A Study on Moral Aspects of Emerging Technology1

Augustinus Setiawan1, Vidi Arini Yulimar2

STMIK PROVISI Semarang
1
augustinus_set@yahoo.com, 2vidiarini@yahoo.co.id

Abstract
Technology advancement has great impacts on humans’ morality; many people say that technology without
control can create chaos. The notion that technology is neutral as commonly understood by people does not
give satisfactory answer regarding the correlation between technology and problems raised because of
technology usage. Technological determinists give more satisfactory answer by stating that basically,
technology is not free from value.
Study on relation of humans, technology and the world can be used to explain the relation between
technology usage and ethical problem. Digital era is closely related with technology advancement and
empirically has significant impact by changing human culture. Technology does not only change what
humans do but also how they do it.
Although studies on the relation between technology and ethics have been done since long time ago,
this paper is trying to study the relations of ethics in digital era by looking at the relational variants between
technology, humans and the world from a newer perspective in a hope to give contribution regarding the
present condition.

Keywords: technology, ethics, digital era

1 ND
PROCCEDING of THE 2 INDONESIA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INNOVATION,
ENTERPRENEURSHIP, & SMALL BUSINESS – IICIES 2010 – JULY 11-15 – 2010.
1. Introduction
The digital era, as the result of
technology advancement, has given a lot of
questions regarding the impact of technology.
On one side, the advancement gives new hopes
on betterment, but on the other side, it gives
new concern, for example: the very fast and
out-of-moral control technology advancement
will lead to a chaos1.
Empirically, this concern arises on
daily life like many questions about the impact
of cyber-porn and other security issues.2. In
management life, digital system gives a lot of
facilities to send information or data, and to
analyze easily either in terms of time or
distance. Decision making and analysis can be
done fast. However, these facilities also
facilitate people to manipulate and modify data.
It can be seen that technology advancement has
ambivalence nature from technology usage.
This problem can be tracked down from moral
hazard issues as the impact of technology
usage3.
The notion that technology is neutral
does not give satisfactory answer regarding the
correlation between technology and problems
caused by technology usage. In many cases,
technology is not free from value, for example
the usage of technology in a certain company
will automatically push the company to apply
different competence standard, or the usage of
cellular phone shows significant change in
people’s daily habit pattern.
It can be said that technology usage
will change habit significantly. Hoven and
Weckert (2008) stated that technology does not
only change what we do, but also how we do.
E-mail, for example, has changed how we
communicate in writing. Before email exists,
people wrote letter, inserted the letter into an
envelope and after some time, the recipient
received the letter. Now everything has
changed, by using email everything can be sent
and received fast.
The issues on technology advancement,
of course can not only be seen pessimistically
and with concerns, because those will only
hinder the betterment. One solution to minimize
the concerns of technology advancement
impacts is by studying how far the moral hazard
issues emerged from the technology usage is.
These problems can be formulized as follows:
(i) what ethical consequences emerged from
technology usage in human’s life? And (ii) is
technology usage neutral, as understood
commonly? Or are there consequences like
habit change which lead to ethical problems?
Answering those two questions stated
before brings this study to the philosophy field.
Digital era is the result from technology
advancement. The correlation between
technology and ethics in philosophy field has
long been studied. The foundation of this
comprehension is known as ’ICT ethics’
(Bynum, 2008)4. Technology usage, like it or
not, will relate with ethical problems and this
relation is studied by technology philosophy,
i.e. what moral problems relate with technology
usage. One of the contemporary philosophy
branches is technological philosophy which
perceives technology as an important
phenomenon and thus it is needed to be
reflected thoroughly (Lim, 2008; 9). In
technological philosophy area, the question is:
Is technology already used properly with
humans’ dignity and what consequences
emerged from technology usage?
There are two perspectives on
technology; one perspective states that
technology is neutral and the other states that
technology is not neutral, as proposed by Ihde
(1990). Like Ihde (1990), Lim (2008, 17)
highlighted that technology is not neutral in a
sense that technology is a mediator between
humans and their world5.
Although this paper has a lot of
limitation because its discussion is only from
the theoretical and technological philosophy
perspectives, it tries to contribute by reflecting
the correlation of technology usage and ethical
problems. The answer of whether technology is
neutral or not, is the one related to the answer
of correlation between ethical dimensions in
digital era.
