Transcript Puting Information Ethics to Work

Putting Information
Ethics to Work
Rafael Capurro
Hochschule der Medien
Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences
www.capurro.de
COST/TIST Conference, June 28, 2005,
Vitznau Switzerland
IT and Information Ethics
„In designing tools we are designing ways
of being“ (Winograd/Flores 1986, xi)
 Designing ways of (well) being is the
matter of ethics
 Conclusio: In designing (good) (IT) tools
we are dealing (implicitly) with ethics.

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Shannon & Weaver
(Source: http://www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/index.html
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Shannon & Weaver
Three levels of communication problems
(Shannon/Weaver 1949/1972, 4):
 Level A. How accurately can the symbols of
communication be transmitted? (The technical
problem)
 Level B. How precisely do the transmitted
symbols convey the desired meaning? (The
semantic probem)
 Level C. How effectively does the receiver
meaning affect conduct in the desired way? (The
effectiveness problem)
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Shannon & Weaver

„The effectiveness problem is closely
interrelated with the semantic problem,
and overlaps it in a rather vague way; and
there is in fact overlap between all of the
suggested categories of problems.“
(Shannon/Weaver 1972, 5-6)
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Message Society
Digital Networks
 Global & Local = „glocal“
 Interactivity
 Sustainable (IT) development
 Human-centered and inclusive information
society

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Lawrence Lessig: „Code and Other
Laws of Cyberspace“
MARKET
CODE
LAW
MORALITY
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Infoethics: Morality & IT
Infoethics
Code
Morality
Ethics
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„Code is law“ (L. Lessig)

What kind of (moral) code?
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Human dignity
Freedom of speech
Privacy
Autonomy
Cultural diversity
Freedom of scientific research
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Information Ethics
Information ethics deals with ethical
questions in the field of digital
production and reproduction of
phenomena and processes such as
the exchange, combination and use
of information.
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Information Ethics
Fields of research:
 Development of moral standards, norms
or values
 Critical appraisal on the creation of (new)
power structures
 Critical appraisal of information visions
and myths
 Critical appraisal of hidden contradictions
and intentionalities in information theories
and practices
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Putting Information Ethics to Work
Promoting Reflection and Sustainability at:
 Macro-Level:
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WSIS: Overcoming the Digital Divide
Ethics Committees (EGE, National Ethics C.)
Meso- und Microlevel:
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Creating spaces of ethical reflection
Codes of ethics
Decision support groups
Ethics counseling
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Putting Information Ethics to Work
Sustainable IT Processes: Legal,
economic, ecologic, social, ethical
 Self-awareness (individual, institutions)
 Which information should be
communicated with whom, how far, how
long…?
 Transparency, data protection („habeas
data“)
 Open Source, Free Software, Open Access

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Putting Information Ethics to Work

Coaching information values:
 Sustainability
 Solidarity
 Responsibility
 Fairness
 Integrity
 Privacy
 Security
 Confidentiality
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Putting Information Ethics to Work

