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Sunday, April 24, 2016

Could MorCal actually exist?

First off, the group withstood a lot of unanswerable questions. So, great job! I was impressed with the concept. However, I don't think it could exist. Actually, I don't think the name of the app has anything to do with what the app actually does. Instead of a Moral Calculator, it seems like a Point-of-View Generator. Taking the personality test I think is a great idea. Technology is so advanced nowadays I definitely think that through a personality test and answering some questions gives a robot enough information to guess who that person would typically think about a situation. The app also allows you to submit a problem and then it generates a ton of responses in the rank of which is most likely true to your own opinion based on your personality. You can scroll through and look at all the different perspectives. The only thing is that the solutions is generates don't seem like a moral solution. They are just possible solutions. The whole point of a moral dilemma is not deciding between right and wrong, it's about deciding between right and right, or choosing between the lesser of two wrongs. The circumstances of problems are endless and tend to be much more complicated that what Google could ever generate. So, how does generating a plethora of potential solutions help someone decide the moral thing to do? Islam believes in killing infidels. Does that mean it is the moral thing to do? Christianity says to love your enemies, is that the moral thing to when faced with injustice? Dr. J brought up a good objection in regards to the Trolley Problem as well. Is there an actual answer to deciding which lives are more valuable to save? The app seems to only generate an overwhelming amount of information without actually coming to a conclusion. If anything, it could leave the user more confused. It's similar to those advice columnists in magazines and newspapers. Readers send in their problems asking the "what would you do?" or "what should I do?" questions. Yet the reader will only get back advice from the writers perspective without knowing in full detail the circumstances, the person, the issue, etc. The app is made in the same way. I believe morality cannot be measured--not by the internet, a robot, or anything generated for that matter. I don't think this app could actually exist. And if it did, it shouldn't be called MorCal. However, is it good for generating many different perspectives on issues!

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