To make the study simple, the subject
of technology, digital era and ethics are
discussed in part 2, analysis on ethical and
technology issues are discussed in part 3 and
the discussion is closed with conclusion.
2. Digital Era and Ethics
2.1 Technology Determinism
According to Ihde (1990; 4) technology
neutrality has become the issue argued by two
groups: (i) social determinists and (ii)
technology determinists. The social determinist
group states that technology is a neutral entity.
Technology does not have any effects on it and
will only have effects when it is on human’s
hand. If technology is used against ethics, the
one which is against ethics is the user, not the
technology, so the one who makes technology
not neutral is human as the user of technology.
For example, internet is used by human, if
human uses it wisely human can get a lot of
useful information like literature for research.
On the other hand, if human uses it only to visit
‘bad’ sites, it will damage the moral of the user.
Technology determinists state that
technology is not neutral (Val Dusek, 2006:
84)6. Technology is created on its own lifecycle
and it runs by itself. Technology becomes
autonomous and dominates human with
instrumental way of thinking.7 Human is put
into a condition in which the thinking is
instrumental. Technology becomes a means and
also aim so it becomes artificial autonomy
which determines its own life and develops in a
cause and effect process.
This condition causes means to be more
important than aim which finally leads to
human slavery. This condition happens in daily
life and causes dismay. The opinion that
technology without moral control will cause
chaos is not without empirical base. The society
at present is technological society with
characteristics: (i) materialist, (ii) consumerist,
(iii) totalitarianism (Lim, 2008; 19).
Society becomes materialists because
all entities in society consist of material and
human is also seen as a material object.
Technology is the result of power development
because technology with its instrumental nature
has impacts on society. Technology as the
result of analytic and technical human thinking
reduces human into one dimension, i.e.
consumerist human. This consumerism is
reflected by considering all objects as
commodities.
Hiding behind its neutrality mask,
technology, in fact, hides technocratic
ideological power and becomes a kind of
dominant totalitarianism which controls human
without limit. Humans are faced with options as
if their needs could only be fulfilled with
technological ways.
Technological impacts assuming that
technology is not value-free are also proposed
by Moor (2008; 37) in his postulate, Moor
proposed that there is a positive relation
between technology usage and social-ethical
issues (Moor’s Law: As technological
revolutions increase their social impact, ethical
problems increase).
2.2 Technology and life
Jürgen and Hebermas proposed a more positive
perspective, i.e. technology is a system.
Technology has rationality which is technical,
instrumental, problem-solving oriented and
efficient. In this system, science and technology
become main production power and there is
also a social world which is open,
communicative and inter-subjective. Human is
considered as inter-subjective. Technology in
itself does not threaten human freedom, but
disturbance in communicative dimension. So, to
have more human nature, there should be a
communicative rationality.
Ihde is one of important thinker in
contemporary technological philosophy. He
studied technological philosophy and science
philosophy with special interest in image and he
also did some researches in inter-cultural
perception. According to Ihde, technology can
be approached from some perspectives:
epistemological, ethical, anthropological, and
metaphysical. Although his opinion was still
based on his experience, Ihde did not refer to
transcendental ego, that is why Ihde’s
phenomenology can be said as beyond classical
phenomenology and becomes post
phenomenology and he used variation theory8.
Heidegger can be called as the pioneer
of philosophical thinking of technology (Idhe,
1990; 31)9. Heidegger’s main thought stated
that technology usage will affect human’s life
perception and experience. This relation has
existential characteristic10. From
phenomenological side, Idhe (1990) described
some relations in which means will affect how
human experiences life (Lim, 2008; 77).
Previously, Heidegger had used
phenomenology in analyzing technology. He
analyzed calculative rationality in his work
‘The Question Concerning Technology’ and
descriptive analysis about means in “Being and
Time” (Lim, 2008; 101).
Idhe points out that humans experience
many kinds of things with technology and those
experiences realize human about the impact of
technology in his/her life. Non-neutral relation
with technology is the weak side; the strong
side shows various existential relations (Idhe,
1979). This fact shows that direction and aim of
humans’ life have been influenced by
technology, but not completely because the
relation is not total (Lim, 2008). The variation
of the relation is proposed by Idhe (1990; 107)
as shown in Figure.111.
