Ethics and Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information and Communication Technology [Paperback]

Herman T. Tavani (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0471998036 | ISBN-13: 978-0471998037

"Herman Tavani has written an excellent introduction to the field of cyberethics. . . . We need a good book in cyberethics to deal with the present and prepare us for an uncertain future. Tavani's Ethics and Technology is such a book."
--from the foreword by James Moor, Dartmouth College

Is there privacy in a world of camera phones and wireless networking?
Does technology threaten your civil liberties?
How will bioinformatics and nanotechnology affect us?
Should you worry about equity and access in a globalized economy?

From privacy and security to free speech and intellectual property to globalization and outsourcing, the issues and controversies of the information age are serious, complex, and pervasive.

In this new edition of his groundbreaking book, Herman Tavani introduces computer professionals to the emerging field of Cyberethics, the interdisciplinary field of study that addresses these new ethical issues from all perspectives: technical, social, and philosophical. Using fascinating real-world examples--including the latest court decisions in such cases as Verizon v. RIAA, MGM v. Grokster, Google versus the Bush Administration, and the Children's Online Pornography Act (CIPA) --as well as hypothetical scenarios, he shows you how to understand and analyze the practical, moral, and legal issues that impact your work and your life. Tavani discusses such cutting-edge areas as:
* Globalization and outsourcing
* Property rights and open source software
* HIPAA (privacy laws) and surveillance
* The Patriot Act and civil liberties
* Bioinformatics and genomics research
* Converging technologies--pervasive computing and nanocomputing
* Children's online pornography laws

Updating and expanding upon the previous edition, Ethics and Technology, Second Edition provides a much-needed ethical compass to help computer and non-computer professionals alike navigate the challenging waters of cyberspace.

About the Author

Herman T. Tavani is Professor of Philosophy at Rivier College and Co-Director of the International Society for Ethics and Information Technology (INSEIT). He is the author, editor, or co-editor of five books on ethical aspects of information technology.

www.wiley.com/college/tavani

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dr. Tavani has identified most, if not all, of the major ethical challenges facing computer and information professionals today and has described, defined and questioned these issues coherently, succinctly, and intelligently."—Elizabeth A. Buchanan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

"Iespecially admire the book for its clear, simple writing style, its rhetorical persuasiveness, and its easy-to-follow, logical organization. I am also fond of the 'interdisciplinary' approach the book takes, which will appeal to computer science students, engineering students, IT students, and umanities students alike."—Mark Manion, Drexel University --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"The contents are well-organized and each chapter provides a deep and balanced presentation of the material. it is certainly far broader than the material covered by current texts."—Brian M. O'Connell, Central Connecticut State University

"A good, clear exposition of the issues, and a comprehensive coverage of the important issues. The use of cases is excellent!"—John Weckert, Charles Sturt University, Australia --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (October 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471998036
• ISBN-13: 978-0471998037
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #588,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More academic than I'm used to, but solid information..., December 9, 2006

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ethics and Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information and Communication Technology (Paperback)

It seems that every time you turn around, there's some news story in the industry press about the ethics or legality of some aspect of technology. To help myself understand some of the underlying issues a bit better, I decided to read and review Ethics & Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information and Communication Technology (2nd Edition) by Herman T. Tavani. While not the easiest or most riveting read, I did come away with a better appreciation for the field of ethics.

Contents: Introduction To Cyberethics - Concepts, Perspectives, and Methodological Frameworks; Ethical Concepts and Ethical Theories - Establishing and Justifying a Moral System; Critical Thinking Skills and Logical Arguments - Tools for Evaluating Cyberethics Issues; Professional Ethics, Codes of Conducts, and Moral Responsibility; Privacy and Cyberspace; Security in Cyberspace; Cybercrime and Cyberrelated Crimes; Intellectual Property Disputes in Cyberspace; Regulating Commerce and Speech in Cyberspace; Social Inclusion, The Digital Divide, and the Transformation of Work - The Impact for Class, Race, and Gender; Community and Identity in Cyberspace - Ethical Aspects of Virtual-Reality and Artificial-Intelligence Technologies; Pervasive Computing and Converging Technologies - Ethical Aspects of Ambient Intelligence, Bioinformatics, and Nanocomputing; Glossary; Index

Having never taken a class on ethics or critical thinking, I found the first three chapters interesting. Tavani builds the foundation of how to define and describe cyberethics, as well as how to determine and argue the case of what is "moral". These chapters are a concise course on how to build an argument and support it properly. After those three chapters are done, the concepts that were built are used to examine many different facets of computers and life, and how ethics come into play and shape how we think. There are the subjects you'd expect, like digital rights and security. But he also covers issues that I don't normally think of when dwelling on computers and ethics... gender, socioeconomic classes, race. First you have to determine if indeed those things are ethical issues, and if so, what responsibility do you have in those areas.

On one hand, the book is thorough and detailed. It's meant to be a textbook on the subject, and as such it delivers. These are the types of academic discussions and debates that you'd expect in a formal setting. I was somewhat disappointed, however, when it came to conclusions. Both sides of each issue were debated (even when I didn't even think there *was* another side), but resolution was elusive. I suppose I'm supposed to take this information and draw my own conclusions, but instead I came away with "so everything's right *and* wrong". Since I tend to want to get down to practical issues rather than deal with abstracts, I found it hard to come to any resolution at the end of each chapter.

Definitely good material, and worth reading. But it will make you work and think.

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, October 2, 2011

By 

PhilRoy - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing (Paperback)

Bought this text for a class, it's pretty straightforward, moves at a reasonable pace, and covers all the bases. As far as textbooks go this has been one of the easier reads I've had in engineering school.

5.0 out of 5 stars Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing 3rd ed., May 19, 2011

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M. Rosenbaum - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing (Paperback)

Myriad fields of philosophy exist within the halls of academia. Among these philosophical fields, ethics comprise one branch of morality that represents the study of ethics. Dr. Tavani represents one of those philosophers who specialize in the applied field of computer ethicists. His journal publications, conference presentations, and textbooks span decades. Seldom does a reader have the opportunity to gain the insights from such an individual who is so highly respected within his field of practice. In his third edition of Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing, Dr. Tavani once again demonstrates his acuity for the ethical issues related to information systems and information technology. His writings and explanations within this textbook provide the reader great understanding for why ethical interpretations of technology are needed. Further, the text also provides insights not always found from other computer ethicists. This fact, in and of its self, makes this book an excellent read for any individual interested in computer ethics, the problems that society faces because of technology, and how society can come to terms with handling some of technologies more complex technologically based ethical issues.