Programming Ethics Into Our Lives A book review on “The Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics” and Contemporary Moral Problems”
Copyright 2011 By: Carlos Alberto I. Osorio
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Philippines License Preface
The book review on The Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics and Contemporary Moral Problems offer the readers a glimpse on how ethics could be put into practice in our lives today which revolves with technologies. With the emergeing technologies in our world today, problems have also emerged to challenge our code of ethics not only in the real world, but in the computer world as well. The book has shared different concepts and theories in order for us to know how to handle certain problems when dealing with information and computers. It will teach the readers everything that they need to know in order to have proper knowledge in being able to protect themselves. Not only that, it will also give them a moral standards and know their limitations once they have entered the IT world. Through these book reviews, they will be able to guide themselves as well into having proper ethical manners which would also strengthen their moral values in life.
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Dedication
This book review is first of dedicated to my family, specially my parents who has provided for my education and has always inspired me along the road. No matter what, they have always believed in my talents and capabilities. I also want to dedicate this book to my fellow classmates and friends who have been exerting a lot of effort and has been working hard as well in order to finish their respective book reviews. Most important of all, I want to dedicate this book to my girlfriend who has been an inspiration to me, and has encouraged me all throughout my journey in writing this book from the first chapter up to the very end. Even though there were a couple of obstacles along the way, her motivation has helped me get through them in able to finish writing this book.
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Acknowledgement
I would like to acknowledge the following people for making it possible for me to finish this book:
Professor Paul Pajo Alvin and Emelie Osorio (Parents) Nicole Faustino (Girlfriend) My friends around the world It-Ethic Classmates
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Table of Contents
Contents Contemporary Moral Problems Questions ...... 7 James Rachel: Egoism and Moral Scepticism ...... 8 John Arthur: Religion, Morality, and Conscience ...... 9 Friedrich Nietzsche: Master- and Slave- Morality...... 10 Mary Midgley: Trying Out One’s New Sword ...... 11 John Stuart Mill: Utilitarianism ...... 12 James Rachels: The Debate over Utilitarianism ...... 13 Immanuel Kant: The Categorical Imperative ...... 14 Aristotle: Happiness and Value ...... 14 Joel Feinberg: The Nature of Value of Rights ...... 15 Ronaldo Dworkin: Taking Rights Seriously ...... 16 John Rawls: A Theory of Justince ...... 17 Annette Baier: The Need for More Than Justice ...... 17 The Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics Book Review ...... 19 Chapter 1: Foundation of Information Ethics – Luciano Floridi ...... 20 Chapter 2: Milestone in the History of Information and Computer Ethics – Terrel Ward Bynum ...... 21 Chapter 3: Moral Methodology and Information Technology – Jereon van den Hoven ...... 22 Chapter 4: Value Sensitive Design and Information System – Batya Friedman, Peter H. Kahn Jr, and Alan Borning ...... 23 Chapter 5: Personality-Based, Rule-Utilitarian, and Lockean Justifications of Itellectual Property – Adam D. Moore ...... 24 Chapter 6: Information Privacy: Concepts, Theories, and Controversies – Herman T. Tavani ...... 25 Chapter 7: Online Anonymity – Kathleen A. Wallace ...... 26 Chapter 8: Ethical Issues Involving Computer Security: Hacking, Hacktivism, and Counterhacking – Kenneth Einer Himma ...... 27 Chapter 9: Information Ethics and the Library Profession – Kay Mathiesen and Don Fallis ...... 28 Chapter 10: Ethical Interest in Free and Open Source Software – Frances S. Grodzinsky & Marty J. Wolf29 Chapter 11: Internet Research Ethics: The Field and It’s Critical Issues – Elizabeth A. Buchanan & Charles Ess ...... 30
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Chapter 12: Health Information Technology: Challenges in Ethics, Science, and Uncertainty ...... 31 Chapter 13: Ethical Issues of Information and Business – Bernd Carsten Stahl ...... 32 Chapter 14: Responsibilities for Information on the Internet – Anton Vedder ...... 33 Chapter 15: Virtual Reality and Computer Simulation – Philip Brey ...... 34 Chapter 16: Genetic Information: Epistemological and Ethical Issues – Antonio Marturano ...... 35 Chapter 17: The Ethics of Cyber Conflict – Dorothy E. Denning ...... 36 Chapter 18: A practical Mechanism for Ethical Risk Assessment – A SoDIS Inspection – Don Gotterbarn, Tony Clear, and Choon-Tuck Kwan ...... 37 Chapter 19: Regulation and Governance of the Internet – John Weckert and Yeslam Al-Saggaf ...... 38 Chapter 20: Information Overload – David M. Levy ...... 39 Chapter 21: Email Spam – Keith W. Miller and James H. Moor ...... 40 Chapter 22: The Matter of Plagiarism: What, Why, and If – John Snapper ...... 41 Chapter 23: Itellectual Property: Legal and Moral Challenges of Online File Sharing – Richard A. Spinello ...... 42 Chapter 24: Censorship and Access to Expression ...... 43 Chapter 25: The Gender Agenda in Computer Ethics – Alison Adam ...... 44 Chapter 26: The Digital Divide: A Perspective for the Future – Maria Canellopoulou-Bottis and Kenneth Einar Himma ...... 45 Chapter 27: Intercultural Information Ethics – Rafael Capurro ...... 46
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Contemporary Moral Problems Questions
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James Rachel: Egoism and Moral Scepticism Review Quetions:
1) Explain the legend of Gyges. What questions about morality are raised by the story? The legend of Gyges is about a sheperd who found a ring, which could turn you invisible upon wearing it, in a fissure opened by an eartquack. So he used this ring to in order to be invisible that gave him the power to enter the Royal Palace where he seduced the queen and murdered the king. This story raised two questions on what a rouge and a man with virtue will do when given the power to be invisible. How their actions might differ or be the same whether they will use this power to give them advantage or to help others. 2) Distinguish between psychological and ethical egoism. Physical egoism is the view that all men are selfish in everything that they do and the only motive from which anyone ever acts is self interest, while ethical egoism is a normative view about how men should act. It’s a view that men have no obligation to do anything except what is in their own interests. 3) Rachels discusses two arguments for psychological egoism. What are these arguments, and how does he reply to them? One argument describes the fact that if one person’s actions is considered as selfish, and another person’s action as unselfish we are overlooking the crucial fact that both cases, assuming that the action is done voluntarily, the agent is merely doing what he most wants to do. The other argument is described as follows, “Since so-called unselfish actions always produce a sense of self-satisfaction in the agent and since this sense of satisfaction is a pleaste state of consciousness, it follows that the point of action is really to achieve a pleasant state of consciousness rather than to bring about any goods for others. He replied to these arguments as being un real or not true. 4) What three common place confusions does Rachels detect in th thesis of psychological egoism? The three different confusions are: the confucion of selfishness with self-interest, the assumption that every action is done either from self interest or from other motives, and the common but false assumption that a concern for one’s own welldare is incompatible with any genuine concern for the welfare of others. 5) State the argument for saying that ethical egoism is inconsistent. Why doesn’t Rachels accept this arguments? “There is no way to maintain the doctrine of ethical egoism as a consistent view about how we ought to act. We will fall into inconsistency whenever we try.” He doesn’t accept this argument since he believes that we need only to interpret the egoist’s position in a sympathetic way in order for ethical egoism to be maintained consistently. 6) Accoring to Rachels, why shouldn’t we hurt others, and why should we heal others? How can the egoist reply? Accoring to him, we shouldn’t hurt others because other people will get hurt, and we should heal others so that other people will benefit from it. By this, the egoist’s theories will all be disagreed on.
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Discussion Questions:
1. Has Rachels answered the questions raised by Glaucon, namely, “Why be moral?” If so, what exactly is his answer? Yes he has answered it by saying that “we tend to be moral because it is not for ourselves but for the sake of others.” 2. Are genuine egosists rare, as Rachels claims? Is it a fact that most people care about others even people they don’t know? Yes, they are rare. And I believe that most people won’t really care about other people as much as they would care for the people they know. 3. Suppose we define ethical altruism as the view that one should always act for the benefit of others are never in one’s own self-interest. Is suc h a view immoral or not? I don’t think it’s immoral, because it’s not like he wants to harm them, it’s just not his interest to be part of them or wasting his time to think on what he’ll do to benefit them.
John Arthur: Religion, Morality, and Conscience Review Questions:
1. According to Arthur, how are morality and religion different? According to Arthur, morality involves more our attitudes toward various forms of behavior which are usually expressed using the notions of rules, rights, and obligations, while religion usually involves prayers, worship, beliefs about the supernatural, institutional forms, and authoritive texts. 2. Why isn’t religion necessary for moral motivation? Religion isn’t necessary for moral motivation since whenever we do something, we base our decision on other reasons such as the consequences of being caught, or being seen doing the wrong thing. This shows that most of our motives for doing the right thing has nothing to do with religion. 3. Why isn’t religion necessary as a source of moral knowledge? Religion isn’t necessary as a soruce of moral knowledge since we will need to know a whole lot about religion in order for us to use this as a source for moral guidance. 4. What is the divine command theory? Why does Arthur reject this theory? Divine command theory basically states out that God has the same sort of relation to moral law as the legislature has to statues it entacts, and without God’s commands there would be no moral rules, just as without a legislature there would be no statues. Arthur rejects this theory since he believes that what the theory is trying to imply isn’t very clear since it states out that actions are right when God commands it, and an action is wrong if He doesn’t command it. But then again if God didn’t command us to do certain things then they won’t necessarily be wrong. 5. According to Arthur, how are morality and religion connected? They are connected because people need religious motivation in order to be guided into doing what is right, since it gives them more knowledge and wisdom of what is right and what is wrong. 6. Dewet says that morality is social. What does this mean, according to Arthur? According to Arthur, this means that morality cannot exist without social perspective introduced by others, and this social nature ties it specially with education and public discussions.
