Date: Sat, 02 Sep 1995 00:42:25 EST
From: "Rob Slade, the doting grandpa of Ryan Hoff"
Subject: "Computers Ethics and Social Values" by Johnson/Nissenbaum

BKCMETSV.RVW   950609
 
"Computers, Ethics & Social Values", Johnson/Nissenbaum, 1995, 0-13-103110-4
%A   Deborah Johnson
%A   Helen Nissenbaum
%C   One Lake St., Upper Saddle River, NJ   07458
%D   1995
%G   0-13-103110-4
%I   Prentice-Hall, Inc.
%O   +1-201-236-7139 fax: +1-201-236-7131 beth_hespe@prenhall.com
%P   714
%T   "Computers, Ethics & Social Values"
 
Johnson's earlier book, "Computer Ethics" (cf. BKCMPETH.RVW), may be considered
the preeminent work in the field.  This collection of papers, co-edited with
Nissenbaum, enhances, but does not extend, that prior work.
 
Ethical problems may be divided into a number of groups in the computer world. 
Three stand out in particular.  Some dilemmas arise from a conflict of agreed
"good" values.  These are the situations described in moral scenarios:  should
the poor man steal the medicine necessary to cure his wife from the inventor
who will not reduce his price.  A second class have to do with unknown or
unpredictable situations.  In the non-computer world, an example would be
megaprojects of unknown environmental impact.  The third grouping would include
situations where a vast majority hold to a certain standard of behaviour, while
a minority act otherwise.  Cults and certain brands of terrorism would fall
into this category.
 
Most non-computer ethical discussion is directed at the first class of
problems, and most works on morality in computing follow suit.  The articles in
this book go a bit further.  Chapter five, and parts of six and seven, raise
issues related to group two problems.  The ethical analysis is, however,
limited and tentative.  The inclusion of articles by Stallman, and Dorothy
Denning's interview with Frank Drake, would seem to be an attempt to discuss
the third type of issues.  The bulk of the work, though, speaks with a single
voice from the position of conventional morality, yet fails to address
realistically the problem of bringing outsiders into the fold.
 
The papers seem to have a fair distribution between academic and popular works.
Be forewarned:  some of the latter have a Saturday-magazine level of accuracy
to the information.  Non-American readers should note a heavy reliance on
American case and constitutional law, although most discussions are
sufficiently detailed as to raise common law issues.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995   BKCMETSV.RVW   950609

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