Variant 1 embodiment relations
(Human – → World
Technology)
Variant 2 hermeneutic relations
Human → (technology – takes the leading part.
World)
Variant 3 alterity relations
Human → Technology – human perception and (ii). In this experience
(World)
Figure 1: Relation among human, technology
and the world
In embodiment relations, means is used
as extension of humans’ body. So means
becomes a part of humans’ body in connecting
with world. Means is a mediator. This relation
has existential characteristics because
technology is involved in its usage context.
Embodiment relations produce needs of
technology to be totally transparent or become a
part of humans’ body. Negatively, this need is
release of technological material. Human uses
technology to increase his/her capability, but
technology which is totally transparent is
technology which is used without realizing its
existence.
The second variant is hermeneutic
relation in which technology is only read as a
collection of text and should be defined. This
reading will substitute life and becomes object
of perception. Idhe gave crucial example about
nuclear reactor. The condition around reactor
can only be known from the instrument board.
If this instrument board fails to show what
really happens, the reactor condition will not be
known. Empirically, this kind of condition
often causes accident or loss in humans’ life.
This relation shows that technology is an object
without referring to negative connotation in
Heideggerian concept.
Alterity relations are the third variant
relation, in which technology is considered as
the other thing or the other quasi, to be exact12.
Ihde (1990) stated that technology in alterity
relation will not reach total phase because
technology only takes part as medium which
has alter nature. The brackets show that in
alterity relation, relation between human and
technology may or may not exist. The world
becomes the backgrounds while technology
Lim (2008; 124) stated that in all
relation variants between human and
technology, there are two important
characteristics: (i). Tools usage will change
change, permanent amplification and reduction
dimensions happen in all kinds of human-
technology relation. Generally, amplification
dimension has mono dimension characteristic
because it amplifies one characteristic of
perception experience only. Reduction
dimension is rarely noticed because it does not
attract attention, even more when the
technology becomes sophisticated and its
transparency degree increases.
2.3 Technology and Culture
There are differences on technology usage in
one culture and another. Western culture tends
to use technology as power. Technology is used
as way of thinking to manipulate and exploit
world as supply. For example, Western
countries and China used munitions differently.
Chinese, who first invented the munitions, only
use them as entertainment in celebrations. In
Western countries, munitions were used as
weapon in war to dominate and conquer other
countries (Lim, 2008; 136).
The example shows that technology
and culture are closely related to one another
and they are both used for in different ways and
for different purposes. Technological tool is
always involved conformably with its usage
context in the environment. When the tool is
moved to other culture, the one who moves is
not only the tool but also its relation with the
existing culture and value
Technology ambulation is always
accompanied by value and process ambulation.
One culture which accepts new technology will
depend on the party who makes the technology
and slowly there will be adjustment in which
value and tool usage moved change in
accordance with the recipients’ cultural context.
This is when value transformation happens.
As discussed before, social determinists
argue that technology is neutral or free from
value because it does not contain purposes in
itself. Ihde (1990) had different argument; he
stated that technology has certain trend (latent
telic) so it is not neutral. Technology capability
to change in accordance with culture which
receives it becomes technology-culture
structure called by Ihde as “multi stability.”
Multi stability comes from various perception
phenomena taken from the same object. For
example, Necker cube as shown in Figure 2
(Necker cube is an object of perception which
has ambiguity with two possible perspectives).
Humans’ brain can only regarded with one
perspective at one time. This cube can be seen
in many ways and shows different shape
characteristics (polymorphic).
Figure 2: Necker Cube
Figure 3: A cube which is seen as a diamond
This same cube can be imagined as a
diamond with strange shape; it has three
dimensions and is no longer like a cube, as
shown in Figure 3 (Ihde, 1990).
Multi stability is aimed by visual
perception from one similar shape but it has
some possible stable perspectives. Ihde (1990;
145) stated that this multi stability also follows
human-technology relation and also
technology-culture perspectives
2.3 Ethical Reflection
Ethics is orientation means for human effort to
answer a very fundamental question, i.e. how
does human have to live and act13? Ethics is not
the same with moral teaching14. Ethics is not
supplementary for moral teaching; ethics is
critical and fundamental thinking about moral
teachings and perspectives (Magnis-Suseno,
1987).