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Discussion Questions:
1. Has Arthur refuted the divine command theory? If not, how can it be defended? He has refuted it because he believes that what the theory is trying to imply isn’t very clear since it states out that actions are right when God commands it, and an action is wrong if He doesn’t command it. But then again if God didn’t command us to do certain things then they won’t necessarily be wrong. 2. If morality is social, as Dewey says, then how can we have any obligations to nonhuman animals? Animals has been part of our society, and therefore we are obliged to treat them with respect as well. 3. What does Dewey mean by moral education? Does a college ethics class count as moral education? He means that we should put ourselves in other people’s shoe in order to know how we must act, and at the same time reflecting without ourselves of our actions. I believe that a college ethics class could count as moral education because it makes as reflect on our actions.
Friedrich Nietzsche: Master- and Slave- Morality Review Questions:
1. How does Nietzshe characterize a good and healthy society? Nietzshe characterizes a good and healthy society as a society which allwos superior individuals to exercise their will to power, their drive toward domination and exploitation of the inferior. Then the superior person will follow a master-morality which will emphasize power, strenght, egoism, and freedom as distinguished from a slave morality which usually calls for weakness, submission, sympathy, and love. 2. What is Nietzsche’s view of injury, violence, and exploitation? Nietzsche points out that we must all refrain ourselves from injury, violence and exploitation, and put one’s will on a par with that of others resulting to a sense in good conduct among individuals when the necessary conditions are given. 3. Distinguish between master-morality and slave-morality. Master morality is when the good man arouses fear and seeks to arouse it while the bad man is considered to be the despicable being. On the other hand slave morality is when the evil man arouses fear. 4. Explain the Will to Power. Nietzshe explains the Will to Power as the main driving force in man such as achievement, ambition, and the determination in striving to reach the highest possible position in life.
Page 10 Discussion Questions:
1. Some people view Nietzshe’s writing as harmful and even dangerous. For example, some have charged Nietzshe with inspiring Nazism. Are these charges justified or not? Why or why not? It is justified not because Nietzche is a harmful person, but because his view shows how a master will dictate what to do and show superirity over the weak ones, which resebmles the characteristics of Nazism. 2. What does it mean to be “acreator of values”? This means that a man will have a heroic individualism which will make a person an overman where he then will be the creator of master morality.
Mary Midgley: Trying Out One’s New Sword Review Questions:
1. What is “moral isolationism”? Moral isolationism is the view of anthropologists and others that we cannot criticize cultures that we do not understand. 2. Explain the Japanse custom of tsujiairi. What questions does Midgley ask about this custom? Tsujiairi is a custom done by the Japanse samurais where they test new sword on wayfarers. It is very important for samurais to sliche through someone with a single hit, or he would lose his honor and respect if he’s not able to perform this. Midgley uses this custom since for Japanese this may be right since it’s their custom, but do other people who practice different custom agree on this. So Midgley asks if people with other custom question the custom of others that they are unfamiliar with? 3. What is wrong with moral isolationism, according to Midgley? Accorinding to Midgley, what’s wrong with it is that people will usually take up and accept the custom of others just because they think shows respect if they do so, but it’s not really respectful to simply accept other people’s cultures without really trying to understanding it. 4. What does Midgley think is the basis for criticisizing other cultures? She believes that the basis for criticisizing other cultures is to first prove that it is being harmful to the general moral teachings.
Discussing Questions:
1. Midgley says that Nietzsche is an immoralist. Is that an accurate and fair assessment of Nietzsche? Why or why not? No, because we all have our own point of view upon things and we don’t have the right to judge others whether they are moral or immoral. 2. Do you agree with Midgley’s claim that the idea of seperate and unmixed cultures is unreal? Explain your answer. Yes I do agree, since now a day whether we realize it or not, our lifestyle has been a mixture of several cultures from one continent to another. And as people migrate from one country to another, they inherit new cultures along with their culture of tradition.
Page 11 John Stuart Mill: Utilitarianism Review Questions:
1. State and explain the Principle of Utility. Show how it could be used to justify actions that are conventionally viewed as wrong, such as lying and stealing. The Principle of Utility or the greatest happiness principle state that the actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness are intended pleasures and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and privation of pleasures. 2. How does Mill reply to the objection that Epicureanism is a doctrine worthy of swine? Mill replied by saying that the objection that Epicureanism is a doctrine worthy only of swine is disregarding precisely because the beast’s pleasure does not satisfy human beings conceptions of happiness. 3. How does Mill distinguish between higher and lower pleasures? The higher pleasure is the one that all or almost all who have experience of both give a decided preference, irrespective of any feelings of moral obligation to prefer it. While the lower pleasure is when those who are competently acquainted with both, place so far above the other that they prefer it, even though knowing it to be attended with a greater amount of discontent, and would not resign it for any quantity of the other pleasures which their nature is capable of. 4. Accorind to Mill, whose happiness must be considered? According to Mill, those who are in greater in number or the majority should be considered in happiness 5. Carefully reconstruct Mill’s proof of the principle of Utility. According to the utilitarian conception, there was no original desire of it, or motive to it, save its conduciveness to pleasure, and especially to protection from pain. But through the association thus formed, it may be felt a good in itself, and desired as such with a great intensity as any other good; and with this difference between it and the love of money, of power, or of fame, that all of these may, and often do, render the individual noxious to the other members of the society to which he belongs, whereas there is nothing which makes him so much a blessing to them as the cultivation of the disinterested love of virtue.
Discussion Questions:
1. Is happiness nothing more than pleasure, and the absence of pain? What do you think? It’s not only the absence of pain. 2. Does Mill convince you that the so-called higher pleasures are better than the lower ones? I don’t think it applies at all times. 3. Mill says, “In the golden rule of Jesus of Nazareth, we read the complete sprit of the ethics of utility.” Is this true or not? I believe it’s true. 4. Many commentators have thought that Mill’s proof of the Principle of Utility is defective. Do you agree? If so, then what mistake or mistakes does he make? Is there any way to reformulate the proof so that it is not defective? Yes, in some areas I think that it is defective
Page 12 James Rachels: The Debate over Utilitarianism Review Questions:
1. Rachels says that classical utilitarianism can be summed up in three propositions. What are they? The three propositions are: 1) Actions are judged right or wrong solely in virtue of their consequences. 2) In assessing consequences, the only thing that matters is the amount of that caused. 3) In calculating happiness or unhappiness that will be caused, no one’s happiness is to be counted as more important than anyone else. 2. Explain the problem with hedonism. How do defenders of utilitarianism respond to this problem? The problem with hedonism is how people are understanding it since hedonism is the belief that if something is good then it will be called happiness but people often do forget that the real meaning of happiness is. Defenders of utilitarianism respond to this by stating that we must use other resource to obtain happiness. 3. What are the objections about justice, rights, and promises? The objection for justice is right judgement, for rights is not valued especially to racism on a community, and for promises are more likely to be broken. 4. Distinguish between rule and act utilitarianism. How does rule-utilitarianism reply to the objections? Rule utilitariansm are actions conform in to the rules that will lead to greater good, while act utilitarianism states that the right action is one that will give happiness to a person. This reply to the obections by showing how to we will act upon judging. 5. What is the third line of defense? The third line of defense is the act-utilitarianism.
Discussion Questions:
1. Smart’s defense of utilitarianism is to reject common moral beliefs when they conflict with utilitarianism. Is this acceptable to you or not? Explain your answer. No, since there will be certain times that we will have common moral beliefs with other people, such as having the same religion. 2. A utilitarian is supposed to give moral consideration to all concerned. Who must be considered? What about nonhuman animals? How about lakes and streams? People who have no understanding or sufficient knowledge for morals should be considered. The others such as animals and lakes shouldn’t be considered for they weren’t created to understand what morals are all about. 3. Rachels claims that merit should be given moral consideration independent of utility. Do you agree? Yes, since every one will have their own morals that they would stand for.
Page 13 Immanuel Kant: The Categorical Imperative Review Questions:
1. Explain Kant’s account of the good will. Kant’s account of the good will is that it is impossible to conceive anything at all in the world, or even out of it, which can be taken as good without qualification, except a good will. A good will is not good because of what it effects or accomplishes – because of its fitness for attaining some proposed end: it is good through its willing alone – that is, good in itself. 2. Distinguish between hypothetical and categorical imperatives. Hypothetical is something that is obtained before it happens, while categorical is something that is organized in an orderly matter. 3. State the first formulation of the categorical imperative, and explain how Kant uses this rule to derive some specific duties toward self and others. The only further question to ask is whether this principle of self-love can become a universal law of nature. It is then seen at once that a system of nature by whose law the very same feeling whose function is to stimulate the furtherance of life should actually destroy life would contradict itself and consequently could not subsist as a system of nature. 4. States the second version of the categorical imperative, and explain it. The principle of self- love or personal advantage is perhaps quite compatible with his own entire future welfare; only there remains the question “Is it right?”
Discussion Questions:
1. Are the two versions of the categorical imperative just different expressions of one basic rule, or are they two different rules? Defend your view. Basically, they are two different expresion but with one basic rule since both share the same idea of self-love in the negative perspective. 2. Kant claims that an action that is not done from the motive of duty has no moral worth. Do you agree or not? If not, give some coterexamples. No, since they are several occasions which some actions can benefit others without it being a motive of duty. 3. Some commentators think that the categorical imperative can be used to justify nonmoral or immoral actions. Is this a good criticism? Yes, because we all have different point of views.
