Ethics, Information and Technology

Richard N. Stichler is professor emeritus of Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania. Robert Hauptman is professor emeritus of St. Cloud State University and editor of the Journal of Information Ethics.

“recommended”—Library Journal; “a major contribution to the growing body of literature that seeks to define and expand information age paradigms...find space for this one”—Public Libraries; “introduc[es] the reader to a varied set of complex issues, and to some of the more thoughtful writers who have addressed those issues”—LISCA; “the collection affords the pleasure of discovering something to make one stop and think about information and how it affects values and ethics”—Booklist; “brings together essays that deal with key issues in information ethics from a variety of standpoints...worthwhile and perhaps salutary reading”—The Library Association Record; “useful”—Choice; “a collection of serious, well-documented essays which demand the reader’s full attention”—The Australian Library Journal; “these readings both teach and delight—Journal of the American Society for Information Science; “filled with useful information and challenging argumentation...should be of interest to anyone concerned with the ethical implications of recent developments in computer technology”—The Library Quarterly.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments     Introduction      Richard N. Stichler and Robert HauptmanI. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGEOf the Liberty of Thought and Discussion      John Stuart MillNew Threats to Free Thought      Jonathan RauchAcademic and Artistic Freedom      Nadine StrossenUntruth or Consequences?       John C. SwanII. INFORMATION, TECHNOLOGY, AND EDUCATIONInformation, Technology, and the Virtues of Ignorance      Daniel C. DennettDo Expert Systems Have a Moral Cost?       Mark AlfinoUmberto Eco on Libraries: A Discussion of “De Bibliotheca”       Michael F. WinterEducation and Technology: Virtual Students, Digital Classroom      Neil PostmanUnabomber’s Secret Treatise: Is There Method in His Madness?       Kirkpatrick SaleIII. INFORMATION, RIGHTS, AND SOCIAL JUSTICEUtilitarianism, Information and Rights      Partha DasguptaCommunications Privacy: Implications for Network Design      Marc RotenbergEthics in the Information Market      Richard N. StichlerLibrarianship and Public Culture in the Age of Information Capitalism      Henry T. BlankeIV. ETHICS AND THE INTERNETThe Freedom of Information Act: Public Access in the Computer Age      Senator Patrick LeahyAccess Denied: Information Policy and the Limits of Liberalism      Grant H. KesterJustice and Social Equity in Cyberspace      Ronald DoctorMisconduct on the Information Highway: Abuse and Misuse of the Internet      Susan HallamComputers, Pornography, and Conflicting Rights      Virgina RezmierskiV. PROFESSIONAL ETHICSThe Origin of Professionalism: Sociological Conclusions and Ethical Implications      Lisa NewtonThe Ideological Use of Professional Codes      John KultgenProfessionalism or Culpability? An Experiment in Ethics      Robert HauptmanAppendix: Codes of Professional Ethics American Association of University Professors:Statement on Professional Ethics(from AAUP Policy Documents and Reports [1995] 105–106)      Statement on Freedom and Responsibility(from AAUP Policy Documents and Reports [ 1995] 107–108)      Statement on Plagiarism(from AAUP Policy Documents and Reports [1995] 109–110)      American Library Association: ALA Code of Ethics      Library Bill of Rights(from Intellectual Freedom Manual, 3rd ed., p. 3)      Notes on Contributors      Index