Ethical Reasoning and Lived Moral Challenges: Exploring Philosophy Students’ Experiences in Digital Post-Truth Environments
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Abstract
In the rapidly evolving digital era, moral decision-making is increasingly shaped by the complexity and ambiguity of online interactions. This study investigates how philosophy students interpret and navigate ethical dilemmas within digital post-truth environments, where information credibility and moral clarity are often contested. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, ten students from Indonesian universities participated in semi-structured interviews to share their experiences of confronting issues such as misinformation, cancel culture, and AI-generated content. Analysis revealed three central themes: the pervasive moral ambiguity in digital spaces, the application of philosophical reflection as a decision-making compass, and the emotional fatigue associated with sustained ethical engagement online. Findings demonstrate that participants do not merely engage with ethical concepts theoretically but integrate philosophical reasoning into their lived moral practice. These insights underscore the importance of experience-centered ethics education that addresses both cognitive and emotional dimensions of moral agency. The study contributes to digital ethics discourse by highlighting the subjective processes underpinning ethical reasoning in fast-changing online contexts.
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