Aristotle: Happiness and Value Review Questions:
1. What is happiness, according to Aristotle? How is it related to virtue? How is it related to pleasure? According to Aristotle, happiness is the activity of the soul in accordance to virtue. It is related to virtue since by doing what is right, this bring happiness within us. And it is pleasure becauce it gives us pleasure knowing what we’re doing is right and we usually see happiness through pleasure.
Page 14 2. How does Aristotle explain moral virtue? Give some examples. He explains it by saying that moral virtue comes from training and habit, and generally is a state of character that is a mean between the vices of excess and deficiency. This means that moral virtue is inherited when people is the process of growing fully, moral virtues for example is taught by teachers while people are studying. Moral virtues maybe inherited from friends and vices. 3. Is it possible for everyone in our society to be happy, as Aristotle explains it? If not, who cannot be happy? Yes, just as long as we are doing the right thing, everyone could be happy.
Discussion Questions:
1. Aristotle characterizes a life of pleasure as suitable for beasts. But what, if anything, is wrong with a life of pleasure? What’s wrong with it is now a day people usually get pleasure by doing what is wrong. And if we are to live a life of pleasure we will be doing mostly what is wrong and not what is right. 2. Aristotle claims that the philosopher will be happier than anyone else. Why is this? Do you agree or not? Philosophers usually have their own basis and discoveries of their own meaning they also have their own definition of happiness which isn’t necessarily similar on how the society views it.
Joel Feinberg: The Nature of Value of Rights Review Questions:
1. Describe Nowheresville. How is this world different from our world? Nowheresville is a world where the people will not have any rights. It’s different from ours since in our world, we have rights. 2. Explain the doctrine of the logical correlativity of right and duties. What is Feinberg’s position on this doctrine? The doctrine basically states out that all duties entail other people’s rights and all rights entail other people’s duties. Feinber does not really agree with this because he believes that duty is not something that you should do because it is the right of other people, but it is what you should do for others. 3. How does Feinberg explain the concept of persona desert? How would personal desert work in Nowheresville? Personal desert is something that is done by a person that is not expected in an agreement. It works for Nowheresville since they can’t really expect nor complain since they have no right in that world. 4. Explain the notion of sovereign right-monoploy. How would this work in Nowheresville according to Feinberg? The sovereign right-monopoly means that everyone has the right to treat everyone the right way but this duty was owed not to the subjects directly to God just as we might have duty to a person to treat his property well. It works for Nowheresville since sovereign has a monopoly on rights.
Page 15 5. What are claim-rights? Why does Feinberg think they are morally important? Claim is an assertion of rights while rights is a kind of claim. It is morally important because it helps everyone in the society to stand up for theyr moral belief, cause it is their right to do so.
Discussion Questions:
1. Does Feinberg make a convincing case for the importance of rights? Why or why not? Yes, because he states out how have rights is important for each and everyone of us. And he also shows how hard it is for us to have no rights like at Nowheresville. 2. Can you give a noncircular definifinion of claim-right? I don’t think I’m able to.
Ronaldo Dworkin: Taking Rights Seriously Review Questions:
1. What does Dworking mean by right in the strong sense? What rights in this sense are protected by the U.S. Constitution? He means that once a person has a right, it also means that he has the right to break the law. The right of which as long as you will not harm others, you don’t have the right to remain silent. 2. Distinguish between legal and moral rights. Give some examples of legal rights that are not moral rights, and moral rights that are not legal rights. Legal rights are rights protected by laws whie moral rights are those which makes a person to do for the sake of equality. 3. What are the two models of how a government might define the rights of its citizens? What does Dworkin find more attractive? The two are individual rights and constituional rights and Dworkin finds constitutional rights more attractive. 4. According to Dworkin, what two important ideas are behind the institution of rights? According to Dworkin , the two important ideas are: the institution of right must require an act of faith on the part of the minorities and that the Government will not re-establish the respect of law withouting giving the law the claim to respect.
Discussion Questions:
1. Does a person have a right to break the law? Why or why not? Yes, because he has the right to do whatever he wants with his own free will. 2. Are rights in the strong sense compatible with Mill’s utilitarianism? Yes it is compatible. 3. Do you think that Kant would accept rights in the strong sense or not? No, Kant will not accept it
Page 16 John Rawls: A Theory of Justince Review Questions:
1. Carefully explain Rawls’s conception of the original position.. The principles of justice are chosen behind a veil of ignorance. This ensures that no one is advantage or disadvantage in the choice of principles by the outcome of natural chance of social circumstances. 2. State and explain Rawls’s first principle of justince. Each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others. 3. State and explain the second principle. Which principle has priority such that it cannot be sacrified? The second principle states that it was concerned on the arrangement of social and economic inequalities meaning to say that our social situation is just if it is such that by this sequence of hypothetical agreements we would have contracted into the general system of rules which defines it.
Discussion Questions:
1. On the first principle, each person has an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty as ling as this does not interfere with a similar liberty for others. What does this allow people to do? Does it mean, for example, that people have a right to engage in homosexual activities as long as they don’t interfere with others? Can people produce and view pornogprahy if it does not restrict anyone’s freedom? Are people allowed to take drugs in the privacy of their homes? Yes, as long as the other do have the same freedom, but this doesn’t usually lead to good things since a lot of people will take advantage of this liberty in cause harm to others, and to benefit themselves. 2. Is it possible for free and rational persons in the originial position to agree upon different principles that those given by Rawls? For example, why wouldn’t they agree to an equal distribution of wealth and income rather than unequal distribution? That is, why wouldn’t they adopt socialism rather than capitalism? Isn’t socialism just as ratonal as capitalism? I believe that it is possible.
Annette Baier: The Need for More Than Justice Review Questions:
1. Distinguish between the justice and care perspetives. According to Gilligan, how do these perspectives develop? Based from Gilligan woman are most unlikely to take only justice perspective, since the care perspective is a women’s natural role as the primary caretakers of young children.
2. Explain Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. What criticism do Gilligan and Baier make of this theory? The theory of moral development has two dimensions the first is to aim at
Page 17 achieving satisfying community with others, the other aiming at autonomy or equality of power. Baier said that these provides the germs of a theory about why, given current customs of childrearing, it should be mainly woman who are not content with only the moral outlook that she calls the justice perspectives, necessary though that was and is seem by them so have been to their hard worn liberation from sexist oppression. 3. Baier says there are three important difference between Kantian liberals and their critics. What are these differences? Relative weight put into relationships between equals, weight put on freedom of choice, and the authority of intellect over emotion. 4. Why does Baier attack the Kantian view that the reason should control unruly passions? Baier attacked the Kantians view because the Kantian picture of a controlling reason dictating to possibly unruly passions also tends to seem less useful when we are led to consider what sort of person we need to fill the role of parent, or indeed want in any close relationship.
Discussion Questions:
1. What does Baier mean when she speaks of the need “to transvalue the values of our patriarchal past”? Do new value replace the old ones? If so, then do we abandon the old values of justice, freedom, and rights? He means that the old ones are facts that shouldn’t be forgotten and the new ones are improved versions of the old ones. 2. What is wrong with the Kantian view that extends equal rights to all rational beings, including women and minorities? What would Baier say? What do you think? The Kantian dictates that woman are incapable of legislation or formulation of law and needs the guidance of men who are considered to be more rational as to woman. 3. Baier seems to reject the Kantian empahsis on freedom of choice. Granted, we do not choose our parents, but still don’t we have freedom of choice about many things, and isn’t this very important? Yes we still have the freedom of will do do a lot of things and this is very important in our daily lives.
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The Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics Book Review
Page 19 Chapter 1: Foundation of Information Ethics – Luciano Floridi
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the importance of informatin ethics nowdays specially right now where our world is based on IT.
Quote: “Understanding the nature of IE ontologically, rather than epistemologically, modifies the interpretation of the scope and goals of IE.” – Not only in IE, but when it comes to life as well, the interpretation and goal would always depend on the nature you believe in or live in.
Review: We can not deny the fact that we now live in a world of Information Technology where mostly everything around us revolves in technology. This has given us several benefits and has made our lives easier as well. But criminals has also taken advantage of this growth to use it for their own benefits. That is why Information Ethics has also become an important issue. And 4 different stages have been discussed on how to approact Information Ethics and they are: Information Ethics as an ethics of informational resources, Information Ethics as an ethics of informational products, Information Ethics as an ethics of the informational environment, and lastly the fourth stage is Information Ethics as a macroethics. The first one basically states out the importance of having confidentiality and reliabitlity when it comes to keeping information resources or on how they are processed, so that the information that people will recieve will be the right one. The second stage shows how important it is to create information about products in their own way rather than getting it from other product’s information. The third stage is concerning the environment and how informations are view in our daily environment and at certain times can be accessed by unauthroized people through immoral acts. And lastly is summerized as Information Ethics being a “patient-oriented, ontocentric, ecological macroethics.” Basically the whole chapter states out the important of implementing Information Ethics specially in the society we are living in today. It may not fully solve everything, but it is a huge step in restoring moral and ethical order in the IT world.
What I have learned: I have learned the importance of implementing Information Ethics in our lives today more specially since we now live in the world of IT. It is very important to make sure the information that goes around are protected and done efficiently the wellness and safety of everyone.
Integrative questions:
1. What is infosphere? 2. What is techne? 3. What is Information Society? 4. Will the implmentation of Information Ethics be effective? 5. What is homo poieticus?
Page 20 Chapter 2: Milestone in the History of Information and Computer Ethics – Terrel Ward Bynum Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn how information and computer started and what importance it is bring us today.
