Hypermodern Ethics

Contemporary Western societies are experiencing a transformation toward hypermodernism in that the dominating modern traits—such as delegation, efficiency, and progress—are becoming intensified and more prevalent.

Modern technology is becoming increasingly intelligent and autonomous, while at the same time extending and mediating human relations to an increasing degree. Meanwhile, human activity is transforming the environment in existentially profound ways, creating widespread growth of parallel norms and belief systems that fragment our social lives. As heirs to modernity, contemporary societies continue to strive for progress by developing new and more efficient technologies. However, we have also become increasingly aware that sustainability is a crucial condition for persistent human flourishing.

While sustainability requires that we avoid extremes, not every balancing act is necessarily beneficial. Achieving sustainability is therefore not identical to maintaining societal balance. In hypermodernity, the challenge is to balance progress and sustainability. What complicates this challenge is that hypermodernity has introduced a myriad of agents which mediates our goals and the means we have of reaching them. These agents include artificial intelligence, institutions, animals, and even our genes. Both natural and human-made objects have become stakeholders. Sustainable progress thus demands less anthropocentric ways of thinking than what we saw in early modernity.

When societal structures and institutional norms become less transparent, they are at risk of becoming more volatile and producing new forms of conflict. This book provides improved tools for social planning and decision-making to navigate these hypermodern conflicts.