Customer Reviews

Ethics for the Information Age (3rd Edition)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Quinn's textbook comes off "very good" in a crowded field of competitors. It is broad in its scope, and very up to date in the issues that it raises.

The book is not without its flaws: as a philosophy professor, I would have hoped for a clearer discussion of ethical theory and a less mechanical application of those theories to the issues, but these parts of the book are small and can easily be supplemented by outside readings. I also deal with the subjects in a very different order from the book, beginning with the issues of reliability and security that will most concern our CS majors. (Spam is nasty, but it doesn't seem like the best place to start. I doubt that many of our majors will be headed in that direction as professionals.)

Of course even a perfect book could not guarantee that students will learn from it-- Learning is also the responsibility of the student. Students of science or engineering who treat this as if it were a science or math text may well come to the conclusion of one reviewer below that its conclusions often seem "obvious"-- but it is a method that is being taught, and not just the answers. Who knows what the big questions will be ten years from now in such a rapidly changing field? That is one reason why the author's first, historical chapter is such a valuable inclusion and should not be overlooked. Students too often take the status quo for granted, and do not realize how much has changed to get us here, and how quickly it has happened. Few such texts deal with this important material, and Quinn does a good job with it.

As to alleged bias in the text, that is just nonsense. If you are convinced that J. Edgar Hoover never authorized an illegal wiretap, or that the Patriot Act is uncontroversial, then some of the questions Quinn raises may make you feel uncomfortable. But that is exactly what a good ethics text should do: provoke thought and discussion.

I recommend this book as a course text that touches on all of the (currently) key areas of social concern in the CS curriculum in an engaging way. I also hope for an improved second edition that will do the job even better.

In 2001, a joint committee of the IEEE computer society and the Association for Computing Machinery recommended that every undergraduate computer science degree incorporate 40 hours in the social issues of computing. The report also contains a model syllabus for "CS280, Social and Professional Issues." This book is designed to cover all of the major topics in that outline, and that goal has been achieved. There is also enough additional material and chapter independence so that all adopters will have the flexibility to do it their own way.
The book is split into nine chapters:

*) Catalysts for change.
*) Introduction to ethics.
*) Networking.
*) Intellectual property.
*) Privacy.
*) Computer and network security.
*) Computer reliability.
*) Work and wealth.
*) Professional ethics.

While the coverage is fairly complete, the technical level never rises beyond that which one would expect the experienced computer science student to be able to handle. In my opinion, most computer science students, and quite likely instructors as well, will find the second chapter to be the most difficult to understand. The topics are:

*) Subjective relativism.
*) Cultural relativism.
*) Divine command theory.
*) Kantianism.
*) Act utilitarianism.
*) Rule utilitarianism.
*) Social contract theory.

The author delves fairly deeply into these areas, but since they are the necessary preconditions to understand ethical dilemmas, I do not object to it. However, it is a point that needs to be made in this review. I took two courses in philosophy/ethics as an undergraduate and I found myself going slowly through the chapter. A large number of questions and in-class exercises are given at the end of each chapter.
However, there is one area where the author really fumbled the ball, demonstrating a lack of historical knowledge. On page 335 in the Work and Wealth chapter, there is the statement:

" It also appears modern Americans work harder than the ancient Greeks, Romans or Western Europeans of the Middle Ages. `The lives of ordinary people in the Middle Ages or Ancient Greece and Rome may not have been easy, or even pleasant, but they certainly were leisurely. [9]' In the mid-fourth century the Roman Empire had 175 public festival days. In medieval England holidays added up to four months a year; in Spain, five months; in France, six months.[9]"

A reference is given to justify these statements, but it is most certainly wrong. While I don't dispute that there were many public holidays in ancient Greece and Rome, they were for citizens only, which was a small percentage of the population. The majority of people were slaves, who did the bulk of the labor in those societies and their labor is what made the circuses possible. Nothing really changed in the Middle Ages, the only difference was that the laboring population were called serfs.
Anyone who tries to make the point that people work harder now than in the past should reread the history of the industrial revolution. At that time, most industrial workers put in ten to fourteen hours a day seven days a week, with almost no days off. The managers of industry also readily admitted that the work environment was structured so that the workers were required to move as fast as possible. Working conditions were so difficult and physically demanding that many people were permanently disfigured after a few years on the job.
Despite this reservation, I recommend the book and plan on using it as a text if my proposal for a course in computer ethics is approved.

As a Computer Science student, I was actually impressed by this book. Admittedly, my expectations were low, but Dr. Quinn did a relatively good job of covering both the ethical and technical aspects of a variety of relevant topics.

The discussions of various ethical theories did a good job of relating the theories to relevant technical topics, but wasn't as skeptical as I would have liked. Arguments in favor of and against each theory are listed, but some obviously nonsensical points are given a free pass. A critical reader should have no trouble discerning these however, so they don't really detract from the book in my mind.

Most of the rest of the book is dedicated to a discussion of various ethical dilemas related to technology, and this portion of the book was really excellent. Dr. Quinn did a great job of selecting relevant historical situations and presenting them in a way that is both comprehensible and correct - a rare thing in texts of this sort.

