Cyberethics: Social & Moral Issues in the Computer Age (Contemporary Issues (Prometheus)) [Paperback]

Robert M. Baird (Editor), Stuart E. Rosenbaum (Editor), Reagan M. Ramsower (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000 | ISBN-10: 1573927902 | ISBN-13: 978-1573927901

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".

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert M. Baird is chair of the Department of Philosophy, Stuart E. Rosenbaum is professor of philosophy, and Reagan Ramsower is associate dean of technology and professor in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. Baird and Rosenbaum are co-editors of Prometheus's Contemporary Issues Series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573927902
• ISBN-13: 978-1573927901
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #667,733 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting sampler of essays on information technology ethics, March 6, 2009

By 

Nicholas "AFCDon" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cyberethics: Social & Moral Issues in the Computer Age (Contemporary Issues (Prometheus)) (Paperback)

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

1.0 out of 5 stars Nearly completely worthless, December 21, 2004

By 

Trent The Uncatchable - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cyberethics: Social & Moral Issues in the Computer Age (Contemporary Issues (Prometheus)) (Paperback)

This text must be one of the worst books on ethics I've ever seen. The authors start with a basic assumption that information technology changes ethical issues and never examine this fundamentally flawed belief. The essays are extreme and manage to make their own points sound rediculous even when they are reasonable.
There are errors in their references and their interpretation and use of other texts.
This book is painful to read.

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Examines new moral issues, February 22, 2001

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cyberethics: Social & Moral Issues in the Computer Age (Contemporary Issues (Prometheus)) (Paperback)

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.