Computers, Ethics, and SocietyM. David Ermann, Mary B. Williams Over the last two decades, computers have become more and more important to our everyday lives, helping to manage our finances, fly our airplanes, run our factories, and even educate our children. As computers become more powerful, and more essential to the functioning of business and government, their potential for stripping us of our privacy and autonomy increases exponentially, so that now more than ever there is a need to grasp the ethical and social implications of their growing use. Computers, Ethics, and Society meets this need by providing a comprehensive, interdisciplinary set of readings ideally suited to address the potential problems of the computer age. Taking into account technical, social, and philosophical complications, the contributors consider such topics as the labor ramifications of automation, the ethical obligations of computer specialists, and the threat of violation of privacy that comes with increased computerization. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
General Ethical Theory | 25 |
Justice as Part of an Ethical Theory | 35 |
Copyright | |
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ACM member action activities areas artificial intelligence automation communications computer crime computer-based computerization concept consider cost court CP/M created creative criminal data bases decisions developing countries economic effects electronic employment equipment ethical example experience fact federal happiness Hayashi Hitachi human idea important increased individual industrial interest issue justice kind Kling labor machines mainframe computer manufacturing Marvin Minsky means ment mind monitoring moral movement operations organization output percent perceptron performance person personal computer personnel possible potential problems professional protection psychoanalysis puter question reason records responsibility Rob Kling robots role rules Saffaie SDIO Sherry Turkle skills social society telecommuting theory things tion Unix utilitarian vendor VisiCalc whistle-blowing women word processors workers