I loved reading this week’s articles! Because I did Lincoln-Douglas debate in high school, I was already familiar with the basic ethical principles that Laudon and Bynum discussed, including the tension between deontology (rules-based ethics) and consequentialism as well as between individualism and collectivism. However, I had always applied these theories to actors that were static — or at least predictable — in their values and goals, such as governments and corporations.
I believe that information technology (IT) completely changes the game of ethics and moral philosophy, for two key reasons:
- Information technologies are ethical chameleons, with ‘behaviors’ driven entirely…
When developing and deploying an omnipresent technology, there is a wide range of ethical concerns involved. Importantly, whether a technology is ‘ethical’ depends on how ‘ethics’ are defined in the first place. Within the context of a ‘democratic culture’ — as described by Diane P. Michelfelder in her chapter “Technological Ethics in a Different Voice” — an ethical technology might be one that reflects or enhances values like “self-respect, dignity, community, and personal responsibility” (275).
Unfortunately, the actors who create omnipresent technologies — often large corporations or research institutions — rarely recognize, let alone uphold these values. This does not…
Alexis Wagenfeld
Mechanical Engineering & Psychology @ UMN — Twin Cities. Passionate about developing engaging, accessible designs & promoting diversity and inclusivity in STEM.