The question related with ethical
problem is: Why does human develop ethics?
Ethics does not aim to directly make human
better. Ethics is systematic thinking about
morality. The direct output is not a virtue; it is a
fundamental and critical understanding. So,
when technology advancement problem which

creates digital era is questioned from ethical
side, the aim is to study critically and
systematically the problems that might rise
regarding morality problems caused by
technology advancement (Schultz, 2010; 45).
Ethics is needed in humans’ life because:
1. Humans live in a more pluralistic society.
Normative order unity has become blurring.
Human is faced with many morality
perspectives which are often contradictory to
one another.
2. We live in unmatchable society
transformation era. Modernization and
globalization demand humans to think
critically by asking the existing morality.
3. Ethics makes human able to think critically
and objectively, so he/she can form his/her
own judgment and does not get carried away
easily.
Basically, ethics observe moral reality
critically. Ethics does not teach, ethics critically
checks habits, values, norms and moral
perspectives (Magnis-Suseno, 1987). Ethics
demands responsibility and discloses
ambiguity. Ethics does not let moral opinions
just like that, ethics demands responsibility for
those opinions.
Ethics reflection assumes that
something altruistic is considered more noble
(for many people’s interest – alter = other).
Reflection on moral action can be seen from
‘morality source’, i.e. is there harmony or not
among three factors of ‘morality source’ with
moral norm (Heinz Peschke, 1997). Moral
action becomes bad if one of the factors is
against moral norm.15 Those three factors are:
(i) human action object, i.e. direct effect from
an action (finis operis). (ii) Situation, i.e.
concrete human action context which does not
have to be related with the object. (iii) Purpose
or intention (finis operantis), i.e. reason why an
action is done.
This morality source can be used as
thinking foundation to study whether
technology usage is in accordance with moral
problems or not16. Logically, those three moral
factors have to be harmonious so that
technology usage is not contrary with moral
problems.
3. Analysis
The study on technology philosophy as
discussed before shows that humans’ perception
on technology gives important role in problems
issues related with ethics. Humans’ decision
lies on their own perception. There are some
relation variants among technology, humans,
and humans’ world. Each variant relates with
ethical implication in accordance with
perception brought by technology user.
For example, technology advance in
digital system enables people all over the world
to see the Gulf War reality (year 1990 – 1991)
in their own houses and in their own rooms.
The war is shown as what it is, so it creates
hatred against war. In Indonesia, the example is
terrorist ambush in Temanggung (2009) which
was aired in real time. Many people followed
the show all night long and felt like they were
on the spot. All of those happened because of
technology advancement and particularly,
image advancement.
The problem is different when the show
is only about the interest of those who show it.
It is undeniable that the show on the Gulf War
tended to depict only the winning of American
troop or successful bombing. Only some time
after, people began to know that the show was
not entirely true. There was a manipulation and
that was an ethical problem. So the question in
moral norm field is: what was the purpose of
the show? (Finis operatis). When the purpose
contained something hidden (hidden action),
there was possibly a moral hazard issue.
The fact became worse with perception
issue as explained by Idhe (1990). Even though
the audience knew that the show was not 100%
true, they perceived it as if it had been true. The
difference between true reality and false reality
did not exist. This is when ethical study plays
an important role because technology can easily
change people’s perception or lead people to a
judgment even if it is wrong.
In variant embodiment relations, tools
become humans’ body extension in their
relation with the world. The example of the
Gulf War Show describes that technology is
involved to see or show something in a certain
way and this causes perception change. For the
audience, technology is involved to see
something and for the creator, it is used to show
something. Moral hazard issue will emerge
because in a condition like this, it is possible
that asymmetric information exists.
Hermeneutic relations variant also
causes ethical problems. In this relation,
perception and inference play an important role.
