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Evolution of Ethics Education Timeline

This interactive timeline traces the historical development of ethics education from classical philosophy to modern data-driven approaches, spanning over 2,500 years of ethical thought.

Run the Evolution of Ethics Education Timeline

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Overview

This timeline visualization shows how ethics education has evolved through three major eras:

  1. Classical Philosophy Era (500 BCE - 1950): The foundational period when systematic ethical frameworks were developed by Greek philosophers and later refined by Enlightenment thinkers like Kant and Mill.

  2. Applied Ethics Era (1950 - 2000): A transitional period when ethical thinking became institutionalized in professional settings, research protocols, and business education.

  3. Data Ethics Era (2000 - Present): The current era where empirical methods, data analysis, and quantitative approaches are increasingly integrated with traditional ethical reasoning.

Learning Objective

Students will understand how ethics education has evolved and where data-driven ethics fits in this progression, recognizing that modern approaches build upon centuries of philosophical inquiry while adding new tools for measuring harm and evaluating interventions.

Interactive Features

  • Zoom: Scroll with your mouse wheel or trackpad to zoom in/out
  • Pan: Click and drag to move along the timeline
  • Event Details: Click any event to see its full description and historical context

Category Filtering

Use the filter buttons to focus on specific eras: - All Events: View the complete timeline - Classical Philosophy Era: Focus on foundational philosophical developments - Applied Ethics Era: See how ethics became institutionalized - Data Ethics Era: Explore the modern integration of data and ethics

Hover Tooltips

Hover over any event to see a brief context note about its significance.

Key Milestones

Year Event Significance
500 BCE Greek Virtue Ethics Established ethics as formal philosophical inquiry
1785 Kant's Categorical Imperative Introduced duty-based ethical reasoning
1863 Mill's Utilitarianism Provided quantitative approach to ethics
1971 Rawls' Theory of Justice Bridged philosophy with policy analysis
1979 Belmont Report Codified ethical standards for research
2018 Cambridge Analytica Scandal Brought data ethics to mainstream consciousness
2025 Data-Driven Ethics Curriculum Integration of empirical and philosophical methods

Relevance to This Course

This timeline demonstrates why this course takes a data-driven approach to ethics:

  • Building on History: We inherit rich philosophical traditions that provide frameworks for ethical reasoning
  • Adding New Tools: Modern data science allows us to measure harm, analyze systems, and evaluate interventions empirically
  • Addressing New Challenges: Big data, AI, and global connectivity create ethical challenges that require quantitative analysis
  • Effective Advocacy: Data-driven approaches strengthen ethical arguments and policy recommendations

Technical Details

  • Timeline Library: vis-timeline 7.7.3
  • Data Format: JSON (TimelineJS-compatible)
  • Bloom's Taxonomy Level: Understand (L2)

Data Structure

The timeline data is stored in timeline.json. Each event includes:

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{
  "start_date": {
    "year": "1785",
    "display_date": "1785"
  },
  "text": {
    "headline": "Event Title",
    "text": "Detailed description..."
  },
  "group": "Category Name",
  "notes": "Historical context for tooltips"
}

Customization

To add new events, edit timeline.json and add an event object to the events array following the structure above. The timeline will automatically incorporate new events when reloaded.