Machines like Me book report

In Ian McEwan's master piece science fiction novel, our way of thinking and ethics are questioned by a perfect, logical mind of an artificial being. While many of our choices may seem natural, in reality, everything is decided by our ethics. Ethics is how we decide what is right and what is wrong, a set of guiding principles that tell us what to do. But there are many forms of ethics, and they are how we decide everything

The two most common forms of ethics are utilitarianism and deontology. Utilitarianism, founded by Jeremy Banthem, is probably the most common, which is to bring the maximum amount of happiness and minimum amount of suffering. It treats ethics as a calculable matter, which allows for clear choices. Meanwhile, deontology is the opposite of utilitarianism. Rather than looking at the outcome, deontology focuses on the input, using a set of universal laws. Set by Immanuel Kant, as long as the action breaks none of these laws, it is right.

While most people have a mix of utilitarianism and deontology, there are also other types. Aristotle's virtue ethics is another contender, where the correct action is the one that builds on your virtues, or your character, making you a better person. Meanwhile, ethical egoism takes this a step further by saying the best action is always for your own good.

While in the real world most people have a mix of these, in Machines like Me, each character represents one way of thinking. Adam, the AI, thinks through deontology, understanding things like lying universally wrong. Meanwhile, Miranda is the utilitarian, who believes that her actions bring justice to the society, so it is correct. However, Charlie uses ethical egoism, and really only thinks what would be the best for him and Miranda.

In conclusion, ethics dictate how we think about all things, and in Machines like Me, each character represents a different way of thinking. While they might all be for the greater good, each one brings different reasons, and therefore different outcomes.