Technology: A Blessing - Term Paper Example

? Technology: A Blessing [Academic Level] Technology has tremendously developed in this twentieth century. With the discovery of computers, communication technology, internet, the world is getting smaller by easy access and communications worldwide. Aside from the convenience and easy access, the power of computers and internet have opened up access to invincible quantity of information as never before. This has contributed a lot to advancement in medical field, educational field, business world and social life. However, human have normal tendencies of failures and shortcomings due to imperfection and limitations. Legal and ethical aspects of computer technology were not able to keep up with the rapid race of technology, that tend to create social, legal and ethical concerns that considered important aspects of our lives. Even then, this paper will discuss that technology being weighed against its cons, is still considerably a blessing to human society. Technology: A Blessing Introduction The world’s lifestyles have always undergone change. Largely because technology has sparked a continuous revolution that had a profound effect on human society. What was innovative in yesterday is redundant today, and what is trendy today will be obsolete tomorrow. However, rapid changes on technology have a marked impact in the business world, medical advances, education field, and social life, as well. Imagine having at your fingertips a collection of literature that would rival some of the world’s greatest libraries. Imagine millions of articles and similar items from thousands of books, magazines, newspapers, and other works that would fit on your desk. Students and educators benefited a lot. Even medical researchers can assimilate updated information at a glance. Imagine the comfort and convenience of electronic emails to business entities. Aside from the convenience and comfort, this advancement on technology creates a productive human society. But despite of these benefits on advancing technology, legal and ethical aspects of the internet are not able to keep pace with rapid revolution of technology that tend to create social, legal and ethical concerns that deals with “protection of intellectual property, prevention of fraud, protection of freedom of expression versus problems of defamation, protection of privacy, control of internet indecency versus free speech, and control of spamming” (“Study Guide: Legal and Ethical Aspects”, n.d, introduction section, para.1). Likewise, an article entitled “Social and ethical issues in computer science”(n.d), described computer technology as a double-edged sword because of the technological issues on potential dilemma of loss of privacy and theft besides its significant industrial revolution (p.2). Absolutely, there is no perfect technology. Since, the rapid computer revolution has overtaken the development of legal and ethical aspects that supposed to guide the application of computer innovations, there are only few clear rules that govern ethical computer behavior. Therefore, Computer and Information Ethics, or computer ethics, in a more specific term, is being designated as the branch of applied ethics that studies and analyzes social and ethical impacts of information and communication technology, and may also refer to kind of professional ethics wherein computer professionals apply standards of good practice within their profession (Computer and Information ethics, 2008). However, despite the risk that technology offers, at present, the main thrust of research` seems to focus on continuous improvement of technology that is already available. Most often, successive steps in technology are revolutionary and bring improvements that are hundreds of times better. Technical Issues According to Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2008), American scholar Norbert Wiener was the founder of the new branch of applied science of “cybernetics” in the mid 1940s, which is now known to us as “computer ethics” or “information ethics”. It was during the time of the Second World War, Wiener, with his colleagues in America and Great Britain, helped to develop electronic computers and other new and powerful information technologies Then, he conjectured that after the war, there would be “a second industrial revolution”, an “automatic age” with “enormous potential for good and for evil” that would create astounding number of new ethical encounters and chances (The Foundation of Computer and information Ethics section, para.4). After the war in 1948, he wrote three books successively, such are: Cybernetics that discussed some social and ethical implications of electronic computers, and after two years the book The Human Use of Human Beings that explored the ethical issues that would likely generate from computer and information technology, then after thirteen years, the book God and Golem, Inc. that included topics that of relevant today, which are: “computers and security, computers and unemployment, responsibilities of computer professionals, computers for persons with disabilities, computers and religion, information networks and globalization, virtual communities, teleworking, merging of human bodies with machines, robot ethics, artificial intelligence, and a number of other subjects”(para.5). These three books laid down significant foundation and effective methodology in today’s field of computer and information ethics (para.6). Weiner wisely linked in his book The Human Use of Human Beings the effects of information technology on key human values as to” life, health, happiness, abilities, knowledge, freedom, security, and opportunities”(para.7). Obviously, Weiner’s forecasted views have been proven to be the significant features of application of information ethics today. Despite of unethical practices of internet, the impact of technology on society, which is the positive effects of technology, is so prevalent in various fields of life. Technology has revolutionized communication during the past decade. Access to people and information, practically anywhere in the world, has become quicker, cheaper, and easier. Our modern ways of communicating information are almost beyond our comprehension. One foremost example is with the use of internet, wherein dissemination of information is increasing faster than anyone