Downloading Music Illegally

Many people think it is okay to download music illegally from different file sharing programs on the internet. Some people perceive it is okay to do because the information available online should be free. In reality, downloading music illegally is a crime that is punishable by fines and in some cases jail time.
You can evaluate whether or not it is ethical to illegally download music by many different standards. Aristotle states that to behave ethically, individuals must know what they are doing, select their action with moral reason, and act out of good character. Stealing music from artists, for example is not acting out of good character.
Immanuel Kant came up with the categorical imperative. This concept begs one to ask themselves, “What would the world be like if everyone acted as I do?” This concept allows no room for special or preferential treatment and treats everyone as equals. When you consider what the world would be like if no one actually bought music and everyone illegally downloaded it, you realize the talented artists that work so hard to produce their music would never see a penny of revenue. No one in his or her right mind would go to work every day with no hope of ever being paid. Music would no longer be an industry and would probably dwindle away very quickly. Envisioning a world without music is a very sad thought, one we will hopefully never have to call a reality.
Sissela Bok provides yet another standard for evaluating ethical situations. Bok has you consult your conscience, seek alternatives, and hold an imaginary conversation with everyone involved. If everyone consulted their conscience before they clicked “download”, less people would illegally download music because they would take the time to think about how morally wrong it truly is. There is one simple alternative to illegally downloading music, which is to pay for your music. Whether it is through iTunes or actually driving to a store that still carries compact discs, if you are paying for your music you have fulfilled your ethical responsibilities. Finally, it is certain that those people who are illegally downloading music would not want to explain to their favorite artist why they could not reach into their pocket and pay less than two dollars for their latest hit single. Artists need to be supported so that music can continue to enrich our lives, and this simply cannot happen if we continue to illegally download music.