ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book collects some of the most influential papers that have animated the debate in information and computer ethics since the mid-1980s. It describes different positions in the debate on machine ethics, the area of research focusing on issues concerning morality of artificial agents, a topic which spans the very possibility of building moral machines to whether building such machines would be an ethical choice. The book offers an original and innovative analysis of anonymity online, with a focus on digital vigilantism and “hactivism.” It focuses on the embedding of ethical values in the process of designing technological artifacts. The book analyzes impacts of information and communication technologies (ICT) on social interactions and related ethical problems. It also focuses on the impact of ICTs on society at large: issues pertaining to information overload, research ethics, and cyber warfare are addressed in this case.
