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@@ -109,7 +109,42 @@ som vi tildeler direkte. ::: {lang=en} -FIXME +With the rise of information technology, +non-physical creations are being shared more widely than ever before. +These works are shared under various different normative guiding principles, +but among them, +the four freedoms defining free software promise universal guiding principles +for sharing with the greatest degree of freedom to use, modify, +distribute and improve software. +Copyleft is an additional principle that ensures works derived +from free software to also uphold the four freedoms. + +This project investigates the meta-ethical and normative implications +of different formulations of the principle of copyleft. +The report begins by first laying out the central theories of normative ethics -- +deontology, consequentialism and contractualism. +Then, through systematic ethical analysis, +the moral defensibility of the copyleft principle is derived +based on each of the three normative theories. +After extrapolating relevant necessary commitments and principles +from the results of the analysis, +the method of reflective equilibrium is applied to adjust +commitments and principles to arrive at a morally defensible position +of copyleft within each of the three normative theories. + +The contractualist approach used a particularly strong formulation +of the copyleft principle during analysis, +but this was adjusted into a more moderate but still strong position +that the four freedoms should be made the moral default when sharing software. +The deontological analysis proved fruitful, +as the reflective equilibrium did not bring change to the principle. +The consequentialist approach was initially compatible with the principle of copyleft, +except for cases, in a utilitarian measure, +where the four freedoms might affect the ability for society +to improve it's standard of living more than otherwise. + +The project concludes that all of the normative theories +can be made compatible with some formulation of the principle of copyleft. <!-- Open Source is a popular praxis for sharing creative resources. |