I would argue that Hanlon's razor applies. Most people aren't thinking about ethics, they're just trying to solve a problem. When a product manager asks them

I would argue that Hanlon's razor applies. Most people aren't thinking about ethics, they're just trying to solve a problem. When a product manager asks them to implement a dark pattern to trick users into clicking something, they aren't thinking "heh... fools, I'll show them", they're thinking "Sure thing boss, whatever you say". It's not that these people are unethical, it's that it's never a consideration. I was in a meeting once where business was discussing abandonment and it was suggested that if a user filled out a form 100% but never clicked submit, it was reasonable to assume that after 20 minutes if the window was still open then we should just automatically submit the form because that was their intent. There was no malice in the thought or question of ethics, the person who suggested it thought it was a helpful suggestion and would improve the product and reduce abandonment. When I framed it from the perspective of the end user they quickly shot down their own idea.