Perhaps you have seen or read one of my talks about software testing and moral philosophy, maybe it is just 3am in your timezone and you are exploring the netherworlds of the internet – in either case; Welcome!

This is a brief post to share the key resources I have leaned on when writing my talk:

‘The Good, The Right, and The Fitting: Moral Philosophy in Software Testing’.

Naturally there have been many influences that have acted upon me and helped me to develop my thinking on this topic. From conversations with peers, to incidental interactions and experiences, there are too many and too much to cite.

Nevertheless, if you wish to dip your toes into this topic, here are a few book recommendations:

p.s. I’m sure there are brilliant resources in other formats, but I predominantly like to read. So that is what you will get below.

p.p.s. You will note that these recommendations are far more philosophy focused than testing or quality. That is simply because, thus far, I have relied on my own experiences and expertise in testing to inform my insights. As my exploration of this topic grows, I will begin to weave in more testing-specific resources.

Brilliant, brief, overview of the domain of Moral Philosophy.

Introduces far more material than could have ever been covered in this talk.

A great primer, would strongly recommend.

A tour-de-force overview of Western Philosophy.

Dry and dated in placeS, but an invaluable summary.

A reference book to be dipped into and tasted sparingly.

Via a case study approach, Olivia Gambelin produces a practical, hands-on text to support the injection of ethical principles and AI-supported ways of working into an organisation.

A must read for anyone interested in balancing ethics and the profit motive!