Professional Ethics in Information Technology

Abstract

The ethical significance of information technology, due to its increasing intertwining with social life, has led to its recognition as a profession. Organizations such as ACM and IEEE have developed sets of principles and ethical codes for this profession and periodically update them. However, firstly, the ethical foundations of this profession and its principles and codes are not clearly defined in meta-ethics and normative ethics; secondly, these principles and codes often lose their effectiveness in many complex situations for professionals in the field, as they may conflict with one another in certain scenarios. This book aims to clarify the ethical foundations of this profession and its ethical codes while presenting an ethical model to assist in decision-making in such situations. To develop this model, the book will explain the theoretical foundations upon which the information technology profession can be based, drawing on various teachings and approaches, including the perspective of Sir David Ross, the doctrine of double effect, and Judith Thomson's approach in normative and applied ethics. Finally, a professional code of ethics will be presented, along with concrete examples and instances of ethical codes.