can assimilate it. If a businessman wants to find information in magazines on leveraged buyouts, after signing in his password, he can request information on magazines in just a matter of seconds. Even a student can look up virtually any subject taught in school. In just a fingertip, a collection of literature, millions of articles and similar items from thousands of books, magazines, newspapers, and other works are accessible through simple commands. Medical personnel can monitor the most recent research in the field of medicines and can also keep track of recent regulations affecting the pharmaceutical industry. Attorneys can locate cases that are resemblance of their current clients and can research the various ways any given case has been cited in the courts. Also, in recent years, social networking sites have been introduced and opened up a new world of possibilities most especially on youths that made computer internet as their lifeline of social world. Technology has turned the world into a global village and influenced people’s lives worldwide almost instantly. However, on discussion about the positive impact of technology on our society, Oak (n.d.) noted also some negative implications. When he mentioned the wonders of miracles of wireless communication by emails and cellular technology, he noted that communication lost its human touch by replacing handwritten letters, therefore we are being deprived of the warmth of personal contact. He also noted that as computer technology and robotics have almost replaced human brains can lead to severe cases of unemployment and crime. Yet, positive impact of technology outweighs the negative implications especially in the field of medical technology. Researchers are developing more advanced scanners and nonsurgical tools that will detect changes within the body that promises early detection and treatment of disease. In fact, people today enjoy relatively better health and a longer life span than did those who lived centuries ago. This is partly because of the technological revolution. Modern inventions have changed the way we do things, and many laborious jobs have become more bearable. The medical profession has made great strides in the fight against disease, improving the health of most. Legal and regulatory section As Internet usage increases significantly, this gives demand to a variety of legal and regulatory issues on the part of policy makers to contract security risks inherent and to protect property rights online. Cyberlaw is the general term referring to all legal and regulatory aspects of the Internet and the World Wide Web. This is important because it handles all facets of transactions and activities concerning internet. Whereas, Cybercrimes refers to criminal activities done in cyberspace. This is divided into three major categories which are crime against persons such as pornography and harassment, crime against property such as spamming, privacy issues, copyright and patent, crime against government such as cyber terrorism. Since this is a newly established field, a lot of improvement has to be taken to put into place the relevant legal procedure for controlling and preventing Cybercrime (Cyberlaw, n.d.) But as reported, there are approximately 40 federal laws that govern the prosecution of cybercrimes, in which the most prominent are the Copyright Act, the National Stolen Property Act, mail and wire fraud statutes, the Electronic Communication Privacy Act, the Communications Decency Act of 1996, the Child Pornography Prevention Act, and the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996 (“Computer Crime”, n.d). Efforts have been exerted by the policy makers to minimize technology risk of cybercrimes. Therefore, positive impact of technology on human society far outweighs the negative effects. Otherwise, setting aside legal obligations, as this is far different from ethical rules, some problems poses more on ethical inclinations and these are within individual’s jurisdiction whether what kind of ethical principles he wishes to apply. There are specific activities that are governed by laws, while there are technological aspects that are governed by ethical principles. Since Computer Ethics is somehow defined as “social and ethical use of new technology”(“Social and ethical issues”, n.d., p.9), ethical analysis on technology’s progressive application must be taken into consideration. Ethics Section Obviously, the founding of Computer Ethics is a response to social and technical developments. It now poses a question of whether the social demand is best sustained by instituting new fields of applied ethics. Wherein, it is believed that the existing ethical issues as technology progressed, were not really new and can be dealt with the prevailing theories and concepts from moral philosophy. Therefore, the new ethical reflection of applied ethics is somewhat comparable to applications of theories, normative standards, ideas and methodologies already developed in moral philosophy (Philosophy of Technology, 2009). An example of applicable supportive theory of moral philosophy is normative ethics. This involves two areas which are deontological theory and consequential theory. Deontological theories include duty theory, which covers list of virtues character traits that a person should try to acquire, rights theory that encompasses rights that all people have and others are obliged to acknowledge, and categorical imperatives which draws the Kant ethical principle of “treat people as an end and not a means to an end”. Consequential theories involved with an action that is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable. Utilitarianism is the ethical principles that involved and directed into two areas as act, which tally the consequences of each action, for each action in each situation, and rule, which tally the consequences of adopting a rule (“Social and ethical issues”, n.d.). Normally, laws and regulations are based on ethical principles. Since there is no universal and general rule that can accommodate the technological risks, moral philosophy must be considered as applicable procedures and behavioral guidelines on facing technological issues, therefore acknowledging the blessings of technology on human lives. Yet, there appeared to be a notion that technology is viewed as value-neutral. In an article that