Really the main thing that I felt detracted from this book was the illustrations. As others have noted, they are excessive and almost exclusively worthless. They're easy enough to ignore, but there are so many of them that I'm sure they added to the (slightly higher than I would expect) price. For this reason alone I'm deducting a single "star".

I had to read this book for a college level course. As a whole it does properly introduce you to many of the concepts you must now consider in the ethics of using today's technology. Some of the scenarios are pretty far out there, but many of them relate to common problems in the tech field today. The reading can be slow at times and often the book will not break down the scenarios enough to really help you make a decision between right and wrong, as is real life. It seems like it would be a great text for stimulating discussion, but a poor source if you are looking for guidance on the ethical issues faced by modern society.

This is a book for a course I'm taking. It came in new condition, at 5% of new cost, fast and exactly what I needed.

I haven't finished the book, but the book is very readable. For once, I am actually looking forward to doing my readings for class as opposed to pushing my readings to the last minute. This book is definitely worth the buy.

For those looking for light reading, also look no further. This book also updates the reader on important technological events, something people should be aware of in our rapidly changing society.

This book was required for my Ethics class. I've read through quite a bit of it, and it really explains things well. There are many different scenarios that you can look through and test yourself to see how each framework would view a certain type of situation. It's a lot of fun!

Ok. Here is the deal. Book is a good source of current issues but rather weak as far as solutions go.
For instance, if you're into ethics think - would Kant defend viewing pornography? well, for this author - yes. If this is not strange already, prepare for more.
Here is my grades based on chapters (since different chapters deserve different grades):

1-Catalysts for Change - 4
2-Introduction to Ethics - 1.5
3-Networking - 5
4-Intellectual Property - 4
5-Privacy - 4
6-Computer and Network Security - 5
7-Computer Reliability - 5
8-Professional Ethics - 5
9-Work and Wealth - 4.5

You might ask: hmm, why then overall grade is 3? Well, this is a book that is presumably should GUIDE a professional in decision making, and with shallow chapter 2 it fails to do so !!!
Imagine, author does not mention Virtue Ethics until chapter 8, and Natural Law NOWHERE to be found. But, behold, most moronic deliriums by Hobbes and Rousseau are here and praised. How can a freak teach morals if his own kids were given to orphanage??? Neither Hobbes nor Rousseau provide any REAL binding, normative, objective reason as to WHY one should keep so called "contract".
To make things worse, on pp. 67-68 discussing DCT (divine command theory), author suggests under case FOR DCT:
"1. We owe obedience to God
2. God is all good and all-knowing
3. God is the ultimate authority."
But then, under case AGAINST DCT he gives following:
"1. There are many holy books and some of their teachings disagree with each other.
2. It is unrealistic to assume a multicultural society will adopt a religion-based morality.
3. Some moral problems are not addressed directly in scriptures.
4. It is fallacious to equate "the good" with God.
5. The divine command theory is based on obedience, not reason."

WOW. None of objections, except possibly 3 and 4 are even RELATED to syllogism in arguments FOR DCT. It is IRRELEVANT how many books are there. It is IRRELEVANT what is the dogma of multiculturalism. What matters is whether it is TRUE that God exists, and if He does, then who cares what sort of society we live in and what it's dogma about multiculturalism or what-have-you... So, it seems this question then is shifted into philosophy of religion area.
But whatever the case, WHY it is not based on REASON to assume that doing what ultimate authority who is all good and all-knowing demands is not reasonable ??? I mean if I were to sell a car with manual, would it be NOT reasonable to follow operational manual with the car? would it be based on authority not reason? This is childish argumentation!!! When it comes to so-called Euthyphro dilemma [see objection 4], it is no dilemma at all. Everybody knows by now that it was shown that there is NO dilemma there. Goodness is not what God wills, and it is not why God wills something, but rather it is what comes from God's very nature. So, there is nothing "fallacious" to equate good with God. Especially, based on the very definition of God by author [see case FOR DCT, number 2 above].

Now, saying all that, it is understandable that it is a secular book and reasonably attempts to demonstrate that DCT is not for specular society. Granted. However, where is then virtue ethics, or Natural Law ethics??? Virtue ethics only come in 8th chapter. Since, author rightfully throws away relativisms both cultural and individualistic, what is left??? Thomas Hobbes - filthy animals living by contract? or Kant viewing porn? Virtue Ethics and Natural Law should be a sceleton of any reasonable book. because "social contract" is not really normative, and utilitarianism fails on many levels.

For this reason, I think chapter 2 is pretty weak, while rest of chapters gives one food for thought on current issues in the field.
My advice, study ethics somewhere, and you can skip ch. 2, but read chapters on specific issues. fun stuff.

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ok. I changed it to 4 stars from 3, because I think it is right on promoting virtue ethics, and bashing relativism.
also has plenty of relevant issues.
2011-06-25

Book was in perfect condition; Perhaps a little warn, but nothing so much that it was noticeable unless I was thinking about it.

I just took this class for the Fall semester. I learned new information about Ethics for the Information Age. I took this course, as weekender course, that last for 4 Friday evening/all day Saturday.