Managing Information Ethics:
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Promoting
 Reflection
 Local and global awareness
 Responsibility and Accountability
 Identity and diversity
 Cultural awareness
Best Practices
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The European Group on Ethics in
Science and New Technologies (EGE)
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The EGE is an independent, pluralist and
multitisciplinary body which advises the
European Commission on ethical aspects
of science and new technologies in
connection with the preparation and
implementation of Community legislation
or policies.
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EGE Members 2001-2004
Prof. Göran HERMERÉN (Sweden), President, Philosopher, Professor of Medical Ethics, Faculty of
Medicine, Lund University.
Prof. Linda NIELSEN (Denmark), Vice-President, Professor of Law, Rector of the University of
Copenhagen.
Prof. Nicos C. ALIVIZATOS (Greece), Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Athens.
Prof. Rafael CAPURRO (Germany), Professor of Information Management and Information Ethics at
University of Applied Sciences.
Prof. Inez DE BEAUFORT (The Netherlands), Professor of Health Care Ethics at the Medical Faculty of the
Erasmus University, Rotterdam.
Prof. Yvon ENGLERT (Belgium), Head of Fertility Clinic, Free University of Brussels (ULB), Professor of
Medical Ethics and Deontology, ULB.
Prof. Catherine LABRUSSE-RIOU (France), Centre de recherche en droit privé, Université de Paris.
Dr. Anne McLAREN (United Kingdom), Geneticist, Research Associate at Wellcome CRC Institute,
Cambridge.
Prof. Pere PUIGDOMÈNECH ROSELL (Spain), Research Professor at the Department for Molecular
Genetics, Director of Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, CSIC
Prof. Stefano RODOTA (Italy), Professor of Civil Law, University of Rome, Chairman of the Italian Data
Protection Authority, Chairman of the European Group of the Data Protection Authorities.
Prof. Günter VIRT (Austria), Professor of Theology, Institute of Catholic Moral Theology, University of
Vienna.
Prof. Peter WHITTAKER (Ireland), Biologist, Professor of Biology, Institute of Environment, Philosophy
and Public Policy, University of Lancaster, Furness College.
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EGE Members 2001-2004
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EGE Secretariat
Dr. Michael D. Rogers, European
Commission, BERL 10/345, rue de la Loi
200, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium.
EGE-Website:
europa.eu.int/comm/european_group_ethi
cs
EGE-Newsletter "Ethically Speaking":
providing also information on the activities
of the National Ethics Committees.
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EGE Opinions 2001-2005
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Opinion n. 16 (2002)
Ethical aspects of patenting inventions involving
human stem cells
Opinion n. 17 (2003)
Ethical aspects of clinical research in developing
countries
Opinion n. 18 (2003)
Ethical aspects of genetic testing in the workplace
Opinion n. 19 (2004)
Ethical aspects of cord blood stem cells banks
Opinion n. 20 (2005)
Ethical Aspects of ICT implants in the human
body (2005)
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Ethics and Public Policy
Ethics councils within the sphere of public
policy have the function of reflecting on
the moral and legal foundations of specific
controversial issues without being itself
neither a legal nor a moral authority.
 Their task is reflection, not decisionmaking or dogmatic proclamation.
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Ethics and Public Policy
They should counterbalance ethical
arguments and give an opinion on matters
that remain controversial and subject to
revision.
 Today’s public policy has a need for such
counsels particularly with regard to new
developments in science and technology
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Ethics and Public Policy
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Although they might look for consensual
opinions, consensus should not be a
conditio sine qua non of their proposals. It
is also not their function to make public
policy ‘more moral,’ but to encourage
ethical reflection within the public sphere
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National and International Ethics
Committees
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Most European and non-European national and
international ethics committees have been created in the
nineties.
UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC) was
created in 1993. The Steering Committee on Bioethics of
the Council of Europe dates from 1992.
US President George W. Bush created The President’s
Council on Bioethics on the basis of the Executive Order
13237 from November 28, 2001
(http://www.bioethics.gov/).
Most national and international ethics committees are in
fact (until now) committees on bioethics. The EGE is the
first international committee with a broader scope.
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Bibliography
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Capurro, Rafael: Ethics and Public Policy within a
Digital Environment. In: I. Alvarez, T. W. Bynum,
J.A. de Assis Lopes, S. Rogerson (Eds.): The
Transformation of Organisations in the
Information Age: Social and Ethical Implications,
ETHICOMP 2002, Lisboa 2002, 319-327. Online:
http://www.capurro.de/ethicomp02.html
Capurro, Rafael: Ethics Between Law and Public
Policy. In: Journal of International Biotechnology
Laws (JIBL) Vol. 1, Issue 2 / 2004, 62-66.
Online:
http://www.degruyter.de/rs/280_7046_DEU_h.ht
m
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Bibliography
Lessig, Lawrence: Code and Other Laws of
Cyberspace. New York 1999
 Shannon, Claude E. / Weaver, Warren: The
Mathematical Theory of Communication.
Univ. of Illinois Press 1949/1972, 5th ed.
 Winograd, Terry / Flores, Fernando:
Understanding Computers and Cognition.
A New Foundation for Design. New Jersey
1986.
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Portals & Journals
World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS): http://www.itu.int/wsis
 ICIE (International Center for Information
Ethics): http://icie.zkm.de

IRIE (International Review of Information
Ethics): http://www.i-r-i-e.net
 EIT (Ethics and Information Technology)
 ICES (Journal of Information,
Communiation and Ethics in Society)

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