Ethics 101
Surveillance pricing just doesn't seem right
What is Intuitionism
When this ride-sharing company dramatically increased fares during emergencies, critics argued it exploited riders’ lack of alternatives.
What is Uber?
This state is currently deciding whether or not to tax millionaires 9.9% on income over $1 million. The bill just passed in the senate.
What is Washington State?
Founded in 1994, this now multi-trillion-dollar company was once just an online bookstore but now offers fast shipping of virtually any product.
What is Amazon?
Nietzsche would likely associate a lifestyle centered on comfort, ease, and avoiding struggle with this type of morality.
What is slave morality?
Surveillance pricing is moral since it is legal
What is Rule Utilitarianism
In 2012, this retail company analyzed customer purchase patterns so accurately it sent maternity coupons to a teenager before even her family knew she was pregnant.
What is Target?
An example of this is when a speeding ticket costs more or less based on your income and previous infractions.
What are sliding fines?
The COVID-19 pandemic caused many to not be able to work or attend class in-person leading them to this alternative.
What is Remote Work or Telecommuting?
In contrast to convenience culture, this type of morality values strength, challenge, and self-creation.
What is master morality?
Everyone is paying a price they are willing to pay. If surge pricing efficiently allocates goods and increases overall welfare it is good
What is Act Utilitarianism
This U.S. federal agency has brought enforcement actions against companies for deceptive data collection and unfair algorithmic practices harming consumers.
What is the Federal Trade Commission?
This method of taxation decreases average tax burden as income increases.
What is regressive taxation?
Sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s term for informal gathering spaces, like neighborhood cafés or bars, raises ethical concerns in a society where app-based convenience reduces time spent in these communal spots.
What are Third Places?
Choosing fast delivery and instant gratification over effort and discipline could be seen by Nietzsche as avoiding this key process of personal growth.
What is self-overcoming?
Trying to balance ( find the “Golden Mean”) between Consumer and Corporate Interests
What is Virtue Ethics
In 2019, this social media company agreed to pay a record $5 billion fine to the Federal Trade Commission for deceiving users about how their personal data was collected and shared.
What is Facebook?
This method of tax reduction primarily benefits households that make $200k or more per year.
What are tax breaks?
The over-use of digital devices, constant consumption of short-form media, and other small dopamine hits, has caused individuals to spend less time interacting with others leading to this feeling in nearly half of Americans aged 18-44.
What is the Loneliness Epidemic? (Loneliness)
Nietzsche used this term to describe a reactive moral attitude in which people judge others’ behavior—like “lazy” or “unethical” consumption—out of spite, and respond to power by interpreting weakness as moral superiority.
What is ressentiment?
Sometimes variable pricing feels acceptable: airlines, hotels, Uber. Necessities like groceries may feel wrong or exploitative.
What is Ethical Relativism
This property management software cost the American people an estimated 4 billion dollars by using shared rental data and algorithmic recommendations to help landlords coordinate higher apartment prices.
What is RealPage?
Washington state’s main source of tax revenue is from this.
What is sales tax?
This Seattle law, enacted in 2024, requires companies like Uber Eats and DoorDash pay their delivery drivers nearly $30/hour causing Seattle to have the highest average fees in the country.
What is the PayUp Law?
From a Nietzschean perspective, a society dominated by convenience may weaken individuals by removing struggle, thereby reducing their ability to create their own values and express this concept.
What is the will to power?