Humans who use technology will infer
information shown or read in panel board. This
inference is done based on their own
perception. Accidents in nuclear reaction are
often used as example in this case. Medical
misdiagnose cases often happen because people
misread the information in instrument board,
this has become an empirical fact which can not
be denied in technology usage
Ihde (1990) stated that there are two
variants in these kinds of relation: (i) horizontal
variant and (ii) vertical variant. In horizontal
variant, humans are still able to recognize what
really happens (Lim, 2008: 112). Vertical
variant has big discontinuity characteristic
between reading which should be inferred and
real world. For example: humans’ cardiac
record reading in medical check-up needs
special inference. This inference needs study
and practice. Ethical problems emerged is the
necessity to differ direct perception from
perception resulted from tools.
Computer usage can be categorized into
the third variant (alterity relations). This
relation has high opacity and low
transparency17. Humans become very tied with
technology to substitute their job. The question
in this study is what ethical consequences
emerged from technology advancement usage
in management? Actually, there are many
ethical problems which need to be studied.
Software application in accounting/ financing,
in one side, will help speed in financial
analyzing and reporting. In the other side,
unsensitivity in reviewing data accuracy and
report often happens. Humans often depend on
tools.
That technology is not neutral, as
discussed before, becomes the base of study
related with ethical problems. Technology, like
it or not, gives ethical effects as stated by Moor
(2008). Like it or not, it can not be denied that
technology changes the way time, dimension
and also language are perceived18.
4. Conclusion
Study on ethical dimensions related with
technology is only possible to do when it is
seen from technology philosophy or particularly
teleology. Technology which we use in daily
life, especially in digital era needs deep ethical
reflection. Technology neutrality perspective
makes human forget the basic intention of
technology creation, which is to escalate
humans’ dignity.
Empirically, when technology
advancement is not comprehended from ethical
perspective, this advancement pushes human to
be technologic society and posses materialistic
and consumerist characteristics. All entities in
society consist of material and humans are
finally regarded as material object. All of this
roots on technology totalitarianism. Technology
as the result of humans analytical and technical
thinking reduces human into one dimension;
consumerist human.
This study has a lot of limitations
because it only discusses relation between
technology and human from ethical perspective.
Studies related with ethical/ moral issues and
technology application is really needed, not
only to give reflection upon technology
advancement so that it will not go off course,
but also to help put technology existence
properly in humans’ life.
Bibliography
Bynum T. W. (2008). Norbert Wiener and the
Rise of Information Ethic. In. Hoven J. dan
Weckert J. Information Technology and Moral
Philosophy. Cambridge University Press. (p. 8
– 25)
De Vries M. (2005) Teaching about
Technology. An Introduction to the philosophy
of Technology for Non-philosophers. Springer
Heinz Peschke, K. ( 1997). Chrisliche Ethic,
Grundlegungen der Moraltheologie. Paulinus
Verlag, Trier. Penerjemah Alex Armanjaya,
Yosef M. Florisan, G. Kirchberger. Penerbit
Ledalero. 2003.
Hoven J. dan Weckert J. (2008). Information
Technology and Moral Philosophy. Cambridge
University Press.
Ihdle, Don. (1979). Technics and Praxis: A
Philosophy of Technology. Dordrecht:
Reidel Publisher.
Ihdle, Don. (1990). Technology and the
Lifeworld: from Garden to Earth. Bloomington:
Indiana University Press
Keraf S., A. (1998). Etika Bisnis, Tuntutan dan
Relevansinya. Pustaka Filsafat, Penerbit
Kanisius.
Lim F. (2008). Filsafat Teknology. Don Ihle
tentang Dunia, Manusia dan Alat,
Penerbit Kanisius.
Magnis-Suseno F. (1987). Etika Dasar,
Masalah-masalah Pokok Filsafat Moral.
Pustaka Filsafat. Penerbit Kanisius.
Magnis-Suseno F., Djiwandono J., S., dan
Prakarsa W. (1994). Etika Bisnis, Dasar dan
Aplikasinya. PT Gramedia.
Moor J.H (2008). Why We Need Better Ethics
for Emerging Tecnologies? In. Hoven J. dan
Weckert J. Information Technology and Moral
Philosophy. Cambridge University Press. (p. 26
– 39)
Schultz, R.A, (2010). Information Technology
and the Ethics of Globalization: Transnational
Issues and Implications. IGI Global.
