Comparative Philosophies in Intercultural Information Ethics; Confluence: Online Journal of World Philosophies (original) (raw)

Intercultural Information Ethics: A Pragmatic Consideration

In Matthew Kelly and Jared Bileby, eds. Information Cultures in the Digital Age: A Festschrift in Honor of Rafael Capurro, 2016

Discussions in intercultural information ethics oft en focus on the problem of the universality of values, an understandable focus since cultures, when face to face with one another as a result of globalization, are bound to confl icts over diff ering values. As information technology greatly facilitates the movement of thoughts and ideas, these clashes happen at an exponentially increasing rate. Such discussions usually occur between those who believe in a set of universal values and those who oppose the idea. Such discussions and debates thus oft en fi nd themselves in a stalemate; they show every characteristic of an arcane philosophical dispute that does not seem to go anywhere. Th e following chapter argues for the rejection of the sterile and politicized debates that defi ne the above stalemate. Instead of looking towards which set of values are universal and how are they are going to be justifi ed, or how a set of values can be defended against others values claiming to be universal, the following paper instead proposes that talks of universality and cultural distinctiveness be discarded altogether in favor of asking which set of values serve the existing goals and fi t with the desires of the people for a particular period of time and place more than other values. In short, the following paper argues for an abandonment of the question of which values are true and asks instead which values are useful. To state the obvious, the world has become an intricately interconnected place through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). We are, at a global level, connected via digitally electronic devices to the internet, enabling us to share information at a rate only dreamt of a few decades ago. Th e vast fl oodgate of information has been thrown open and the resultant rush of information has fl ooded the fi eld below. Aft er only a few decades of the internet, the fl ood of information remains unchecked and it should hardly be surprising that the volume is increasing, ever seeking new places to fl ow. Th e world is in the midst of experiencing a tremendous change. Th ere is no end in site, should we desire

Information Ethics I: Origins and Evolutions

The following paper will trace the recently established field of Information Ethics through it’s various evolutions, from it’s origins in Librarianship to it’s role as a global player in areas as diverse as technology, media, global humanitarianism, and the philosophy of information. The praxis of the field will be outlined for the uninitiated reader, followed by an intimate history of the founding players and their continued contribution to this ever-evolving field. The current evolutions of Information Ethics will then be explored in the context of their application to the viral global phenomena of Intercultural Information Ethics (IIE), and finally, the paper will conclude with projections towards future evolutions in Information Ethics, as well as an exploration of potential definitions for the field.

Neither relativism nor imperialism: Theories and practices for a global information ethics

Ethics and Information Technology, 2006

We highlight the important lessons our contributors present in our collective project of fostering dialogues both between applied ethics and computer science and between cultures. These include: critical reflexivity; procedural (partly Habermasian) approaches to establishing such central norms as ''emancipation''; the importance of local actors in using ICTs both for global management and in development projects -especially as these contribute the trust essential for the social context of use of new technologies; and pluralistic approaches that preserve local cultural differences alongside shared norms. May Thorseth then contextualizes our work vis-a-vis broader philosophical discussions of deliberation and democracy.

Ethical pluralism and global information ethics

Ethics and Information Technology, 2006

A global information ethics that seeks to avoid imperialistic homogenization must conjoin shared norms while simultaneously preserving the irreducible differences between cultures and peoples. I argue that a global information ethics may fulfill these requirements by taking up an ethical pluralism -specifically AristotleÕs pros hen [''towards one''] or ''focal'' equivocals. These ethical pluralisms figure centrally in both classical and contemporary Western ethics: they further offer important connections with the major Eastern ethical tradition of Confucian thought. Both traditions understand ethical judgment to lead to and thus require ethical pluralism -i.e., an acceptance of more than one judgment regarding the interpretation and application of a shared ethical norm. Both traditions invoke notions of resonance and harmony to articulate pluralistic structures of connection alongside irreducible differences. Specific examples within Western computer and information ethics demonstrate these pluralisms in fact working in praxis. After reviewing further resonances and radical differences between Western and Eastern views, I then argue that emerging conceptions of privacy and data privacy protection laws in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand in fact constitute a robust, pros hen pluralism with Western conceptions. In both theory and in praxis, then, this pluralism thus fulfills the requirement for a global information ethics that holds shared norms alongside the irreducible differences between cultures and peoples.

Discourses on information ethics: The claim to universality

Ethics and Information Technology, 2008

An important question one can ask of ethical theories is whether and how they aim to raise claims to universality. This refers to the subject area that they intend to describe or govern and also to the question whether they claim to be binding for all (moral) agents. This paper discusses the question of universality of Luciano Floridi’s information ethics (IE). This is done by introducing the theory and discussing its conceptual foundations and applications. The emphasis will be placed on the ontological grounding of IE. IE’s claims to universality will be contrasted with those raised by discourse ethics. This comparison of two pertinent ethical theories allows for a critical discussion of areas where IE currently has room for elaboration and development.

Global information ethics: Intercultural perspectives on past and future research

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2008

and the Media"), and Rafael Capurro in 2006. The forum has attracted a diverse audience from the larger academic community and has continued to shape the course. Courses on IE In Fall 1990, a master's course for students across the School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh was introduced, team taught by Professor Stephen Almagno, O.F.M., and Carbo (then Dean of the School), initially called "The Ethics of Information in Society," to educate students about ethical issues in the information professions. Over the years as the course has evolved, it has attracted students from all three programs at both the master's and Ph.D. levels (with some undergraduate seniors) as well as students from business, law, psychology, engineering, public and international affairs, and other programs, and a few students from Carnegie Mellon University. A small number of other universities, including Drexel, introduced courses specifically on what became "Information Ethics" around that time. According to the listing on the ICIE Web site (http://icie.zkm.de/teaching), currently more than 100 individuals are teaching IE courses around the world, with some individuals teaching courses in more than one country and with 35 in North America. Conferences on IE In addition to the conferences noted earlier, beginning in 1997, conferences on the "Ethics of Electronic Information in the 21st Century" were held at the University of Memphis (e.g.

Brave New Worlds? The Once and Future Information Ethics

2010

I highlight several aspects of current and future developments of the internet, in order to draw from these in turn specific consequences of particular significance for the ongoing development and expansion of information ethics. These consequences include changing conceptions of self and privacy in both Western and Eastern countries, and correlative shifts from the communication technologies of literacy and print to a "secondary orality." These consequences in turn imply that current and future information ethics should focus on developing a global but pluralistic virtue ethicsone that may offset the anti-democratic dangers of such secondary orality. (95 words)