Quote: “Computing Technology is the most powerful and most flexible technology ever devised.” – I completely agree with this statement since nowadays, mostly everything is done with the use of technology and we have become very independent to it.
Review:
This chap ter shows how information and computer ethics started, and how it has evolve and made its way to us today. Over the past years, technology has evolve rapidly and has become a very powerful too which can be used both for good and bad. Ever since after World War II ended, several powerful devices were created such as computers. Because of this, information and computer ethics was founded as well in order to maintain order with technology’s rapid growth. As Norbert Wiener founded information ethics he based all his foundation with the fact that cybernetic is the view of human nature and society. He’s main goal was to strengthen the topic which points out the importance and main purpose of the human life. We may all come from different culture but he wants us to always strieve for a good moral ethic. Wiener then created several strategies which may be the solution incase conflicts arouses concerning information and computer ethics. As he created a cure for computer ethics, he also based it from other theories which came from other scholars. He created this since he was deeply concerned for the human value’s protection specially when it comes to their life, health, and happiness. The most crucial year though for the rise of computer ethics came in 1985 where books and articles of famous scholars such as Johnson and Moore provided better understanding for the field. Following this, the expansion of computer ethics grew even more in the United States until 1995. Where then a conference was held gathering several professionals from all over the world to give them a better insight on what computer ethics was all about. This helped in expanding and delivering it all around the world. So as the world revolves continously on technology for the up coming years, computer and information ethics will be evolving with them as well.
What I have learned: I have learned how information and computer ethics have evolved and how it is being a great help in giving us a better moral knwoedlge today as we contiously live and grow in the world of IT.
Integrative questions:
1. What is cybernetics? 2. How was information and computer ethics founded? 3. What brought Norbery Wiener into developing strategies for computer ethics? 4. How will we be right now if computer ethics wasn’t developed? 5. What is the journal Metaphilosophy all about?
Page 21 Chapter 3: Moral Methodology and Information Technology – Jereon van den Hoven Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the different moral methdology and information tehcnology.
Quote: “We may be able to identify some answers as morally wrong, but that is probably as far as we can get.” – Gaining more understanding and learning experience on things we’ll give us a better idea wheather they are right or wrong.
Review:
Upon the rise of technology, a lot of applications and new products are being developed and the use of computers has been increasing drastically. As it grows, we are also given a huge responsbility to make sure that we don’t use this to harm others for our own benefit. This is why ethics are being created as well to make sure we are still morally behave upon using this uprising technologies. Different moral methadologies are studied and analyzed to make sure our information ethics and ethics of technology are followed and done the right way. Generalism was proposed althought it could create a big conflict since most of the time when general rules are proposed, it leads to general terms which will wide and could have different meanins creating confusion for everyone. Because of these, further and better developments concerning ethics were applied giving a better understanding towards the methodology of computer ethics. Different factors towards our society are being looked and analyzed such as institutions, infrastractures, and most important of all technologies. Along with this, the Value Sensitive Design was created so that it could be related to information and communication technology. It is to help in designing and creating human values for everyone to stregthen their moral standards in Information Technology. Since we all come from different backgrounds, we will have different perspectives and point of views regarding computer ethics. Some may be right to others, but wrong to others and vice-versa. With this said one of the goals of moral methadologies is to create one ethical code which will put us all in one belief regarding what is right and what is wrong when it comes to information and computer ethics. Information Technology will be influencing our lives in a lot of ways, that’s why it’ll be for our best interest if develop and design the upcoming technologies with computer ethics because this will make a big difference.
What I have learned: I have learned the importance and how moral methadologies have impact Information Technology.
Integrative questions:
1. What is ubiquitous? 2. What is pervasive? 3. What is does metatechnology do? 4. How important are moral methadologies in IT? 5. What’s the concept of the Engineering View?
Page 22 Chapter 4: Value Sensitive Design and Information System – Batya Friedman, Peter H. Kahn Jr, and Alan Borning Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn what value sensitive design brings into information technology and how it is fundamental in that area.
Quote: “We have to reject the worshiping [of] the new gadgets which are our own creation as if they were our masters” – This has been a problem today since we’ve been too dependent on these new gadgets that there are certain times that we start to worship them as if they were our masters.
Review:
As technologies and new inventions of gadgets has been contiously evolving, different mesasures also had to be implemented in order to maintain order. Value sensitive design was created along with three different studies to go with it going from controlling of the web cookies providing safety and protection for the users, to implementing HD television displays specially in office environments to show everyone the “values of physical and psychological well-being and privacy” and lasty the study on how there should be a simulation system of land use and transportation in order to implement values of fairness when building land transportations and usage of lands. In order to be able to use Value Sensitive Design, it is mentioned to consider three different factors which are value, technology, and context of use. It is also advisable to start off with the one closes to the working intereset and slowly build it up with the rest. One thing that must be kept in mind though is that there will be times that values will encounter conflicts. Whenever this conflicts occur, it is important to remember that the conflicts of values should always be constraints on the design space, and not be identified as a situation. By doing this, it’ll be helpful in many ways specially in organizational objectives since it increase the values brought to the forefront thus generating more revenue for the company, and bringing more happiness and satisfaction towards the emlpoyees and customers. Although there will be times that conflicts with power and economic factors may occur, but the benefit of Value Sensitive Design will still be seen more specially in strengthening human values. Basically, the whole chapter states out what value sensitive design is all about. It has showed the different features and benefits it may bring into our society, and hopefully it will encourage everyone to use this approach from now on.
What I have learned: I have learned what value sensitive design is all about and how it could benefit our society if this appraoch will be used by us.
Integrative questions:
1. What is value sensitive design? 2. What benefits does value sensitive design bring to us? 3. What conflicts may be encountered? 4. What are the different feature of value sensitive design? 5. What are the three main approaches of value sensitive design?
Page 23 Chapter 5: Personality-Based, Rule-Utilitarian, and Lockean Justifications of Itellectual Property – Adam D. Moore Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn on how personality-based, rule-utilitarian, and lockean justifications relate with itellectual property.
Quote: “The root idea of the labor theory is that people are entitled to hold, as property, whatever they produce by their own initiative, intelligence, and industry.” - We all deserve to achieve things that we work hard for.
Review:
Each and every one of us posses an intellect which gives us the capability to think and rationalize through things. Intellectual property is then the ability to create different sets of right and wrong in the mind. There has been arugments though concerning intellectural property. These arguments have been divided into three different forms with the first one being the personality theorists where they believe that intellectual property is only a further version of a human’s personality. Hegel, a personality theorist, believe and points out that every human being has their moral standards related to their several experiences, talents and with what they feel. But this view also encounters problems because there are times that we’re unsure about our own feelings and traits. The second form is how the rule-utilitarians strengthens the fact that intellectual property is a progress in our society to imporve. In order for this to happend they want to generate and maximize the number of intellectual works that will be done in relation to the number of social utility. And lastly is the Lockeans’ view that rights are usually justified based on labors. This arugment states out that since we own our own body, we will also own everything that we worked for. A person who decides to work for a land or cultivate a land will deserve too own that land since it was his work and effort that lead into cultivating the land. The problem with this though is it may create conflict on who will own a land if several people had put effort and work into it. But as long as it encourages us to work harder instead of harmng others, it is a pretty good argument. The chapters has shown three different arguments concerning intellectual property with all three having their strenghts and weaknesses. It is for us to decide on which approach to follow, but what matters most is to set our ethic code right in order to benefit the society.
What I have learned: I have learned the differences between personality-based, rule-utilitarian, locekan justification and how they relate and can be connected to intellectual property. I also learned how important and helpful it is specially in achieving the rights of work.
Integrative questions:
1. What is intellectual property? 2. Which is the best argument out of the three? 3. What is the personality based justification of itellectual property? 4. What is the rule-utilitarian incentives based argument on intellectual property? 5. What is the lockean justification of itellectual property?
Page 24 Chapter 6: Information Privacy: Concepts, Theories, and Controversies – Herman T. Tavani Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the different theories concerning privacy in order to gain better insight about it.
Quote: “Rules and conditions governing private situations should be clear and known to the persons affected by them.” – Everyone who follows a rule should know very well what are the rules they are following.
Review:
In this chapter, privacy was heavily discussed especially how information privacy could be protected. As technology has been growing, it has also enabled for information to flow faster. The downside of this though is that it has also become vulnerable for others to access this information as well. Because of this, one of the main issues tackled today is how to prevent the invasion of privacy which has been increasing as well. In our society that we live in today, everyone seeks to have their right of having their own privacy, and whenever it is invaded we would complain, but there are times we do not really know when we can complain or if our privacy is really being invaded. So this chapter talks about the different concepts and theories which gives a better insight on what information privacy is all about. In order for us to know the boundaires of our privacy. The Restricted Access Theory was has stated on how a person will possess informational privacy if he/she limits others from access about himself/herself. Another theory that was stated to make privacy evenb clearer is the Control Theory which states out that a person’s privacy will always be related to how he controls his information. Because of the use of internet and especially social network sites, it became easier for our personal information to be collected and stored into large databases. And there are certain times that unauthroized people are able to access these and use it either for their own good or to cause harm for others. People have become selfish and have forgotten how it is to give respect towards people’s personal information. It has been a big contreversy, but a lot of policies are being analyze and slowly being created which will help in lessening the invasion of information privacy, and give protection to everyone’s data and information even more.
What I have learned: I have learned how privacy has been a major issue today, and through the different theories provided I have gain a better understanding about it. It helps me in being even more careful as well so that I can keep my privacy and avoid it from being access by strangers.
Integrative questions:
1. What is the restricted access theory? 2. What kind of value is privacy? 3. Why is privacy valued? 4. How will we know if our privacy is already being invaded? 5. What is the RIFD technology?
