Autonomous Driving : a contribution to the debate from the perspective of Christian ethics of responsibility

Abstract

This research project analyses theological and ethical questions surrounding the use of autonomous vehicles. A case study is being conducted to answer the research question. It is based on two documented accidents involving self-driving vehicles that were approved for passenger transport. The accidents were selected to reflect the variance in the technical implementation of self-driving vehicles in order to achieve better research results. Christian ethics of responsibility are particularly relevant to this work. This perspective on the concept of action was significantly influenced by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Reinhold Niebuhr.