Abstract
I describe the emergence of Floridi’s philosophy of information (PI) and information ethics (IE) against the larger backdrop of Information and Computer Ethics (ICE). Among their many strengths, PI and IE offer promising metaphysical and ethical frameworks for a global ICE that holds together globally shared norms with the irreducible differences that define local cultural and ethical traditions. I then review the major defenses and critiques of PI and IE offered by contributors to this special issue, and highlight Floridi’s responses to especially two central problems – the charge of relativism and the meaning of ‹entropy’ in IE. These responses, conjoined with several elaborations of PI and IE offered here by diverse contributors, including important connections with the naturalistic philosophies of Spinoza and other major Western and Eastern figures, thus issue in an expanded and more refined version of PI and IE – one still facing important questions as well as possibilities for further development.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Terrell Ward Bynum. Milestones in the History of Information and Computer Ethics. In Kenneth Einar Himma and Herman T. Tavani, editors, The Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics, pages 25–48. John Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2008.
Terrell Ward Bynum & Simon Rogerson. Introduction and Overview: Global Information Ethics. Science and Engineering Ethics, 2: 131–136, 1996.
Rafael Capurro. Privacy: An Intercultural Perspective. Ethics and Information Technology, 7(1): 37–47, 2005.
D. C. Dennett. The Myth of Original Intentionality. In E. Dietrich, editor, Thinking Computers and Virtual Persons: Essays on the Intentionality of Machines, pages 91–107. Academic Press, San Diego, CA and London, 1994.
Charles Ess. Ethical Pluralism and Global Information Ethics. In Luciano Floridi and Julian Savulescu, editors, Information Ethics: Agents, Artifacts and New Cultural Perspectives. Ethics and Information Technology, 8(4): 215–226, 2006a.
Charles Ess. An Impending Global ICE (Information and Computing Ethics) Age? Center for Information Policy Research, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2006b (November 13, 2006 <http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/cipr/docs/ess.pdf>).
L. Floridi. Information Ethics: On the Theoretical Foundations of Computer Ethics. Ethics and Information Technology, 1(1): 37–56, 1999 (Preprint available online: <http://www.philosophyofinformation.net/>).
L. Floridi. Information Ethics: An Environmental Approach to the Digital Divide. Philosophy in the Contemporary World, 9(1): 39–45, 2002 (Preprint available online: <http://www.philosophyofinformation.net/>).
L. Floridi. On the Intrinsic Value of Information Objects and the Infosphere. Ethics and Information Technology, 4(4): 287–304, 2003 (Preprint available online: <http://www.philosophyofinformation.net/>).
L. Floridi. Four Challenges for a Theory of Informational Privacy. Ethics and Information Technology, 8(3): 109–119, 2006 (Preprint available online: <http://www.philosophyofinformation.net/>).
L. Floridi. Global Information Ethics: The Importance of Being Environmentally Earnest. International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction, 3(3): 1–11, 2007 (Preprint available online: <http://www.philosophyofinformation.net/>).
L. Floridi. Information Ethics: Its Nature and Scope. In Jeroen van den Hoven and John Weckert, editors, Moral Philosophy and Information Technology, pp. 40–65. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2008 (Preprint available online: <http://www.philosophyofinformation.net/>).
L. Floridi & J. W. Sanders. “Artificial Evil and the Foundation of Computer Ethics”, Ethics and Information Technology, 3(1): 55–66, 2001.
L. Floridi and J. W. Sanders (2002). “Computer Ethics: Mapping the Foundationalist Debate”, Ethics and Information Technology, 4(1), 1–9.
K. Gòrniak-Kocikowska. The Computer Revolution and the Problem of Global Ethics. Science and Engineering Ethics, 2: 177–190, 1996.
Soraj Hongladarom. Global Culture, Local Cultures, and␣the Internet: The Thai Example. In C. Ess and F.␣Sudweeks, editors, Proceedings Cultural Attitudes Towards Communication and Technology ’98, pp. 187–201. University of Sydney, Sydney, 1998.
Soraj Hongladarom. Analysis and Justification of Privacy from a Buddhist Perspective, p. 115. In S. Hongladarom and C. Ess, editors, Information Technology Ethics: Cultural Perspectives, pages 108–122. IGI Global, Hershey, PA, 2007.
D.G. Johnson. Computer ethics in the 21st century. In Proceedings of ETHICOMP99, Rome, Italy, 1999.
L. Magnani. Distributed morality and technological artifacts. Paper presented at 4th International Conference on Human being in Contemporary Philosophy, Volgograd, 2007 (Available at <http://volgograd2007.goldenideashome.com/2%20Papers/Magnani%20Lorenzo%20p.pdf>. Accessed 30th August 2007).
James Moor. Reason, Relativity, and Responsibility in Computer Ethics. Computers and Society, 28: 14–21, 1998.
Barbara Paterson. We Cannot Eat Data: The Need for Computer Ethics to Address the Cultural and Ecological Impacts of Computing. In S. Hongladarom and C. Ess, editors, Information Technology Ethics: Cultural Perspectives, pages 153–168. IGI Global, Hershey, PA, 2007.
Johnny Søraker. The Moral Status of Information and Information Technologies: A Relational Theory of Moral Status. In S. Hongladarom and C. Ess, editors, Information Technology Ethics: Cultural Perspectives, pages 1–19. IGI Global, Hershey, PA, 2007.
Michael Walzer. Thick and Thin: Moral Argument at Home and Abroad. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, IN, 1994.
Norbert Wiener. Cybernetics: or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine. John Wiley, New York, 1948.
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our very great gratitude to␣our two, initially anonymous reviewers, Steve McKinlay and Vincent Wiegel. Offered in the best philosophical spirit – i.e., critical, constructive, and cordial – their comments and suggestions have helped our authors improve upon their already strong and substantive first drafts, thus significantly strengthening our collection. We are likewise grateful to Matteo Turilli for his equally helpful review of a specific chapter.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ess, C. Luciano Floridi’s philosophy of information and information ethics: Critical reflections and the state of the art. Ethics Inf Technol 10, 89–96 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-008-9172-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-008-9172-8