Page 25 Chapter 7: Online Anonymity – Kathleen A. Wallace Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the main purpose or advantage of having the proper knowledge about online anonymity.
Quote: “To be fully anonymous means that a person cannot be identified according to any of the seven dimensions of identity knowledge.” – A peron can not really be anonymous if he doesn’t posses the seven dimensions of identity knowledge.
Review:
This chapter explained the concepts of anonymity and how it should really be viewed and undersood. It also explained how online anonymity works. Today, the people defines anonymity as something without name or unidentified. The chapter points out that it does not mean one thing can not be identified it would already meany anonymity. It gives a narrower point of view in which something has to be part of social relations where it has its capability to act upon situations and be influence by the surrounding it is at, if not then it could be considered as anonymous. So basically being socially isolated, a person or a thing will be defined as anonymous. Anonymity has been made possible, because we do have the freedom of will to decide whether we want to have a connection or relation with the society we are in. As we are now heavily influence by the online word, anonymity does relate with it as well. Being in the internet world, we all do have our identities. Some chooses to open it to public, and some chooses to keep it private and be anonymous. What must be remembered though is that most of our activities on our computers are basically tracked and are stored into a database. But of course, if we do decide to use a fake identity, then it will be harder to keep track of this person’s activities. The only advatage that an online anonymity may bring to a person is being able to express himself/herself without needing to worry that their true identity could be criticized. Since there are certain times that if we speak with our own identity, we can not fully express what we feel or believe in. But of course one of the downside of online anonymity is the fact that a person can steal someone else’s identity, with the thief being anonymous, giving authorities hard time tracking his recent online activities. Online anonymity has its good sides and bad sides, but then again it will all depend on the person’s ethical codes and values of what he chooses to do.
What I have learned: I have learned and understood the deeper meaning of anonymity and how online anonymity works as well as its positive and negative sides.
Integrative questions:
1. What is anonymity? 2. What are the seven dimensions stated by Marx? 3. How is one’s online activity tracked? 4. Who is Bennett? 5. What is a pseudonym?
Page 26 Chapter 8: Ethical Issues Involving Computer Security: Hacking, Hacktivism, and Counterhacking – Kenneth Einer Himma Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the different ways that I could prevent myself from being hack and strengthening my computer security.
Quote: “Active response cannot be justitifed as retaliation.” – This has to be carefully understood so that it won’t be misinterpret and confused with revenge.
Review:
One of the main issue today is how we should always make sure we keep our privacy specially now that we are living in a world growing with the use of technologies. Now a days, alot of hacking and privacy invasion has been revolving around the net. In able to do this, we need to be properly informed on what should be the limitations concerning these issues. Different things have been described in this chapter mainly pointing out the importance of computer ethics when it comes to invading other people’s privacy. Most people do these with the intention of harming others, or in order to gain benefit just for themselves without the realization that they are causing major damage to the people they are trying to expose or invade. Hacking has always been seen as something wrong for that exact reason. But we also need to understand that even though we may not cause harm to the person or people, it is still wrong since it is invading someone else’s property. Even though it may be virtual, it is not any different from jumping in someone else’s property without permission to. There are times though that hackers do believe that it will not cause as much damage as it may benefit others. In order to make it right, hackers still find a way to justify hacking. Hacktivism has been rising since they want everyone to understand that there are times that hacking is done in order to give a better expression regarding their politcal and moral views. To sum things up, regardless of one’s intentions, hacking should be prevented and not be tolerated. Private property or privacy is something that should be valued and respected that it should not be accessed unless the other person has the permission to. Hacking could start with little harm, but if not prevented it can cause a huge damage or destruction.
What I have learned: I have learned about the different views on hacking and the different justifications about it to make us think wether it should be view as something good or bad.
Integrative questions:
1. What is a prima facie? 2. What is benign intrusions? 3. Is there a time when hacking can be considered as right? 4. What is hacktivisim? 5. What is the Necessity Principle all about?
Page 27 Chapter 9: Information Ethics and the Library Profession – Kay Mathiesen and Don Fallis Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the relevance between Information Ethics and the Library Profession.
Quote: “When it comes down to it, libraries exist to make the connection between their users and the recorded knowledge and information they need and want.” When the internet wasn’t available yet, it has been the libraries who has provided us the informations we needed.
Review:
Libraries has been a present of a human’s society for ages. It has been present long time ago and up to now it is still present in our society. And of course librarians have been part of this since the beginning, although at first they were not seperated by profession like today. They used to be distinguished as scholars who were doing their specific tasks and keeping book records. Today as we all know, librarians have the tasks of providing access for information. This relates to information ethics since they can be considered as provicer of information for all of us, which gives a huge importance to their work. This challanges them in being wise in giving the right access for information to the right people. Shiyali Ramamrite Ranganathan even said that a librarians main task or goal is to make sure that the books are accessed and read in able for the people to gather informations. Before the internet came, they have been our primary source of information. Libraries have designed on the different ways we are to access available informations. The information that we need are carefully organized based on its categories, giving the readers an easier time of accessing the information that they wish to have. This is also where the librarians come in since they are the ones who knows best on how to arrange the categories depending on the information’s materials. Basically, they have promoted intellectual freedom for us where we could also gather ethics with our own free will. Even though in the middle of the evolution of technology and internet, “librarians continue today to see their central value as the promoting of intellectual freedm.”
What I have learned: I have learned the importance of libraries and librarians specially even before the evolution of technology and internet, since it was the libraries who have given us access to information.
Integrative questions:
1. What does a librarian do? 2. How do librarians provide a value added service? 3. Before the internet came, was there any other possible ways to access information without the library? 4. How do librarians promote intellectual freedom? 5. How do they protect children in accessing information?
Page 28 Chapter 10: Ethical Interest in Free and Open Source Software – Frances S. Grodzinsky & Marty J. Wolf Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn what’s the main reason on why there should be ethical interest when it comes to free and open source software.
Quote: “The golden rule requires that if I like to program I must share it with other people who like it.” – It is always a nice thing to share ideas with people who share the same talents as we do.
Review:
Through the use and creation of internet, free software has also been made available and possible for all of us. It has served as a foundation for importance movements. Because of this, the Open Source Software movement happend, which is also considered by many to be one of the most important movements of them. Both the free software and open source software have different featurs and histories behind them which differiates them from one another. The theories of the free software began in 1985 which was articulated by Richard Stallman. He wrote a manifesto stating out the different objections concerning free softwares. He also stated out that if a person has the talent or likes to program, then he should share this with other people who shares the same interest in order for them to develope and widen their knowledge in programming. “Ultimately, Stallman sees the social value of an individual modifying and sharing a program as more valuable to society than the author’s intellectual property rights.” As the internet was created, the free software spread and grew even more. Linux being a free software also helped in spreading it out. But in 1997 the Open Source Initiative was started by Eriy Raymond and Bruce Perens. They believe by implementing this, it would be more effective since this proces will be efficient when it comes to producing high class software. A main advantage of having an open source is that while allowing the users to have a source code for basis, the owner will still have a chance to privately own his personal copy and be able to modify things that he needs or wants to edit. Some people say that it’s more ethical to base a work from a source code, rather than just simply getting the free software, taking out the credits from the creator. These two may have their differences, but one thing is for sure and that is the fact that they have and still are benefiting the software development communities today.
What I have learned: I have learned the differences between open source software and free software as well as their history backgrounds. It has also given me a better knowledge and understanding on how they are benefiting us today.
Integrative questions:
1. What is the OSS? 2. What is FS? 3. What is GNU? 4. How does OSS differ from FS? 5. Which one is better to use? OSS or FS?
Page 29 Chapter 11: Internet Research Ethics: The Field and It’s Critical Issues – Elizabeth A. Buchanan & Charles Ess Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect the different concepts regarding the ethics with internet researching.
Quote: “On the Internet, no one knows you are a dog.” – We can be anyone and anybody we want in the internet and no one will know about it.
Review:
Internet research ethics has been an active and evolving field that shows the concepts and studies of how ethics are implied through the use of internet’s search tools. There has not been anyone though who could claim that they actually own or have created the internet research ethics since during the 1990’s, the internet has been alreay used to search and browse the internet. Ever since it started, a lot of people have been doing research analysis on the pros and cons of performing researches through the use of the internet. Since everyone has started to use this method, it had been discussed whether or not rules and codes should be applied in searching the internet in order to guarntee ethics. Because of this several debates has been opened based on the people’s rights, oblications, and principles. It is important to tackle this since internet research ethics have severlal issues, which needs to be anaylzyed and carefully understood. Using the internet, no one really knows who you are and what you behind your computer screen. You can be completely different from who you are in real life. With this, it is very much possible for you to do whatever you want for your own benefit even though it may come to the point where you hard others, since at the end of the day it can not be indentified as you. It is one’s choice whether he wants to send out his private and personal information, it can be accessed by anyone through the use of research. What this chapter is trying to point is for us to learn how have ethic codes while being in the internet doing researches in order to give respect to everyone in our society who is also has access and uses the internet as research tool. Since this has just been evolving now, a lot more of other issues can happen, but knowing our boundaries and knowing to give respect to others is a position to be, so that isssues concerning internet research ethics will not go out of control.
What I have learned: I have learned the values that we must implement and remembered whenever we are researching through the internet.
Integrative questions:
1. What is IRE? 2. What issues are there concerning IRE? 3. What are the new emerging issues? 4. What is ethical pluralism? 5. What is deontological?
Page 30 Chapter 12: Health Information Technology: Challenges in Ethics, Science, and Uncertainty Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the challences that health information technology brings in our society today.
Quote: “The demands of privacy are intuitively straight forward and the consequences of its violation obvious.” Privacy has always been a major issue in our society.