Information Science Reference
Trevino L.,K. dan Nelson K., A. (1999).
Managing Business Ethics. John Wiley
& Sons. Inc.
Val Dusek (2006). Philosophy of Technology :
an Introduction. Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Velasques M. G. (2002). Business Ethics,
Concepts and Cases. 5th ed. Pearson
Education, Inc.
1
This study refers to Don Ihde’s perspective (1990)
in his book ‘Technology and the Lifeworld: From
Garden to Earth’, and also Lim’s perspective (2008)
in his book ‘Filsafat Teknologi – Don Ihle tentang
Dunia, Manusia, dan Alat’. From some perspectives
on technology philosophy, it can be synthesized that
moral control plays an important role in technology
advancement. Technology advancement without
moral control will lead to a chaos. Hoven dan
Weckert (2008), in their book”Information
Technology and Moral Philosophy”, explained about
the correlation between moral and technology issues.
2
In Internet training or ICT-based teaching material
development workshop, many teachers expressed
their concerns on pornography and cyber porn
issues. They are worried that students who use
Internet will surf to any sites they want, without
adults’ supervisory, and if they visited porn sites,
their morality would be affected.
3
Technology can be defined into 3 definitions: (i)
technology as hardware; (ii) technology as a way
and (iii) technology as a system (Van Dusek, 2006,
31). The understanding that technology is a system
is used in this study because it considers technology
as a whole.
4
Bynum (2008) explained that Wiener, in his book ‘
The Human Use of Human Being’ written in 1950
and revised in 1954, put a base for discussion on the
relation between ethics and technology which is
known as “ICT ethics’.
5
Issues on technology neutrality are debated by (i)
technological determinists and (ii) social
determinists. Social determinists state that
technology is just a neutral entity. On itself,
technology does not have any impacts. Technology
only affects when it is on humans’ hands (Lim,
2008, 17).
6 17
This opinion was proposed by Ellul and Marcuse. Opacity refers to awareness on tool usage, while
In his book, Lim (2008) discussed a lot about transparency refers to ignorance on tool existence in
technology determinism. usage (Lim, 2008; 120)
7 18
According to technological determinism, as Discussion about technology capability to change
technology develops and changes, the institutions in how time, dimension, and language are perceived
the rest of society change, as does the art and can be read in Lim (2008).
religion of the society (Val Dusek, 2006: 84).
8
See Lim (2008; 25).
9
Idhe (1990; 31) stated that: ‘Martin Heidegger
surely is known as one of the foremost philosophers
of technology. As early as Being and Time (1927),
there were prototypical analyses of technological
experience and its implications. Being and Time
actually preceded Husserl's Crisis (1936) and, as a
response to and critique of his older colleague's
work, it also helped provoke a turn in the latter's
emphasis concerning the notion of a lifeworld’.
10
Discussion on technology philosophy by
Heidegger can be read in Lim (2008) and also Idhe
(1990).
11
More detail explanation can be read in Von Dusek
(2006; 73).
12
The term ”the other thing” was proposed by
Emmanuel Levinas (Lim, 2008; 116).
13
Magnis Suseno (1987) in his book ‘Etika Dasar:
Masalah-masalah pokok filsafat moral’ explained
that ethics is humans’ orientation in answering
fundamental questions so that they can be
responsible for their action.
14
Ethics and moral in practical use are often similar.
Ethics is derived from Greek ‘ethos’, the plural form
is ‘ta etha’ which means ‘tradition’ or habit. This
definition is almost similar with the word morality
which is derived from Latin word ‘ mos’, the plural
form is ‘mores’ which means ‘tradition’ or habit. So,
in this definition, there is similarity between ethics
and morality. In other understanding, ethics is
considered as moral philosophy or a science which
studies values and norms given by morality (Keraf,
1998). In this definition, business ethics is a science
which studies business morality critically.
15
This definition is implicitly shown in short Latin
proverb: Bonum ex integra causa, malum ex quovis
defectu (Heinz Peschke, 1997)
16
One famous example is a poor widow and a rich
man who both donate to a worship place. The poor
widow donates a little with all her heart, while the
rich man donates much boastfully. The donation
from the poor widow has greater morality value
because it was for good reason (sharing) compared
to the donation from the boastful man.