In today’s society no one person gives much thought to the idea of downloading music illegally. However, the bigger picture says that we should. This is a matter of fun gone too far, when does it become too much? When does it become ethically wrong? Since, it is already legally wrong.
Though it is illegal many people still download music instead of paying for it. Many downloaders’ don’t see the big issue; as long as someone is paying for it the artist is still getting paid. Many also believe that just one song isn’t a big deal, and it is “easy and free” for them, especially the largest amount of downloader’s like teenagers. However, they fail to think about Kant’s categorical perspective. If each individual who sought out music from the internet downloaded albums without paying, how would the artist stay in business? Kant believes practical reasoning is how to approach an issue, instead of empirical means.
Today the arguments on illegally downloading music are not new. However, many points should be taken into account when forming your own argument or point of view on the matter. Therefore, another view is posed by Aristotle. He bore the idea of ethics as a subject. Furthermore, his philosophy concerning moral virtue and character while posed years ago still fit well in today’s society. This is because they revolve around what people do voluntarily, just like downloading music illegally.
One more viewpoint that one should take into account when forming their own opinions is Sissela Box’s 3 step analysis for situations. The first step being: to consult your conscience; which is a great tie into our first two specialists, Kant and Aristotle. The second step instructs us to seek alternatives. By alternatives they mean other ways of getting the music. For example, listening on YouTube which is free, borrowing a friend’s music, or even just sucking it up and paying for it. The third and final step is to hold an imaginary dialogue with the parties involved. For further explanation this is to imagine having a conversation with the artist whose music you have but never paid for, explaining why you have it, and why they did not profit from it. Another way of doing this is imagining receiving a letter from the Recording Industry stating that you have broken the law and will be facing prosecution. You could even imagine getting a letter from the artist themselves requesting the amount of money you would have paid for all the music that you stole, as you owe them it. There are many ways to do this third step, all ways just as eye opening.
Many people don’t really make the decision to download music illegally the right way. They just do it, without thinking of the consequences that could follow, or what that could mean for the artist. When downloading music without paying for it, a process of decision making should be taken. There are many people involved in the equation of illegally downloading music, and it can get messy fast. One should take into all factors, especially those posed above, before breaking the law. It could be life changing, for the law breaker, artist, everyone. Maybe you’ll think twice before you cheat your favorite artist out of the money you owe them every time you download illegally.