Review:
A rich task which challenges and gives opportunity in terms of information technology and essentials that helps in obtaining things which leads into pointing out ways of issues regarding confidentiality and privacy is through the use of decision in support systems and personal health development records. In general privacy that regards the uncontroversial assumes in special cases that claims more sensitive personal issues that focus on several aspects of our lives. These erodes have effects that may increase in the possibilities of having poor outcomes if they are done the wrong way. Privacy and confedentiality are good ways in helping and solving on how to control the virtue of a person. There are also easy ways for the users, such as those who have very limited access, and that is by being assigned with patients themselves.And as we know, with the emerging technology, it has given us benefits so with the use of computers, applications and response about certain arguments which possesses different approaches of the challenges and opportunity through the growth of this technology. Motivations and recognitions in networked health environment that some discloses information that may constitute the approaches and awareness in technology. Different systems were also used in order to show the readers their main differences in dealing with these approaches. These different systems are the clinical decision support systems, expert systems, and prognostic scoring systems. Another issue discussed in this chapter is a patient’s personal health record. Over time, their health records have been recored and kept, but the problem though is that it is inacessible to them. Only the medical professions have access, and not the patients themselves, which I believe that they should since it is their own records, and they deserve to have access of it and keep track of it.
What I have learned: I have learned the different concernts regarding how health information may be improved with the help of technology.
Integrative questions:
1. What is the clinical decision support systems? 2. What is the diagnostic expert systems? 3. What is the prognostic scoring systems? 4. What’s the difference between the standard view and progressive caution? 5. How is privacy and confidentiallity distinguished?
Page 31 Chapter 13: Ethical Issues of Information and Business – Bernd Carsten Stahl Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn how ethical issues are involved in information and businesses.
Quote: “Ethical issues enter the debate when the justification of a possible right to be left alone are discussed.” – Ethical issues will always be tackled when it comes to discussing right and wrong.
Review:
The different systems that are available today such as those of businesses and economic systems have been affecting the ethical issues in big ways. It shows how ethical issues are related with the uprising technologies today such as information and technology. We can not deny the fact that information plays a very important role in our day to day lives. We need to be able to rely on accurate information, and with this most workers today are strictly required to have a hugeamount of knowledge as well. A lot of activities that are done today in the business areas depends heavily on how the information flows or how they are passed through. Some of these different business are the exchange between prodcuts and services. If wrong information are passed around then it may interfere and create a lot of conflicts on how the goods and services are exchanged. The chapter also wants to clearly point out the importance of business and ethics being able to work together since business will rely on good ethics in order to run successfully. Come to think of it, they really are connected to one another. Altough some people, such as high profile managers and corporations does not necessarily want to believe this concepts. As a matter of fact they would rather believe that ethics and business does not have any connections or relations at all, since their main concern is to benefit themselves. Corporate Social Responsibility was also discussed in order for us to know on which position will a corporate stand regarding the issue if their actions are ethically acceptable. When a business is started, its main goal is always to gain profit, and for this they need to take in the right information to know how to process everything out. With little information available, the business’ strategies will also be limited. In other words, information has a great value when it comes to businesses. Business and Information influences one another regarding the flows of ethical issues.
What I have learned: I have learned the relation of business and information and how they affect ethical issues as well, and at the same time ethical issues affect them.
Integrative questions:
1. What is CSR? 2. How does ethical issues relate with business? 3. How important is ethics in a business’ success? 4. Why do businesses need information? 5. What role do Stakeholders play in this?
Page 32 Chapter 14: Responsibilities for Information on the Internet – Anton Vedder Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the different conditions that will give me a better understanding on how I can be responsible in giving out and retreiving information from the internet.
Quote: “We only hold people morally responsible if they have a responsibility to perform or not to perform the action the action in question at the time when they actually did or did not perform that action.” We have the freedom to choose what we do, and we wil always be held responsile for the choice that we make either doing an action or not.
Review:
Being online in the internet, we are always held responsible for our actions. We are held responsible for the information we possess and for the ones we pass around. The problem though is that some people do not carry this responsibility so well that they abuse this responsibility for their own benefit. With this said, this is one of the major negative sides of the internet. It does not have a central system that provides rules that must be followed. It is basically a network which are consist of different people that range from low class to high class, from businesses to organizations. It has become a system which is open to mostly everybody. With this, it also means that all information that goes around the internet will be available to anyone, increasing the chance of evil actions and wrong doings. Of course in order to perform this, conditions must be stated to make it clear on how to be responsible in having access in the internet. It’s being stated out though that a person should only be held responsible if they are put or had gone through an obligation of carrying that responsibility. Consequences will then follow if the person fails to carry his responsibility for information in the internet. It was tackled though that before thinking of a consequence, it must be understood first how it violated moral conduct and ethics. “As we turn responsibilities related to information on the Internet in general, the focus shifts even further away from retrospective to prospective responsibilities.” We should always be careful though on what information we put out in the internet since there will always be the risk that any one out there can access that and use it. Now that is one major responsibility that we should always remember as users because another root of the problems is incompetence of the users.
What I have learned: I have learned to be a responsible internet user specially when it comes to presenting information on the internet.
Integrative questions:
1. What are CPs? 2. Who can access the internet? 3. What are ISPs? 4. What are the conditions of responsibility? 5. What should the users remember when presenting their information on the internet?
Page 33 Chapter 15: Virtual Reality and Computer Simulation – Philip Brey Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the the concepts between these two technologies and how they may be similar or the same from one another.
Quote: “Virtual reality and computer simulation will continue to present challenges for ethics.” – There will surely be more application to be developed which would test our ethics upon using them.
Review:
If there is one thing in our society that did not get much attetion from the ethicists, they were virtual reality and computer simulation. It has been discussed that these technologies also needs to be recognize and undergo some ethical questions as well. There are different things that we can do in the virtual world that could raise a lot of ethical questions whether it is right or wrong. Virtual reality started around in the 1980’s, which came along the development of marketing of systems. It practically simulates three dimensional objects which are then show into a display such as the monitor. And with the up rising technologies, virtual reality is being used now by millions of users. They can be in a form of online games or social networking sitse such as Facebook. Because of this that ethical questions are being rised since it is important to disucss whether these will be a good thing or a bad thing for the society that we are living in. It is important to be able to create a ethical and moral standards concerning the virtual reality so everyone will know the proper values since a lot of us have access to the virtual reality now a days. Aside from virtual reality, another technology that has emerged in our society is the computer simulation, which basically is a computer program which is composed of a model of an actual system. These models are carefully designed before being put into a computer program. An example of this are flight simulators which are used for pilots to train before flying an actualy air craft. A model of the plane and sky line are designed, which then the user will simulate its movements, feeling like he’s actually in there. With this both technologies are being analyzed on whther they require ethical choices when being used. By using them, the user’s values may be influenced affecting their ethical choices as well.
What I have learned: I have learned and gained a better understanding regarding the concepts of virtual reality and computer simulation. It has given me more information about them, which makes me believe that they do affect their ethical choices and values in life when using these technologies.
Integrative questions:
1. When did virtual reality emerge? 2. What is sensory feedback? 3. What is virtual reality? 4. What is computer simulation? 5. What is the different between virtuality and reality?
Page 34 Chapter 16: Genetic Information: Epistemological and Ethical Issues – Antonio Marturano Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to gain a better understanding concernig genetic information, and what it is all about.
Quote: “Progress is best in open source.” There will be a chance of better progress if we do have basis on what we are doing since we will understand it better.
Review:
In this chapter the concept of information was based on Shannon’s theory pointing out that it was more of a physical mathematical theory of signs. Mainly because the mathematical information is consists of theories which basically only focuses on the amount of information within a physical system. Whatever the amount of informatuon that a system carries can be also be considered and viewed as the amount of order in that specific system. At the same time, it is also possible that it could be all the closed systems that have grown and accumulated over certain period of times. The chapter also discussed two different aspects when it comes to information and those are data organization and command. Genetic information was metioned and defined as genes containing an amount of information, and through that information they start building up humans. The only problem with this though is that information can not usually flow downward from the protein to the DNA. With this, genetic information will most likely become about the main characteristics and traits of a person, while the other information will not have a lot of worth or value. Because of ethical problems, genetic information had to depend on the passing of genetic privacy law in our society in order to solve problems that has been arisin between everybody regarding their genetic information. But then of course, there will be times that we want our privacy. We have our personal life which means that there wil be occasions where we will have personal reasons for keeping our genetic results, instead of having a lot of people know about it. The main concert of this chapter how the privacy we have regarding the genetic results, and if it should be given away to other people as well.
What I have learned: I have learned what genetic information is all about, and how it has been an issue today regarding the confidentiality of its results.
Integrative questions:
1. What is Epistemology? 2. What is Central Dogma? 3. What is genetic information? 4. How should genetic information be handled? 5. What is Shannon’s view regarding the concept’s of theory?
Page 35 Chapter 17: The Ethics of Cyber Conflict – Dorothy E. Denning Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the values that we must have when dealing with cyber ethics.
Quote: “With respect proportionality, the seriouesness of the cyber attack must be considered along with whether any collateral damage from the traceback is proportonal to the harm averted.” Just like in real life, it all depends on the gravity of the situation before the consequence is decided.
