Cyberethics: Social & Moral Issues in the Computer Age

By: Robert Baird

Book Overview

The amazing transformation of society brought about by the wide dispersion of computers has given rise to new moral dilemmas. With the rapid development of this technology, the impact of computers on privacy, personal identity, intellectual property, and the form and practice of democracy is becoming more apparent every day. Inevitably, this penetration of computer technology into our private and social lives has a moral dimension, which raises questions about our conduct and requires moral reflection and decision-making. The twenty-six groundbreaking essays collected in this insightful anthology define the nature of this new moral landscape and offer thoughtful answers to the ethical questions raised by the interaction of people and computers.Divided into five sections, the volume begins with a definition of cyberethics. There is general agreement with James H. Moor's basic definition of the field as "the formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of computers." Next the issues of anonymity and personal identity are considered. Computers provide individuals with a unique opportunity to create personae for the virtual world that are quite distinct from their normal identities. What are the moral dimensions of creating virtual personalities?Perhaps the most pressing ethical issue is addressed in the next section on privacy. The ability of computers to store vast amounts of information on any individual raises the harrowing specter of a Big Brother society in the not-too-distant future. How should information be used and how might it be abused? What safeguards are needed to protect privacy as information technology becomes ever more sophisticated?In the fourth section, questions concerning ownership of intellectual property and copyright law are considered. How can the rights of authorship be protected in the context of the internet?Finally, the fifth section explores the debate now taking place regarding the impact of computers on democracy. Do computers offer new possibilities for enhancing democracy or will this prospect turn out to be a myth?This is a much needed anthology of thought-provoking articles on the critical moral issues facing our "brave new world."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573927902
• ISBN13: 9781573927901
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 355 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

An interesting sampler of essays on information technology ethics

I read this book as the main text in a third year undergrad class in Information Technology Ethics, and found it to be a useful introductory sampler on the subject. Never having studied ethics before, this collection of essays gave a reasonably well-rounded account of the subject. The book is broken down into four areas of investigation: anonymity and personal identity in cyberspace; personal privacy in the light of the increased storage and dissemination of personal data; ownership of intellectual property and copyright law; and the impact of computers on democracy and community. Bear in mind that this is a primer, not an in-depth study into any one of the areas mentioned above. The essays are written from varying view points, often contradicting each other, or at least offering different sides of the same issue, which you would expect given the subject matter. The writing styles are not always easy. Some of the contributing authors are more journalistic in their approach, while others are more scientific. Don't expect to read this cover-to-cover in a day or so. The 350+ pages of small type can be hard going, especially if you are a slower reader like myself. Over all, I felt the book did what it set out to do, offering the reader a basic overview of the differing ethical viewpoint within the four main areas of scope. A fairly good undergraduate text, but not exactly a page-turner. Nick

Examines new moral issues

The transformation of society brought about by computers has brought with it new moral dilemmas, from the impact of computers on privacy and copyright issues to the involvement of computers in personal lives. Cyberethics offers the reader 26 essays examining these new moral issues and provide thoughtfully reasoned answers to ethical questions.