Appendix - Research into Ethical Issues of Computing - The Research Center on Computing & Society

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National Conference on Computing and Values
Report on the Track: Policy Issues in Campus Computing
Report on the Discussions of the Working Group
on Policy Issues in Campus Computing

Marvin J. Croy

2. Research into Ethical Issues of Computing

The relationship of problems in computer ethics to general theories of ethics and values is made clear in Leslie Burkholder’s description of the “Love Slave” advertisement and the exchanges it stimulated. The analysis of this case leads quickly to the concept of freedom of expression, the arguments of John Stuart Mill, etc. But this raises a question about the status of “computer ethics “itself. Is there really any such thing as computer ethics, an interdependent discipline? Is computer ethics merely the application of well-worn ethical principles to new cases, or does the analysis of the cases lead to new ethical principles? Some believe that not much hangs on the answer to this question, but pursuing it can show something about the complexities of inquiry within this field.

As is well known, one of the chief problems concerning the ethical use of computer technology on campus is the pirating of software protected by copyright. One question pursued at length during the panel discussion on intellectual property and the ownership of software was whether software piracy constitutes stealing. If it does, then these cases all can be straightforwardly handled by means of existing ethical principles. However, some have argued adamantly that software pirating does not fit the conceptual mold of stealing. The point here is that a situation in which existing concepts have difficulty applying to new situations signals the need not only for conceptual change, but also for the reformulation of the relevant ethical principles themselves. Existing principles which cover stealing become irrelevant and new principles built around new concepts are required. To the extent that this occurs, computer ethics is not merely the application of well-known ethical principles and concepts but becomes a field whose uniqueness increases with the uniqueness of computers and associated phenomena. Theoretical work in computer ethics which aims at assessing and reformulating concepts and principles thus takes on an added significance.

In his capstone conference address, John Ladd referred to the false analogies of society that supported the wartime activities of Nazi Germany. This reference is suggestive in respect to theoretical work in computer ethics. Many of the discussions addressing tough questions in computer ethics make use of analogies. These analogies characterize the computer and its use as being similar or dissimilar to other entities or processes. For example, during discussions of computer software piracy, comparisons were made between copying someone’s software and swimming as an uninvited guest in someone’s pool or borrowing an item without permission yet returning it. The prime question here is how analogies should be evaluated and criticized. Can we, for example, know that a societal analogy is faulty when it is initially presented, or must we wait until that analogy has been played out through history? How should analogies which emphasize some features of computers and their use while de-emphasizing other features be sorted out? Pursuing these questions leads to well-developed inquiries in logic and epistemology and ties computer ethics to traditional fields of philosophy.

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