Three “Levels” of Computer Ethics
Terrell Ward Bynum
Three “Levels” of Computer Ethics
Computer ethics questions can be raised and studied at various “levels.” And each level is vital to the overall goal of protecting and advancing human values. On the most basic level, computer ethics tries to
sensitize people to the fact that computer technology has social and ethical consequences.
This is the overall goal of what some call “pop” computer ethics.
Newspapers, magazines and TV news programs have engaged increasingly in computer
ethics of this sort. Every week, there are news stories about computer viruses,
or software ownership law suits, or computer-aided bank robbery, or harmful computer
malfunctions, or computerized weapons, etc. As the social impact of information
technology grows, such articles will proliferate. That’s good! The public
at large should be sensitized to the fact that computer technology can threaten
human values as well as advance them.
The second “level“ of computer ethics can be called “para”
computer ethics. Someone who takes a special interest in computer ethics cases,
collects examples, clarifies them, looks for similarities and differences, reads
related works, attends relevant events, and so on, is learning “para”
computer ethics. (I’ve borrowed this term from Keith Miller, who is the
first person I ever heard use it.) By analogy with a para medic – who
is not a physician, but who does have some technical
medical knowledge – a “para” computer ethicist is not
a professional ethicist, but does have some
relevant special knowledge. A para medic, of course, cannot do all that a physician
does, but he or she can make preliminary medical
assessments, administer first aid and provide rudimentary medical assistance.
Similarly, a “para” computer ethicist does not attempt to apply
the tools and procedures of a professional philosopher or lawyer or social scientist.
Rather, he or she makes preliminary assessments and identifications of computer
ethics cases, compares them with others, suggests possible analyses.
The third level of computer ethics I call “theoretical” computer
ethics, because it applies scholarly theories to computer ethics cases and
concepts. Someone proficient in “theoretical” computer ethics would
be able not only to identify, clarify, compare and contrast computer ethics cases;
she or he could also apply theories and tools from philosophy, social science
or law in order to deepen our understanding of the issues. Such “theoretical”
computer ethics is normally taught in college-level courses with titles like “Computer
Ethics,” “Computers and Society,” “Computers and the Law.”
All three “levels of analysis” are important to the goal of advancing
and defending human values. Voters and the public at large, for example, should
be sensitive to the social and ethical consequences of information technology.
Computer professionals and public policy makers should have “para” computer
ethics skills and knowledge in order to do their jobs effectively. And scholars
must continue to deepen our understanding of the social and ethical impact of
computing by engaging in theoretical analysis and research.
In reality, of course, none of these three “levels” of computer ethics
is cleanly separated from the others. One blends gradually into the next. Nevertheless,
I think it is useful to distinguish them when considering computer ethics in the
broadest sense.
Southern Connecticut State University
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