tries to dismiss this notion, Alex Payne (2011) quoted that Alec Ross, a senior advisor to Hillary Clinton, said that technology is value-neutral, that it depends on the government on how it chooses to use technologies. It appeared that he stated this to defend the state’s wrong political strategy as they employed technology on this strategy. Unknowingly of the real reason behind, some may agree with this notion, to accommodate the cons created by technologies and to justify the technical results. However, this notion proves false if ethical theories are being applied. Technical development is considered as a goal-oriented process by most philosophers of technology, and that technological artifacts have certain functions and can be used for certain goals. Thereby, this perspective suggests that technology can have moral agency, that technologies can liberally act in a moral sense and can be held morally responsible for their actions (Philosophy of Technology, 2009) Social Responsibility and Impact Section In traditional philosophy and ethics of technology, engineers are characterized as high priests of technology, thereby, they must assume responsibility for the technologies they developed. This seems reasonable since in engineering codes of ethics emphasized three types of their responsibilities, which are: their practice of profession with integrity and honesty in a competent way; their responsibilities towards their employers and clients; and their responsibility towards the public and society. With due emphasis on social responsibility towards society, most US codes of ethics “maintain that engineers ‘should hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public’(Philosophy of Technology, 2009, Responsibility section, para.2). The engineer’s code of ethics is said to be not morally binding but somehow express moral responsibilities. One noted typical condition for responsibility is that when “casually contributory action was in some way faulty, i.e. the actor can be blamed for the blamed for the contributory action”(Responsibility section, para.5). On the other hand, as the article continued to narrate, if the traditional philosophical concepts of assumed responsibility is applied to engineering and technology, it might end up that nobody will be assumed responsible for particular unfavorable outcomes. Why? Not because philosophical ethics are tolerating the undesirable effects while considering the substantial social consequences of technology, but rather because in most cases of negative effects, these could have been avoided if certain precautions had been implemented and that certain people could have cooperated better. Engineers, researchers and technologists, being aware of their assumed social responsibilities, will positively perform their tasks proficiently. Technological risks are unintentional and inevitable since there is no perfect research. Unless proven that negligence of precautionary measures were being implemented, nobody would be assumed liable for the unfavorable consequences. In the presence of intentional malicious acts, policy makers are performing their duties in implementing laws, restrictions and necessary disciplinary measures. Both agents of technology and benefactors hold social responsibility of their actions by employing technology decently. Conclusion Considering the social, legal and ethical concerns that brought about by technology advancement, most importantly privacy concern and protection of intellectual property, as being weighed comparably on the benefits of modern technology, still technology manifest as a blessing on human society. We are living in an imperfect world, wherein experiments and research are being performed in a trial-and-error basis. So, as technology continue to explore, expect unfavorable consequences, and some maybe even worse than what we have today. If some people tend to take hold on the negative effects brought about by technology, he will be held responsible for his actions especially that the government is doing his part in implementing laws on disciplinary measures. No one can deny the numerous benefits of advancing technology especially in the field of communication and information technology. Imagine, with three items only, a personal computer, a modem, and a telephone line, you can transform these desk top items into a virtual library that can emit millions, or even more, information that will be of great help to anyone. Endless amounts of information is just a click away. The quantity of information can be likened to a sea, so we must learn how to swim without drinking much of it, to adopt such a proportion of knowledge and information. But we must be selective and bear our own responsibility on how to utilize information. As we travel along with modern technology, more advancement will surely be on our way. By all means, we can utilize it and be a benefactor as long as we use it responsibly and considerately. In that way, technology will always be a blessing to us. References Computer and information ethics. (2008). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved Nov. 07, 2011 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-computer/ Computer crime-anti-cyber-crime-legislation.(n.d.) Free Encyclopedia of E-Commerce. Retrieved Nov. 07, 2011 from http://ecommerce.hostip.info/pages/239/Computer-Crime- ANTI- CYBER-CRIME-LEGISLATION.html Cyberlaw. (n.d). Cyberlaw India. Retrieved Nov. 07, 2011 from cts http://www.cyberlaws.net/cyberindia/cybfaq.htm Oak, M. (n.d). What is the impact of technology on our society. Buzzle.com. Retrieved Nov. 17, 2011 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-the-impact-of-technology-on-our- society.html Payne, A. (2011). Technology is value-neutral. Just Jo Homepage. Retrieved Nov. 08, 2011 from http://www.jocalling.com/2011/02/technology-is-value-neutral/ Philosophy of Technology. (2009). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved Nov. 08, 2011 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/technology/ Social and ethical issues in computer science. (n.d). Retrieved Nov.07, 2011 from http://www.fixedpoint.org/sarah/seweb.pdf Study guide: Legal and ethical aspects of the internet. (n.d). TekXam Homepage. Retrieved Nov. 07, 2011 from http://www.tekxam.com/StudyGuide/concepts/Ethics-and- Legal/TekXam_Legal_and_Ethical_Study_Guide.html Read More