Abstract
Based on Neuser’s conception of knowledge (Neuser, Wissen begreifen. Zur Selbstorganisation von Erfahrung, Handlung und Begriff. Springer, Heidelberg, 2013) a new characterization of morals is given which transfers the structure of knowledge to morals. This transformation is designed in a way such that the dynamic role of the inner functionalities is preserved. As a consequence a methodology evolves which explains the rise of morals in a society and at the same time identifies the factors that govern its internal dynamics. Especially, the influences of it-structures and technologies on the rise and change of morality can then be clearly understood. This approach thus prepares the conceptual grounds for questions of orientation, self-reassurance, and self-positioning of a society in view of the technological development.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
It does not withstand that sometimes examples taken from everyday’s life are used to illustrate philosophical issues but they are meant just to complement the theoretical discussion.
- 2.
Cf. especially the so-called pragmatic maxim in [15, p. 293].
- 3.
There are slight differences that are not important, though. For example, incidences (the ‘results’ of actions) do not play a role in common knowledge.
- 4.
- 5.
As a side-effect this self-conception gave much authority to the institution that was considered (and widely accepted) as the legitimate authority to proclaim God’s wisdom and his unbounded and limitless knowledge.
- 6.
For this concept of appropriation cf. [9].
- 7.
- 8.
It is more probable that it will be superseded by a subsequent technological application.
- 9.
Experiences are conceptually interpreted entities.
- 10.
Cf. also Sect. 11.2 above.
- 11.
Cf. Neuser’s conception of ‘concept’.
- 12.
Cf. the characterization of Neuser’s approach given above.
- 13.
Cf. Max Weber’s foundational remarks [20, p. 7].
References
Baumann P (2002) Erkenntnistheorie. Metzler, Stuttgart
Davidson D (1963) Actions, reasons, and causes. J Philos 60:685–700
Flammarion C (1888) L’Atmosphere: Météorologie Populaire. Paris. Woodcut with caption: “Un missionaire du moyen âge raconte qu’il avait trouvé le point où le ciel et la Terre se touchent…”, p 163. Reproduction graphics taken from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flammarion_with_caption.jpg
Grimmelmann J (2005) Regulation by software. Yale Law J 114:1721–1758
International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) version 2013. Edited by the World Health Organization. Cf. http://www.dimdi.de/static/de/klassi/icd-10-gm/
Klein D, Phuoc T-G, Hartmann M (2013) Big data. Inform Spektrum 36(6):319–323
Kling R (2007) What is social informatics and why does it matter? Inf Soc Int J 23(4):205–220
Korhonen T, Hostikka S, Keski-Rahkonen O (2005) A proposal for the goals and new techniques of modelling pedestrian evacuation in fires. Fire Saf Sci 8:557–567. IAFSS Symposium
Lenski W (2010) Information: a conceptual investigation. Information 1(2):74–118. Available at http://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/1/2/74/pdf
Müller G, Wahlster W (2013) Placing humans in the feedback loop of social infrastructures. Inform Spektrum 36(6):520–529
Neuser W (2013) Wissen begreifen. Zur Selbstorganisation von Erfahrung, Handlung und Begriff. Springer, Heidelberg
Obama administration unveils “Big Data” initiative: announces $200 million in new R&D investments. Press Release of The White House, March 29 (2012) Available at www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/big_data_press_release_final_2.pdf
Orwat C, Raabe O, Buchmann E et al (2010) Software als Institution und ihre Gestaltbarkeit. Inform Spektrum 33(6):626–633
Paech B, Poetzsch-Heffter A (2013) Informatik und Gesellschaft: Ansätze zur Verbesserung einer schwierigen Beziehung. Inform Spektrum 36(3):242–250
Peirce CS (1878) How to make our ideas clear. Pop Sci Mon 12:286–302. Reprinted in: Hartshorne C, Weiss, P (eds) (1934) Collected papers of Charles Sanders Peirce, vol. 5, paragraphs 388–410
Platon (1578) Theaitetos. In: Stephanus H (ed) Platonis opera quae extant omnia, 3 vols, vol 1. Paris. German translation in: Schleiermacher F (ed) (1804) Sämtliche Werke. Hamburg
Reiss K, Schmieder G (2007) Basiswissen Zahlentheorie. Eine Einführung in Zahlen und Zahlbereiche. Springer, Heidelberg
Rohde M, Wulff V (2011) Sozio-Informatik. Inform Spektrum 34(2):210–213
Schneider C (2013) “Das muss man immer für sich selber abwägen” oder: Das moralische Wissen von Studierenden der Informatik. Inform Spektrum 36(3):287–292
Weber M (1991) The nature of social action. In: Runciman WG (ed) Weber: selections in translation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. German original in [21]
Weber M (1922) Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Grundriss der verstehenden Soziologie. Tübingen
Weizenbaum J (1977) Computer power and human reason. From judgement to calculation. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Lenski, W. (2014). Morals, IT-Structures, and Society. In: Zweig, K., Neuser, W., Pipek, V., Rohde, M., Scholtes, I. (eds) Socioinformatics - The Social Impact of Interactions between Humans and IT. Springer Proceedings in Complexity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09378-9_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09378-9_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09377-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09378-9
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)