The Limits Of Privacy (Paperback)

by Amitai Etzioni (Author) "THE CITIZENS OF FORTY-NINE STATES and the District of Columbia must come to terms with the question of whether it is acceptable to violate the..." (more)
Key Phrases: reproductive choice cases, public key recovery, privacy merchants, Megan's Laws, Fourth Amendment, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Privacy isn't all it's made out to be, says George Washington University scholar Amitai Etzioni. "Without privacy no society can long remain free," he writes, but our communities also have other goals that sometimes must override the privacy imperative. "Should the FBI be in a position to crack the encrypted messages employed by terrorists before they use them to orchestrate the next Oklahoma City bombing?" he asks. Etzioni's answer is a resounding "yes," and he applies similar logic to a number of areas. He believes, for example, that newborn babies should undergo HIV tests without parental consent because they could benefit from immediate treatment, even though mothers worried about personal revelations might object. He also supports the various sorts of "Megan's laws" that try to protect society against sex offenders.

Etzioni believes the government will use this sort of personal information responsibly; his faith is so complete in this regard that he even supports issuing national ID cards to all Americans. Big business doesn't fare nearly as well in his estimation: he worries that companies will abuse private medical records. Although there is much common sense on these pages, most readers will find areas of disagreement with Etzioni. He nevertheless offers an intelligent challenge to America's libertarian impulses. --John J. Miller --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Sociologist Etzioni's latest will stir debate on issues of privacy. As in previous books (e.g., The New Golden Rule, Basic Bks., 1997), Etzioni espouses the philosophy of communitarianism, which holds that individual rights must be balanced with concern for the common good. He favors HIV testing of infants, opposes encrypted messages, favors national ID cards, and proposes isolating sex offenders in villages akin to leper colonies. The book carefully dissects each issue, offering detailed statistics and addressing opposing viewpoints. At the conclusion of each chapter, Etzioni shows how a balanced analysis leads to a solution. He criticizes the ACLU for its sole emphasis on individual liberties and argues that the Constitution's Fourth Amendment, the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, does not make privacy a privilege. While not everyone will agree with his conclusions, Etzioni has crafted a compelling argument for compromise between the views of libertarians and government. Recommended for all public libraries.AHarry Charles, Attorney at Law, St. Louis
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1 edition (April 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 046504090X
• ISBN-13: 978-0465040902
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #257,376 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The people don't always know best., June 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Limits Of Privacy (The Kluwer international series in engineering & computer science) (Hardcover)

In a recent New York Times column, Bob Herbert alluded to a conversation he had recently with famed author William Manchester. Manchester mentioned that he had learned over the years that the majority is not always right. He cited two examples where he felt they were clearly wrong: 1) during the McCarthy era, only 29% of the public felt McCarthy was acting inappropriately; and 2) despite all evidence to the contrary, 70% of the American people still believe there was a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy.

I mention these comments, because it seems to me that they point up one of the dangers in letting community standards dictate behavior. Certainly most reasonable people today (with the exception of die-hard conservatives like William F. Buckley) would agree that McCarthy's tactics were way out of line, but at the time, they were seen as legit by a 2/3 majority of the American public. This indicates one of the leading flaws in Professor Etzioni's argument: the community can not be counted on to enact laws that will ensure the protection of those who behave differently or who disagree with the majority opinion. I am afraid that Manchester's comments ring true. For that reason, I believe that a logical consequence of communitarianism is retribution towards those who step out of line or depart in any way from "community standards". Behavior may be banned merely because a majority of the people don't like it, not because there is anything intrinsically wrong with it. Look at the ignominious history of sodomy laws in this country. Would Professor Etzioni wish to see these laws extended? If it suited the community, would he like to see prohibitions against gays in the military?

All in all, I would like to see Professor Etzioni address these issues more thoroughly and satisfactorily in his next book.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Takes the Reader Down a Slippery Slope, June 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Limits Of Privacy (The Kluwer international series in engineering & computer science) (Hardcover)

Under the guise of promoting "civil" dialogue, Etzioni takes the reader down a slippery slope whereby "community standards" are allowed to eclipse the rights of individuals.

This is particularly scary if you are a member, as I am, of a minority. When individual rights are abrogated, then those of us in the minority are subject to "The Tyranny of the Majority" (as the much-reviled Lani Guinier appropriately titled her book). Etzioni doesn't give enough thought to the protections necessary for those who espouse unpopular beliefs or belong to minority groups.

A far better book is Deborah Tannen's "The Argument Culture" which replaces coercion with dialogue.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Etzioni's Privacy Concerns, March 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Limits Of Privacy (The Kluwer international series in engineering & computer science) (Hardcover)

While The New Golden Rule was aimed strictly at academic audiences, The Limits of Privacy speaks to all who care about the moral, legal and policy issues raised by the tension between personal privacy and the common good, especially public health and safety.

The book explores five currently hot issues:

* Megan's Laws: Etzioni argues that these laws do not do enough to protect children from sex offenders. He outlines a whole new approach to dealing with pedophiles.

* HIV Testing of Infants: The book shows that many infants die unnecessarily because the vast majority of states has not yet adopted a testing procedure which has worked in New York to identify and treat infected newborns.

* Bio-metrics: In very short order your face and hand will become your 100% reliable, unforgible ID card. Anonymity will vanish, but so will most fugitives from the law, illegal immigrants, welfare cheats, and many others who rely on false IDs.

* Hyper-privacy: New encryption programs allow your e-mail to be completely private. But how can we use this technology to protect our communications and transactions, and also be sure that this same hyper-privacy is not afforded to Internet-savvy drug lords, pedophiles, and terrorists? Etzioni shows what might be done.

* Medical privacy: The privacy of your medical records is violated daily when corporations trade that information on the open market. This is a case of Big Bucks, not Big Brother, violating our privacy. What can be done about these Privacy Merchants?

Each of these issues is debated daily in the media, in public meetings, in legislatures, and at home. Etzioni takes a highly original stance on all of them: Rather than decrying the loss of privacy, his first concern is safety and health. The book closes with a call for a whole new legal conception of privacy. One based on the notion of equal concern for the common good (public health and safety) and privacy, rather than according privacy a privileged position.