[Air-l] universal ethics?

[Charles Ess]

Hi all,

 Radhika wrote in response to Peter T.

 PT >> If there are universal ethics we can prove these on the Internet.
 >
 >
 RG> whose ethics will be universalised do you suppose? and what kinds of
 > intolerances might that validate/legitimize?
 >
Exactly the right questions - thank you, Radhika!
And I would gently reply: I think we can propose an ethics that begins in part with the universal value implicit in the suggestion here that "universal" claims have all too often in the past served as excuses for colonialism, imperialism, and other forms of oppression and violence - namely, that tolerance for Others (those whose identities, views, and practices may differ radically from our own) and affiliated presumptions of human equality should be endorsed exactly as the bases for criticizing claims to universality that instead led to colonialism, etc.
I would add: this tolerance is not unlimited.  Rather, I think it's quite possible to endorse tolerance as a universal value - but not thereby be committed to tolerating, say, fascist regimes and violent repression of women and minorities.  On the contrary, by proposing that rights to integrity, autonomy, cultural identity, and so forth are, at the very least, strong candidates for universal rights (and their attendant obligations) - such universal rights and values provide precisely the grounds for criticizing earlier "universal" claims affiliated with colonialism, etc., as well as for criticizing contemporary expressions of violence and intolerance of "the Other".
My (admittedly characteristic mid-Western [North American]) optimism on this point is fueled in part precisely by the success of the AoIR ethical guidelines.  Admittedly, while our ethics working committee included members from Malaysia and Thailand, the background for the guidelines were largely derived from "Western" countries such as the U.S., the E.U., Scandinavia, and the U.K.  Nonetheless, the guidelines are reported to us as being used in apparently effective ways in an increasing range of cultural venues. 
 Moreover, my more recent work (with the help, I must hasten to add, of many, many colleagues in these domains) on Information Ethics and Internet Research Ethics in countries such as China, Japan, Thailand, and Korea also offer grounds for optimism.  For example, two recent examples of Internet research in Japan demonstrate more or less perfect consonance with the AoIR guidelines recommendations regarding informed consent, protection of confidentiality, anonymity,  and personal data, etc. 
Indeed, emerging conceptions of privacy and data privacy protection law in these countries - while clearly retaining distinctive cultural “shape” in their conception and application - are nonetheless recognizable cousins of "Western" conceptions and laws.  This suggests that even across the considerable cultural differences, say, between the U.S. and Germany, on the one hand, and China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, and Hong Kong, on the other - there may be agreement on basic (universal?) values such as privacy, while at the same time recognizing the validity of clearly different implementations and understandings of what data privacy protection means in practice in each country, as shaped by very different cultural backgrounds, histories, and traditions.

 This is not to say that all cultural differences and resulting conflicts can be deftly side-stepped through such pluralism (I have examples of these as well).  But I do think that universal values may be discerned - in part, through an on-going dialogue that works to critically assess any such putative values, precisely with a critical eye towards how any such values might in fact work in oppressive rather than liberating ways.  Indeed, I think we make more progress towards some sort of shared, humane value system_s_ and ethics through such dialogues, rather than giving up the effort, however much previous failures and disasters might tempt us to do so.
I _don’t_ take Radhika’s point to encourage such temptation – but wanted to offer these comments.
Hope this helps in some way.  All the best in the meantime,

Charles Ess
Distinguished Research Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies
Drury University
900 N. Benton Ave.
Springfield, Missouri 65802 USA
        voice: (1) 417-873-7230
           fax: (1) 417-873-7435
homepage: www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html

"The world can provide for everyone's needs - but not for everyone's greed."  - Gandhi