Review:
If conflicts and problems occur in our world everyday, this is not any different from conflicts that occur continously in our cyber world. As we live and be a part of the cyber world, problems and wrong doings occur every minute. These happens for several reasons; from bragging rights, personal benefit, selfish acts, or simply just to have some fun in the cyber world. Other conflicts includes hacking a system or DOS attacks, which again is for personal benefits of those users. In the middle of these all, there are three specific focuses that cyber ethics are really having major problems. The first one deals with cyber warfare which is concern mainly on cyber attacks to benefit the national security. It is mentioned that the law of international conflict are consists of the law of conflict management and the law of war. Both of them heavily disucss on how peace should be promoted. The second one are attcks which mainly aims polital or social matters. And the third one is cyber attack and this happens when a system is getting attack, it will counter attack it in order to prevent the attacks from happening. They are usually categorized into two types. One is using a system which will track down the location of where the attacks are coming from, and the other one is simply attacking back in order to stop the attack from continously happening. The whole chapter explains the concept of these three since they are the main things to focus about concerning cyber ethics. Different frameworks have been implemented in order to know where to stand, and if the cyber attacks are breaking the principles of the law of war. It must be kept in mind though that some cyber attacks do happen for self defense purpose.
What I have learned: I have learned which types of things to focus on when dealing cyber attacks.
Integrative questions:
1. What is the law of conflict management? 2. What is the law of war? 3. What does hacktivism do? 4. What are the ethical frameworks for hacktivism? 5. What does the doctrine of self-defense states out?
Page 36 Chapter 18: A practical Mechanism for Ethical Risk Assessment – A SoDIS Inspection – Don Gotterbarn, Tony Clear, and Choon-Tuck Kwan Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn what Ethical Risk Assessment is, and what things are to be done in order to accompish this.
Quote: “The availability of high-quality software is critical for the effective use of information technology in organizations.” – Having a high quality software gives organization a better working process, and are able to use information technology a lot better.
Review:
Organization’s main concern today is to have an access and be able to use high quality software for them since this will help improve their working process and most probably increase their income as well, but to achieve these a lot of conflicts and problems come in the way. The main things that contribute to these problems are the lack of risk analysis and little understanding of the organization’s scope. These things are fundamental basis in order to be able to create high quality software successfully. Before starting, different risks factors much be carefuly analyzed on what problems they may bring to an organization, and by finding the potential risks, the risk analysis will do its part in figuring out how it could be prevented. “The risk analysis process divides the identified risk by their severity and the likelihood that they will occur, producing a given lack of risk.” Upong creating a software, there will alwys be development stages that it has to undergo, and in each stages, different tasks and goal must be completed in order to proceed to the next one. The Software Development Impace Statement will use the given goals as its first input. Its main objective is to be able to find and identify different methods to complete the given tasks and at the same time find problems that might show up along the process of development. These methods are done in order to carefully monitor the step by step process in developing a software. The Software Development Impace Statement process has been really useful concerning risk analysis, and it’s still being completely developed in order to improace the risk assessment upon developing high quality software.
What I have learned: I have learned how important risk assessment is upon developing a software and how SoDIS has been a fundamental tool in doing so.
Integrative questions:
1. What are the genetic standards for risk analysis models? 2. What is quantitative risk analysis? 3. What are the limitations of the genetic standards? 4. What is SoDIS? 5. What is the sodis inspection model?
Page 37 Chapter 19: Regulation and Governance of the Internet – John Weckert and Yeslam Al-Saggaf Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the proper regulation and governance of the internet in different locations.
Quote: “His conception of a good human life is one in which we think, reflect, and rationally choose for ourselves from different beliefs and lifestyles according to what seems most true or meaningful to us.” – We live based on our personal beleifs and which has meaning to us to find satisfaction in life.
Review:
The Working Group on Internet Governance has given a more view regarding the internet governance that is really suitable for the management of infrastructure. It also helps it giving a better definition regarding political and policy issues. When the topic regarding internet governance is opened, there will always be two main questions that are thrown out. One asks the question that should there be someone in charge, who should it be, and the other question asks that if anything should be governed, what should it be. It is always very important to carefully analyze something or someone before putting them into power to take charge and govern over something. And just like how our society needs governance in order to maintain control, the internet needs the same thing for the protection of the users. After all the internet has been a living space to many people these past few years. People use this to play games, shop for products, socialize and connect with their friends or even with other people, and send electronic mails, and the list goes on. Because of this contents of the internet has been a hot topic everything, and governments, depending on location, have had different point of views regarding this. Some gives more freedom on whatever contect the internet projects, yet some blocks specific contents in the internet. The only questions of course, is if this actually does help in controlling everything that goes on the internet. There would always be arguments if that is the right thing to do. Since authorities main concern is to protect the users and keep them away from harm. “A strong moral case can be made for regulating the content of the internet, but there is also a strong case that such regulation cannot be very effective and comes at a price in internet performance.” A lot of proposals are being made, but of course this will only be one step in solving the problem.
What I have learned: I learned the important role of having regulation and governance of the internet since it gives boundaries and avoid several harmful acts around the internet protecting the users as the same time.
Integrative questions:
1. What does WGIG stand for? 2. What are some of the regulations of the internet? 3. What’s the difference between locutionary, perlocutionary acts, and illocutionary acts? 4. Which countries have tight control over internet contents? 5. What does backbone service providers do?
Page 38 Chapter 20: Information Overload – David M. Levy Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the reason that information overload happens, and if there’s a way to prevent this.
Quote: “Information is supposed to be that which informs, but nothing can inform without some attentional investment.” – We need to invest to gain information and knowlesge.
Review:
As a student, information overload has been a very common thing for my everyday life at school. It happens whenever I have absorbed a lot of information already in a single class, that my brain just would not take in any further information. It is something that we all wish that it will not happen to us, but whether we like it or not we will experience it if we take in information that already exceeds our limitation. Based on the chapter, this occur since we start having mental stress from all the information that we take in. Accoring to Kenneth Himma, the fact that we have absorbed a lot of information means that we are actually achieving a purpose that we are expected to do. There may also be times that we are just lazy to gather more information that we start thinking that information overload is already happening. Sometimes it may be just all in the mind as well since we are tired and just want to get it over with. But of course there are also occasions where it really does happen where we really want to learn more, but the information that we are hearing just is not sticking in anymore. Information overload actually started being discussed during the 1960’s by scientists since some experienced overload from studying different types of technical systems. The phrase “Information Overload” then continued to grow in the perception of other people whenever they absorb information more than they can handle. So today, it has become a famous term in our society. We must watch out though for the negative effects of this such as failure of completing tasks that needs to be done. Not only that but it can also increase a person’s stress level since there will be times that information overload will lead to frustration of not being able to take in information anymore. In order to prevent this from happening often a person should avoid taking in fast information in a short period of time.
What I have learned: I have learned the deeper meaning of information overload and how it can affect us in negative ways, so it should be avoided if possible.
Integrative questions:
1. What causes information overload? 2. What are the negative effects of information overload? 3. Is information overload just a perception or is it real? 4. How can information overload be avoided? 5. When was the phrase “information overload” introduced?
Page 39 Chapter 21: Email Spam – Keith W. Miller and James H. Moor Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to how we recieve email spams and how to avoid them.
Quote: “It is also useful to examine the ethical significance of the do nothing approach.” It is important to carefully think through if we will just do nothing about certain issues or actually make a stnd for it.
Review:
Email spam is something that we are all concerned of in the virtual world today since it has been happening a lot. Some people may think that an email spam could just possibly be an unwated mail delivered to them, but they are not like that. Because a user could recieve different types of unwated emails, but this does not necessarily mean that they are spam. At the same time, a user could also recieve an email from commercials or bulk emailing, which are often considered as spams, but in this case the users do want to receive these emails. The chapter has discussed different things for the users to look at in order to distinguish whether an email they have recieve is a spam or not. Some things to look at are the contents of the email that is received by the user. Most of the time, emails consisting of advetisements has a high probability of being a spam, since in most cases it’ll contain a virus or trojan harming the user’s computer. The user should always make sure to check the sender of the email, if he knows the person or has a relationship with the person or company from where the email is coming from. A spam can also be identified if the same email has been sent a lot of times, and if they do have deceptive subject headings which may lead us to false assumption about the email. Users may not noticed or give attention to it, but knowing the size of the email is a huge factor in knowing whether an email is a spam or not. Depending on the bytes in the email, it’ll be determined whether it’s a mintor spam or a dangerous spam. At most times though, users just ignore email spams, and does not take the right measures about it, which at most cases, causes damage to their computers. The problem with email spams will continue, and the best thing that we, users, can do is to be careful and be attentive with the emails we receive.
What I have learned: I have learned the different ways to know whether an email I receive is an email spam or not. This will help me to prevent opening emails spam.
Integrative questions:
1. Is there a way to find out of an email is a spam? 2. Are all unwanted emails spam? 3. What can we do to avoid opening email spams? 4. What contents do email spams usually have? 5. What is UCBE?
Page 40 Chapter 22: The Matter of Plagiarism: What, Why, and If – John Snapper Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: : I expect to lean the different things to be avoided to prevent plagarism.
Quote: “It seems more likely that the wrong of idea plagiarism is the wrong of hiding material information.”
Review:
Plagiarism has been a well discussed topic specially in school. In giving research works or papers, professors would always remind their students to avoid plagiarism. It is basically the act of incorporating someone else’s work into your work without the proper acknowledgement that or authorization. Because without proper acknowledgement, it will come out that all the works that were done was from you and you will be taking all the credits for it. Either that or it should be documented. This chapter points out on how we should focus in differentiating between authorization and documentation since both have differences. When one fails to have his work authorized then this leads to “a theft of intellectual property, most commonly a copyright infringment that deprives a copyright owner of income.” And the other one is when a person fails to document, it is when things that are obtain from the internet are used wihtout proper citations. Most of the time, when there is a dispute over plagiarism, the case is about unauthorized copying. Everyone who has done a work or have put an effort into creating a work deserves the credits for it. This is why plagiarism has been a major issue in our society. It also teaches moral values and respect for the people who have worked hard. Another thing that the chapter wants to point out is how the quick evolution of technology has influenced in giving more importance in acknowledgement that it lessended the importance of authorization. Sometimes though people becomes too stuck up about it that they forget to focus and understand on what really would be considered as plagiarism and nonplagiarized works.
