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Computer Ethics: Current Perspectives and Resources
Herman T. Tavani
Rivier College htavani@rivier.edu www.rivier.edu/faculty/htavani
When I was invited to contribute an essay describing the current state of the field of computer ethics, I wondered how it would be possible to do so within a space limitation of 2,000 words. Realizing that such a task could not be accomplished adequately, I decided to limit my discussion to two aspects of computer ethics: current perspectives and current resources.
1. Some Current Perspectives on Computer Ethics
When James Moor’s classic article, "What is Computer Ethics?," appeared in the October 1985 issue of Metaphilosophy, the impact of computers and information technology on our social institutions was arguably very different from its effect today.1 At that time, the World Wide Web was still several years away from development; and the Internet, at least as we know it today, was in its infancy.2 Also, in 1985 personal computers were relatively new and were owned by proportionately few persons. The image of computers held by many, then, was that of a large, "unfriendly" mainframe—i.e., a giant machine whose operations were understood only by a select few technical "gurus" capable of writing programs in esoteric languages. Today, of course, a computer is no longer viewed merely as a machine that "crunches numbers," but is perhaps more commonly thought of either as a communications medium through which one is able to conduct many of the affairs of one’s day-to-day life or as a tool that is essential for carrying out many of one’s tasks in the workplace. Indeed, it would be difficult now for many us to imagine our lives without computers.
Because computer technology has changed significantly in recent years, one might assume that the issues on which computer ethicists focus today would have evolved accordingly. In one sense, that assumption would seem correct; in another sense, however, it would not. In the "early days" of



References: Bynum, Terrell Ward (1999). "The Development of Computer Ethics as a Philosophical Field of Study," The Australian Journal of Professional and Applied Ethics, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1–29. _______ and Simon Rogerson (1996). "Global Information Ethics: Introduction and Overview," Science and Engineering Ethics, Vol. 2, No. 2, 131–36. Edgar, Stacey L. (1997). Morality and Machines: Perspectives on Computer Ethics. Sudburry, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Floridi, Luciano (1999). "Information Ethics: On the Philosophical Foundation of Computer Ethics," Ethics and Information Technology, Vol. 1, No. 1, 37–56. Gert, Bernard. (1999). "Common Morality and Computing," Ethics and Information Technology, Vol. 1, No. 1, 57–64. Gotterbarn, Don (1991). "Computer Ethics: Responsibility Regained," National Forum: The Phi Kappa Phi Journal, Vol. 71, No. 3, Summer, 26–31. _______ and Simon Rogerson (1997). "Computer Ethics: The Evolution of the ‘Uniqueness’ Revolution." In Proceedings of the Conference: Computer Ethics—Philosophical Enquiry (CEPE97). Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Erasmus University Press, 151–59. Jewett, Tom. (1996). "Open Location," Computers and Society, Vol. 26, No. 4, December, 36–38. Johnson, Deborah G. (1994). Computer Ethics. 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. _______ (1997). "Ethics Online," Communications of the ACM, Vol. 40, No. 1, January, 60–65. _______ and Helen Nissenbaum, eds. (1995). Computing, Ethics & Social Values. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Langford, Duncan, ed. (2000). Internet Ethics. London, UK: Macmillan Press. Maner, Walter (1996). "Unique Ethical Problems in Information Technology," Science and Engineering Ethics, Vol. 2, No. 2, 137–54. Moor, James H. (1979). "Are There Decisions Computers Should Never Make?" Nature and System, Vol. 1, 217–29. _______ (1985). "What is Computer Ethics?" Metaphilosophy, Vol. 16, No. 4, October, 266–75. _______ (1997). "Towards a Theory of Privacy in the Information Age," Computers and Society, Vol. 27, No. 3, September, 27–32. _______ (1998a). "Reason, Relativity, and Responsibility in Computer Ethics," Computers and Society, Vol. 28, No. 1, March, 14–21. _______ (1998b). "If Aristotle Were a Computing Professional," Computers and Society, Vol. 28, No. 3, September, 13–16. _______ (1998c). "The Global Information Bomb," APA Newsletter on Philosophy and Computers, Vol. 98, No. 1, Fall, 18–19. _______ (1999). "Just Consequentialism and Computing," Ethics and Information Technology, Vol. 1, No. 1, 65–69. Spinello, Richard A. (1997). Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. _______ (2000). CyberEthics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Tavani, Herman T., ed. (1996a). Computing, Ethics, and Social Responsibility: A Bibliography. Palo Alto, CA: CPSR Press. _______ (1996b). "Selecting a Computer Ethics Coursebook: A Comparative Study of Five Recent Works," Computers and Society, Vol. 26, No. 4, December, 15–21. _______ (1997). "Journals and Periodicals on Computers, Ethics, and Society," Computers and Society, (published in two parts) Vol. 27, Nos. 2–3, June–September, 20–26, 39–43. _______ (1998a). "Internet Resources for Teaching Computer Ethics Courses," APA Newsletter on Philosophy and Computers, Vol. 97, No. 2, Spring, 52–55. _______ (1998b). "Information Technology, Social Values, and Ethical Responsibility: A Select Bibliography," IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, Vol. 17, No. 2, Summer, 26–40. _______ (1999b). "Computer Ethics Textbooks: A Thirty-Year Retrospective," Computers and Society, Vol. 29, No. 3, September, 26–31. _______ (1999c). "Recent Books of Interest," Ethics and Information Technology, Vol. 1, No. 1, 85–87. van den Hoven, Jeroen (1997). "Computer Ethics and Moral Methodology," Metaphilosophy, Vol. 28, No. 3, July, 234–48. _______, Lucas D. Introna, Deborah G. Johnson, and Helen Nissenbaum (1999). "Editorial," Ethics and Information Technology, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1–3.

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