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2 - Why We Need Better Ethics for Emerging Technologies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2009

By
James H. Moor
Edited by
Jeroen van den Hoven  and
John Weckert
James H. Moor
Affiliation:
Professor of philosophy Dartmouth College, New Hampshire; Adjunct Professor Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
John Weckert
Affiliation:
Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales
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Summary

INTRODUCTION

New technological products are emerging. We learn about them regularly in the news. Information technology continually spawns new and popular applications and accessories. Indeed, much of the news itself is produced and transmitted through ever newer and more diverse information technology. But it is not only growth in information technology that is salient; other technologies are expanding rapidly. Genetic technology is a growth industry with wide applications in foods and medicine. Other technologies, such as nanotechnology and neurotechnology, are less well-established but have produced striking developments that suggest the possibility of considerable social and ethical impact in the not too distant future.

The emergence of these potentially powerful technologies raises the question about what our technological future will be like. Will the quality of our lives improve with increased technology or not? I believe the outcome of technological development is not inevitable. We, at least collectively, can affect our futures by choosing which technologies to have and which not to have and by choosing how technologies that we pursue will be used. The question really is: How well will we choose? The emergence of a wide variety of new technologies should give us a sense of urgency in thinking about the ethical (including social) implications of new technologies. Opportunities for new technology are continually arriving at our doorstep. Which kinds should we develop and keep? And, how should we use those that we do keep?

Type
Chapter
Information
Information Technology and Moral Philosophy , pp. 26 - 39
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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References

Brey, P. 2000. Method in Computer Ethics: Towards a Multi-Level Interdisciplinary Approach. Ethics and Information Technology, 2, 2, 125–129.Google Scholar
Joy, P. 2000. Why the Future Doesn't Need Us. Wired 8, 4. Retrieved July 15 2007 from: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy.html.Google Scholar
Moor, J. H. 2001. The Future of Computer Ethics: You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet! Ethics and Information Technology, 3, 2, 89–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moor, J. H. 1985. What Is Computer Ethics? Metaphilosophy, 16, 4, 266–275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moor, J. H. and Weckert, J. 2004. Nanoethics: Assessing the Nanoscale from an Ethical Point of View, in Baird, D., Nordmann, A., and Schummer, J. (Eds.), Discovering the Nanoscale. Amsterdam: IOS Press, pp. 301–310.Google Scholar
Schumpeter, J. A. 1952. Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy (4th ed.). London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.Google Scholar

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  • Why We Need Better Ethics for Emerging Technologies
    • By James H. Moor, Professor of philosophy Dartmouth College, New Hampshire; Adjunct Professor Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
  • Edited by Jeroen van den Hoven, John Weckert, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales
  • Book: Information Technology and Moral Philosophy
  • Online publication: 21 July 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511498725.003
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  • Why We Need Better Ethics for Emerging Technologies
    • By James H. Moor, Professor of philosophy Dartmouth College, New Hampshire; Adjunct Professor Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
  • Edited by Jeroen van den Hoven, John Weckert, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales
  • Book: Information Technology and Moral Philosophy
  • Online publication: 21 July 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511498725.003
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Why We Need Better Ethics for Emerging Technologies
    • By James H. Moor, Professor of philosophy Dartmouth College, New Hampshire; Adjunct Professor Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
  • Edited by Jeroen van den Hoven, John Weckert, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales
  • Book: Information Technology and Moral Philosophy
  • Online publication: 21 July 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511498725.003
Available formats
×