ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 looks at the justification for the protection of robots based on robots themselves. First, the division on the grounds of moral philosophy concerning moral status, which is moral agency and moral patiency, is discussed. The most important topics connected with moral agency from the perspective of criminal law are introduced. There are several ways of ascribing moral status to robots, which are discussed. The first approach is based on the intrinsic properties of members of a moral circle. An approach based on interpretation of Kantian indirect duties of humans to animals is considered. Then a relational perspective, an approach from virtue ethics, and ethical behaviorism are discussed. The last perspective is connected with environmental ethics. At the end of the chapter, there is discussion of which approaches may be relevant from the perspective of criminal law.
