズム」概念の限界と可能性」へのコメントに寄せて

Abstract

Recently, robot ethics is increasingly considering the cultural conditions surrounding robots. I (呉羽, 2021) criticizes the “techno-animism theory, ” which regards “techno-animism” (the attitude of recognizing “animas” in artifacts and trying to build affinity with them) as uniquely Japanese and valuable, using knowledge from various fields, such as history, ethics, anthropology, religious studies, and human-robot interaction. In contrast, Takahashi (髙橋 2023), referring to my work, explores the positive role of techno-animism in constructing a new ethics toward nonhuman entities. However, Takahashi's reference to my work contains many misinterpretations, perversions, and unfair accusations, and her argument for this new ethics is flawed in several respects. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, I reveal Takahashi's misreading and perversion of my argument with respect to the definition of techno-animism, the treatment of social theories, and the status of scientific evidence in robot ethics. Second, I offer criticisms and pose questions regarding Takahashi's argument for the potential contribution of techno-animism to the construction of a new ethics. Third, I defend the evidence-based robotics and robot ethics I proposed in 呉羽 (2021).