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Issued by: Kathy Quirk
Phone: 414-229-3144
kquirk@uwm.edu
Nov. 2, 2006
UWM Hosts Colloquium Series Addresses Information Ethics Nov. 13
MILWAUKEE — Confucius and Aristotle never surfed the Web, but the ethical and philosophical frameworks they developed can influence the way the global information community works.
That’s the view of Charles Ess, distinguished research professor at Drury University and an expert on internet and information ethics. Ess will speak about East-West perspectives on information and computer ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Nov. 13 at 11:30 a.m. in Bolton Hall, 2400 E. Maryland Ave. Room 521. His lecture is one of a series on international information policy and ethics sponsored by the Center for Information Policy Research (CIPR) of UWM’s School of Information Studies. Ess is currently an information ethics fellow for CIPR.
With more diverse cultures becoming part of the global online community, such issues as the ethics of information sharing and privacy rights, and globalization vs. preservation of indigenous cultures/language become even more complex, says Ess.
One simple example is the current discussion of copyright protection. Western philosophies focus on individual rights to property, including intellectual property. Eastern philosophies focus on the collective good of the community. As a result Easterners and Westerners have different views of what is ethical behavior. For example, while copying another’s work is frowned on in most western societies, many Eastern societies view it as a benevolent way of paying homage.
The global village is actually a global,
multi-ethnic city where diverse groups must learn to live and function together,
according to Ess. And just as the global information community has moved toward
shared technical standards, says Ess, it also needs to develop shared
information and computer ethics – in a positive way that protects
differences.
One potential solution to developing international internet and computer ethics is “ethical pluralism,” according to Ess. That approach allows for and respects the differences between culture and philosophies, and also tries to find shared areas of agreement. “The goal is to find global ethics that people recognize as legitimate, but that also work in a local context because people see that their own values, traditions, practices, etc., are recognized, respected and preserved.”
This approach has applications beyond e-commerce, says Ess. Many people seek to encounter others in the world community as fellow human beings,” he says. “To do so, however, requires that we behave in ways that respect others’ basic rights—to privacy, copyright protection and so on – but, more fundamentally recognize and preserve our differences. Certainly, we like being around people like us; and initially differences can be threatening. But, we also learn over time that people with different perspectives have something different to offer. We learn the most from people who are different from us -- not from those who already agree with us."
This approach, he says, also avoids the two extreme
approaches to global ethics --on the one hand, ethical imperialism-- one nation or group sets the rules
for everyone without exception based on its views; or relativism – "I can preserve my culture only by insisting I don't have to pay attention to yours."
All this means, in turn that “the goal of ethics isn't’t just to have rules against and to exercise negative rights and obligations, but to further think about what positive obligations might look like.” He uses the concept of resonance – “something different that enriches your view of the world. If we’re looking for resonances rather than similarities, we don’t have to make others identical to us. A Buddhist in Thailand may view privacy differently than someone in the West, but the views will be close enough that they can be part of a shared global ethic.”
Ess argues that the move toward shared ethical views is already happening in practice. Economic forces are one driver of the shift. For example, China could decide that the greater good of the community is better served if it can develop increased trade by following international copyright law.
And as Eastern and Western views evolve,
societies may find common middle ground on such thorny issues as privacy rights.
In China and Japan, for example, says Ess, many young people are moving toward
more Western notions of privacy, insisting parents stay out of their rooms and
not look through their online communications. At the same time, many in the West
are becoming more attuned to the Eastern notion of an individual’s
connection and responsibility to the community.
But alongside these commonalities, each culture and tradition is also seeking to continue to do things its won way -- for example, to protect privacy in ways that remain characteristically Chinese, American, German, etc. To hold together these commonalities and defining differences, Ess argues, requires us to pursue ethical pluralims and the resonances that preserve our differences.
Ess’ lecture is one in a series sponsored by CIPR. The focus is on current international research and views on ethical internet and information policy ethics, says Elizabeth Buchanan, director of the Center and an associate professor of information studies.
“Privacy and ethics are at the heart of information policy, and this is a good time for researchers, policymakers and educators to be talking about them.” The rapid growth of such sites as My Space is a perfect example of ethics issues that arise when anyone can post most anything online, she notes. “How do we teach our children to balance their right to expression with the need to protect their personal information and privacy?”
Blogs are part of the same discussion. “We have to find the balance between free speech and what some would consider offensive,” she says, adding that what is innocuous in some cultures is offensive in others. Likewise, many young people who’ve grown up in the global information age feel it’s their right to download and use information they find online—regardless of copyright protections.
In this series, says Buchanan, the Center is looking at such international questions, and considering best ethical and legal practices. The CIPR Web site is http://www.uwm.edu./Dept/SOIS/cipr. The lecture is available via live stream.
The final presentation in this fall’s series is on conflicts in information policy on Nov. 27 at 11:30 a.m. at Bolton Hall, Room 521. Shana Ponelis of the University of Pretoria in South Africa is the speaker.