A very good book on the subject of ethics with respect
to information technology is Michael Quinn??™s Ethics for the Information Age, 2nd Ed., 2006. Quinn discusses
a number of ethical theories. An ethical theory is a means by which to reflect on moral questions, come to some
conclusion, and defend the conclusion against objections.
Quinn lists six or seven ethical theories, depending upon whether one groups the two forms of utilitarianism
together:
1 Subjective relativism
2 Cultural relativism
3 Divine command
4 Kantianism
5 Act utilitarianism
6 Rule utilitarianism
7 Social contract theory
Quinn discards the first three as being inappropriate to reasoned debate of moral questions. The relativism
theories provide no objective basis for recommending one action over another, and the divine command theory
provides no basis for argument when people of different faiths consider the same moral dilemma.
On the other hand, Kantianism demands that we make our choices only according to rules that we would
be comfortable making universal moral rules. As a trivial example, if a Kantian considered the question, ???Is it
alright to waste printer paper???? the Kantian would consider whether they would endorse a universal moral rule
saying, ???It is OK to waste printer paper.
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