Cyberethics - 3
We can view cyberethics as a branch of three possible perspectives.
Professional Ethics
According to this view cyberethics is the responsibility of the professionals. This also means that the issues aren’t strictly about the technology itself.
This perspective is not sufficient as the issues don’t just affect professionals or even users.
Philosophical Ethics
This says analyses and inquires the use of the technology. From this you can apply moral theories and principles to resolve the situation.
Sociological/Descriptive Ethics
From this perspective we apply a normative inquiry. This is viewing the question from the point of, “what ought to be the case?”
This is contrasted by descriptive studies. These ask, “what is the case?”
We should under stand the latter to analyse the former.
Ethical Features
We can split technological practices into the following sets:
Transparent Features
Ethical issues that are well studied.
Opaque Features
Not well studied issues.
Known Features
Users are aware of these features by do not realise they have moral implications.
Unknown Features
Users are not even aware of the technological features that have moral implications.
Three-Step Strategy
Due to the fact that no single ethical perspective deals well with cyberethics we should apply al three.
Step 1
Identify a practice involving cyber-technology, or a feature in that technology, that is controversial from a moral perspective.
- Disclose any hidden (or opaque) features or issues that have moral implications.
- If the ethical issue is descriptive, assess the sociological implications for relevant social institutions and socio-demographic and populations.
- If the ethical issue is also normative, determine whether there are any specific guidelines, that is, professional codes that can help you resolve the issue.
- If the normative ethical issues remain, go to Step 2.
Step 2
Analyse the ethical issue by clarifying concepts and situating it in a context.
- If a policy vacuums exists, go to Step 2.2; otherwise go to Step 3.
- Clear up any conceptual muddles involving the policy vacuum and go to Step 3.
Step 3
Deliberate on the ethical issue. The deliberation process requires two stages:
- Apply one or more ethical theories to the analysis of the moral issue, and then go to step 3.2.
- Justify the position you reached by evaluating it against the rules for logic/critical thinking.
Brey’s Model of Cyberethics
| Level | Disciplines Involved | Task |
|---|---|---|
| Disclosive | Computer Science, Social Science (optional) | Disclose embedded features in computer technology that have moral importance. |
| Theoretical | Philosophy | Test newly disclosed features against standard ethical theories. |
| Application | Computer Science, Philosophy; Social Science | Apply standard or newly revised/ formulated ethical theories to the issues. |