Artificial Dispositions
Investigating Ethical and Metaphysical Issues
Published on 24. July 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-350-33615-5 (ISBN)
Description
We inhabit a world not only full of natural dispositions independent of human design, but also artificial dispositions created by our technological prowess. How do these dispositions, found in automation, computation, and artificial intelligence applications, differ metaphysically from their natural counterparts?
This collection investigates artificial dispositions: what they are, the roles they play in artificial systems, and how they impact our understanding of the nature of reality, the structure of minds, and the ethics of emerging technologies. It is divided into four parts covering the following interconnected themes: (i) Artificial and Natural Dispositions, (ii) Artificial Systems and Their Dispositions, (iii) Agency, Mind, and Artificial Dispositions, and (iv) Artificial Moral Dispositions.
This is a groundbreaking and thought-provoking resource for any student or scholar of philosophy of science, contemporary metaphysics, applied ethics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of technology.
This collection investigates artificial dispositions: what they are, the roles they play in artificial systems, and how they impact our understanding of the nature of reality, the structure of minds, and the ethics of emerging technologies. It is divided into four parts covering the following interconnected themes: (i) Artificial and Natural Dispositions, (ii) Artificial Systems and Their Dispositions, (iii) Agency, Mind, and Artificial Dispositions, and (iv) Artificial Moral Dispositions.
This is a groundbreaking and thought-provoking resource for any student or scholar of philosophy of science, contemporary metaphysics, applied ethics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of technology.
Reviews / Votes
Natural dispositions such as solubility and irascibility have received considerable attention in recent years, but the advent of AI has opened up new and challenging horizons. Artificial Dispositions is a timely, wide-ranging collection of essays on a morally salient topic with deep philosophical roots and far-reaching theoretical and practical implications. * John Heil, Professor of Philosophy, Washington University, USA and Durham University, UK, and Honorary Research Associate, Monash University, Australia * Dispositions, entities with a foot in both actuality and the realm of mere possibility, have long puzzled and fascinated philosophers. This important collection of essays by leading experts on the philosophy of dispositions refines and leverages the notion of artificial disposition to address pressing philosophical issues concerning AI and morality. * Samuel Kimpton-Nye, Lecturer in Philosophy, King's College London, UK * This book puts the spotlight on those dispositions that are so dear to design theory, engineering, and education, and yet underevaluated in much of the current debate on dispositions. Human enhancement, artificial intelligence, and artificial moral agency all find their discussion in this inspiring volume. * Ludger Jansen, Cusanus Chair of Philosophy, PTH Brixen College, Italy *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
460 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-33615-5 (9781350336155)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
William A. Bauer | Anna Marmodoro
Artificial Dispositions
Investigating Ethical and Metaphysical Issues
E-Book
12/2023
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€31.99
Available for download
William A. Bauer | Anna Marmodoro
Artificial Dispositions
Investigating Ethical and Metaphysical Issues
E-Book
12/2023
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€31.99
Available for download
Persons
William A. Bauer is Associate Teaching Professor at North Carolina State University, USA.
Anna Marmodoro is Full Professor of Philosophy at Durham University, UK and Associate Member of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, UK.
Anna Marmodoro is Full Professor of Philosophy at Durham University, UK and Associate Member of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, UK.
Content
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction, William A. Bauer (North Carolina State University, USA) and Anna Marmodoro (University of Oxford, UK)
Part I. Artificial and Natural Dispositions
1. Is There a Metaphysically Robust Distinction between Artificial and Natural Dispositions?, Joaquim Giannotti (Universidad de Chile, Chile)
2. The Metaphysics of Artificial Dispositions, Jennifer McKitrick (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA)
3. Classification and Artificial Dispositions, Andrew McFarland (LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York, USA)
Part II. Artificial Systems and Their Dispositions
4. Artificial Systems as Disposition Bearers, Lauren Ashwell (Bates College, USA)
5. Harnessing Power, Neil E. Williams (University at Buffalo, USA)
Part III. Agency, Mind, and Artificial Dispositions
6. What Superheroes Can Teach Us About the Metaphysics of Human Enhancement Technology, Sungho Choi (Kyung Hee University, South Korea)
7. Intelligent Capacities in Artificial Systems, Atoosa Kasirzadeh (University of Edinburgh and The Alan Turing Institute, UK) and Victoria McGeer (Australian National University, Australia, and Princeton University, USA)
8. Powerful Qualities, Phenomenal Properties and AI, Ashley Coates (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa)
Part IV. Artificial Moral Dispositions
9. The Very Notion of Artificial Moral Agency. The Case and Place of Artificial Moral Dispositions, Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem (University of Pretoria and the South African Centre for AI Research, South Africa)
10. Is AI Capable of Aristotelian Full Moral Virtue? The Rational Power of phronesis, Machine Learning, and the Metaphysics of Regularity, Ruth Porter Groff (Saint Louis University, USA) and John Symons (University of Kansas, USA)
11. Artificial Moral Dispositions in Humans and Computers, Thomas Powers (University of Delaware, USA)
Notes on Contributors
Index
Acknowledgments
Introduction, William A. Bauer (North Carolina State University, USA) and Anna Marmodoro (University of Oxford, UK)
Part I. Artificial and Natural Dispositions
1. Is There a Metaphysically Robust Distinction between Artificial and Natural Dispositions?, Joaquim Giannotti (Universidad de Chile, Chile)
2. The Metaphysics of Artificial Dispositions, Jennifer McKitrick (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA)
3. Classification and Artificial Dispositions, Andrew McFarland (LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York, USA)
Part II. Artificial Systems and Their Dispositions
4. Artificial Systems as Disposition Bearers, Lauren Ashwell (Bates College, USA)
5. Harnessing Power, Neil E. Williams (University at Buffalo, USA)
Part III. Agency, Mind, and Artificial Dispositions
6. What Superheroes Can Teach Us About the Metaphysics of Human Enhancement Technology, Sungho Choi (Kyung Hee University, South Korea)
7. Intelligent Capacities in Artificial Systems, Atoosa Kasirzadeh (University of Edinburgh and The Alan Turing Institute, UK) and Victoria McGeer (Australian National University, Australia, and Princeton University, USA)
8. Powerful Qualities, Phenomenal Properties and AI, Ashley Coates (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa)
Part IV. Artificial Moral Dispositions
9. The Very Notion of Artificial Moral Agency. The Case and Place of Artificial Moral Dispositions, Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem (University of Pretoria and the South African Centre for AI Research, South Africa)
10. Is AI Capable of Aristotelian Full Moral Virtue? The Rational Power of phronesis, Machine Learning, and the Metaphysics of Regularity, Ruth Porter Groff (Saint Louis University, USA) and John Symons (University of Kansas, USA)
11. Artificial Moral Dispositions in Humans and Computers, Thomas Powers (University of Delaware, USA)
Notes on Contributors
Index