What I have learned: I have learned the concepts and have gained a better understanding regarding plagiarism. It also showed me on things to focus on regarding plagiarism, and how I will be able to avoid it.
Integrative questions:
1. Why is plagiarism bad? 2. What’s the different between authorization and documentation? 3. How will it be known of it’s authorized? 4. How will it be known if it’s documented? 5. What does lack of accreditation lead to?
Page 41 Chapter 23: Itellectual Property: Legal and Moral Challenges of Online File Sharing – Richard A. Spinello Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn how online file sharing has emerged into our society, and it affects our daily lives.
Quote: “Whatever enters the realm of cyberspace as a digital file is a fair game.” – If it’s shared in the internet, then anyone has authority to access them.
Review:
Through internet, all users know that being in the network, it makes it possible for computers and different servers to connect through one another. As the internet is a very huge networking place, there will be several possible network connections in order to connect one another. Not every network can be connected to one another. Because of the possibility of connection, this has given the users a more powerful took in order to communication and interact with one another, without the need of being together physicaly. All they need is to have the right network connection, and they will be able to share their files online back and forth. This even gives the users the possibility of working home with their own personal computers and laptops. But then again, like what they all say, with great power comes great responsibility. Having this power, it can also be used for personal benefits, which may possibly cause harm to other people. Through sharing, we may use this to take advantage of other people and rob from their personal networks. One of the internet’s main purpose when it was first created was as a source of peer to peer system. But over time, it is visibile how it has increased in terms of clients and servers as well. Clients have been communication from one server to another. It has created a lot of advamtages, but through this it has become a gateway for crimes. That is why higher authorities have also set focus concerning this matter, in order to control on how sharings are done in the internet.
What I have learned: I have learned how online sharings have grown through the use of internet, and what effect it has in our lives today, but at the same time it also has opened a gateway for criminal acts.
Integrative questions:
1. What is itellectual property? 2. What is online file sharing? 3. What does PSP network do? 4. What is the Grokster case? 5. What’s the benefic of intellectual property?
Page 42 Chapter 24: Censorship and Access to Expression Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to gain a better understanding regarding censorship and what it does.
Quote: “ Information doesn’t harm people, people harm people.” – Sometimes we blame information for the problems, but we need to understand that it’s the people who misuse this information who should be blame for causing those problems.
Review:
Standard discussion focuses on communicating with others, the speaker and hearers have access to the information to express more on the importance of person’s freedom engaging of communication of acts. Focusing in significant process that makes the canditate for censorhip about its elements and also for judgement in moral assumptions. In ways and types of expressing without particular skills and needs to have some power in consuming effort to access it, and also the acts that would make it work of willingness that count in as censorship in ability of willing speakers to get willing hearers. Access to content in harm and arguements against censorship, one may inherently bad to access in expression. In causing harmful content to one that avoid through censoring creating a market, hostile atmosphere, in exposure of influence and Implementation in information works. In standard arguements to censor negative expression are accessing such expressions in negative consequence that are connected, in reasoning information that can not be tied to and cases created harmful access. The difference of minimalist and maximalist that the maximalist access information may encounter or even through harmful access. While the minimalist recognizing the assesing information to information can be beneficial in general access. Morally and imorrally this requires in some cases that it has limited access to reach their ability or preventing interest through accurate information that may turn out for some plan,in depending some of the desions on facts of the cases through questions. Some may be in defense of intellectual freedom that worry in balancing in other goods as well. One typical result that starts in dividing effort of good and bad interest case of censoships
What I have learned: I have learned the limitations and things we should consider when dealing with censorship along with the good and bad sides about it.
Integrative questions:
1. What is censorship? 2. What does hostile atmosphere do? 3. What are the three standard arguements to avoid negative consequences? 4. What is the Minimalist defense of freedom of speech? 5. What is the Maximalist defense of freedom of speech?
Page 43 Chapter 25: The Gender Agenda in Computer Ethics – Alison Adam Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn how the gender differene takes effect in computer ethics.
Quote: “Males have a given set of parameters when assessing a situation, whereas females adjust their paramets depending on the situation.”
Review:
As we know in our society, there has always been issues concerning the gender difference between male and female. It has always been debated whether which should hold a better position, or who deserves more opportunities. This happens specially in the working environment, where there are times that females do not get much opportunity since males are considered to be more superior. This is one of the main reasons that writings concerning feminists ethics has shown up in order to point out the different rights of females in our society. Its main purpose is to create new ethics and concepts about the feminists giving importance to their moral values. Gilligan has shown in her work, more concepts that classifies a male and a females distinct characteristics. She has stated the fact that female are usually more caring and have more values when it comes to relationships and responsibilities, while make focuses more on rules and rights which will then be contradicted though by later studies. Along these studies concerning gender, studies about computer ethics was mixed with it as well. Since both studies can be classifed as to a certain genre of research. As more studies and researches have been conducted more evidence has been brought out on how females’ attitudes when it comes to ethical values and behaviors depend in several influences in their surrounding. And as for males, they usually depend more on moral obligation and personal values. Basically the whole chapter states out how the gender difference and concepts between them should be given more focus withing computer ethics as it may bring advantage or better understanding concerning these issues.
What I have learned: I have learned the different studies that have been made regarding the differences between male and female regarding characteristics, values, and ethics.
Integrative questions:
1. What is cyberfeminism? 2. When was the time of Wollstonecraft? 3. What is ethical behavior? 4. What is feminist ethics? 5. How many stages does Kohlberg’s theory of moral development have?
Page 44 Chapter 26: The Digital Divide: A Perspective for the Future – Maria Canellopoulou-Bottis and Kenneth Einar Himma Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the meaning of digital divide, and what it does in our world.
Quote: “If bridging the digital divide means mainly a better economy, then we must take into account the relationship between material resources and happiness.” – We must always take into priority on what’s best for the people.
Review:
The chapter mainly tackles the division of resournces, which we do need to focus on since whether we believe it or not, will affect our future. The main concern is how we manage the global distribution of material resources since we do depend on these for our daily living. As we all know, the poverty level around the world has been increasing for the lack of resources they recieve. Not having enough resources, it usually affects their life style which in most cases, leads to several diseases and death. In our world there will always be gaps and divisions, which are based on differences. Such gaps include the gaps in having access for communication and technologies. Some countries may be fully advance with technology, and some others are way behind technology. With this, attempts on stopping the digital divisions between countries were considered. The moral point behind this is that some countries are way ahead of technology which enables them to have a better access with resources, while people who are behind technology will have little resources increasing the poverty level. The focus of this is to enable the higher class nations to redestribute the resource they have, so that the lower nations will have access to them. So “if bridging the ditital divide had to become a top priority in our allocation of resources, benefits occurring from this endeavor, when successul, must be reasonably anticipated.” But then again, with all the technology that now have, I doubt that anyone will really be wanting to give all of that since most of us do depend on them now in our society, especially the ones who has them. Basically, poverty contious to increase around the world, and our moral values should step up in order to stop the divisions, which unfortunately has been increasing as well.
What I have learned: I have learned the concepts of digital divisions, and what effect it has done to our world.
Integrative questions:
1. What is digital divide? 2. What is a topic dujour? 3. What is netocracy? 4. What is digerati? 5. Why has poverty been increasing in our world today?
Page 45 Chapter 27: Intercultural Information Ethics – Rafael Capurro Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the relation of information ethics with intercultural.
Quote: “IIE is an emerging discipline.” - Being disciplined enough, this is what we actually might need in our society today.
Review:
As defined in the chapter, intercultural information ethics can be view into two different ways. One can be defined as something that focuses on what information and communication technology has done and on what impact they have made with the different cultures in our society. The other view can be defined as something being raised by the media leading to a broaded historical comparative view. Regarding morality, it has been distinguished mainly into two different types such as cognitivism and noncognitivism. Their main difference is that noncognitivism implies that the human emotions does not posses cognitive values, while cognitivism points out that human actually does have true value if they attain the freedom of emotion. This chapter has mentioned several names of people, such as Charles Ess, Toru Nishigaki, Terrell Ward Bynum, Bernd Frohmann, Lorenzo Magnani, Thomas Herdin, Wolfgang Hofkirchner, Ursula Maier-Rabler, Barbara Paterson, Thomas Hausmanninger, and Rafael Capurro, who have shared the different views and insights regarding on how they see the moral values in interculutral information ethics. Each has their own personal experience to share regarding the foundation if intercultural information ethics. The chapter also discussed how ICT has a major impact regarding the local cultures through the use of emerging technology such as internet usage to improve the economy, and to contiously develope its political, social, and cultural areas. Another advantage that technology has given us today, is the online communites or social networking sits, such as Facebook. This has given people better ways to communicate and connect to one another from around the world regardless of where they are and which culture they belong to. To sum it all up, Intercultural Information Ethics require on discipline in order to be implemeted successfully. When done right, it will surely have big impact on local cultures, and not onlt that, but it will also give way for medie issues to be carefully analyzed through an intercultural information ethics point of view.
What I have learned: I have learned the meaning of intercultural information ethics, and what benefits it may bring into our society and for the different local cultures.
Integrative questions:
1. What is IIE? 2. What is ICT? 3. What’s the difference between cognitivism and noncognitivism? 4. What are moral cognitivism’s concerns? 5. How did Ludwig Wittgenstein described his key experience?
Page 46 Source:
- http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Information-Computer-Ethics/dp/0471799599 - Contemporary Moral Problems book
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