Deontologist versus utilitarian view on “Net Neutrality” The internet has already changed the way that the world operates today. Presently, everyone has access to the internet everywhere in the world. The internet is used through a variety of purposes, from academia research to business transactions and contacting family. Considering the freedom that the internet provides us, a group of people threatens that freedom of access to the Internet by conflicting with the Net Neutrality. Analyzing this issue from a deontological versus a utilitarian point of view, this paper will show why it is important to keep all the users equal in the Internet. Before we start, we must understand that ethic is all in a matter of perspectives. The interest of the user and content providers versus the interest of the telecommunication companies are different making their priorities opposite. This paper will taking this issue from the viewpoint of the end users of the Internet, not the viewpoint of corporations and Telecommunications Company. We will first discuss deontological views on restrict network neutrality, then utilitarian’s view on open network neutrality comparing it to our present-day applications to prove why utilitarian is a better solution for the present day internet. The central idea of a deontological theory revolves around is “duty”. Understanding this duty from Kant’s categorical imperative view states that we must act in such a way that our acts could be universal and all people could do them. Another aspect of the deontological theory is, to treat people with intrinsic value in and of them. Recognize what they are doing by rewarding and compensate what they do. Freedom and autonomy is important to a deontologist. Autonomy in the perspective of large corporations and end users are different, because they have opposing interest, and they will come in conflict, therefore, we will look at the duty aspect of deontology. Understanding this; we see a
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