User:Tee131910/Ethics in Internet

Ethics in the Internet is a statement published by President John Patrick Foley of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications on February 28th, 2002. Its concern is the Internet’s emergence and whether or not it serves proper ethical grounds to the international community. The document itself touches upon many aspects of the Internet, including its emergence as a dominant influence on globalization. It also quotes several of thePontifical Council for Social Communications texts to emphasize its points and the Catholic Church’s overall opinions about new media. The text is structured under four headings: Introduction, About the Internet, Some Areas of Concern, Recommendations and Conclusion.

Introduction

The document begins with a quote from the PCSC titled Communio et Progressio. It elaborates by stating that people around the world are interconnected and asks whether this is helping individuals “be true to their transcendent destiny.” It goes on to say that, in many respects, it does but, like a coin, it has another side, which has the ability to be wrongfully used. It elaborates on the idea that the Internet is not just the latest, but also the most powerful form of media. The document wishes to set out a Catholic view on the Internet because the church provides commitment to the dignity of people and has a “long tradition for moral wisdom.” It emphasizes the idea that there is dependency between the good of the individuals and the good of their communities. Therefore, people must work for the international common good. It then discusses rapid growth of globalization and how new media drives it. While it causes some to grow richer, others become poorer, which creates a bigger gap between the rich and poor. Globalization, as it shifts power from States to transnational corporations, has been forced upon many disadvantaged people. The document emphasizes that the internet can be used for good but “only if it is used in light of clear, sound ethical principles, especially the virtue of solidarity” because it is not just a source of problems but a source of benefits as well.

About the Internet

Under this heading, the document discusses the many features the Internet has. It states that “it is egalitarian, in the sense that anyone with the necessary equipment and modest technical skill can be an active presence in cyberspace, declare his or her message to the world, and demand a hearing.” It can break down isolation or cause it. The document then states how it originated during the Cold War years by creating decentralized computers so that if one breaks, the others will still have the data. Yet, Its decentralization allowed for the interest of radical libertarians to be recognized. There is also a convergence of interest between liberty of cyber expression and commercial activity on a neo-liberal model. It then suggests that the Internet can unite many, but it can also cause conflict between them as groups or individuals. They can be separated by “ideology, politics, possessions, race and ethnicity, intergenerational differences and even religion.” It suggest that the internet has already been used almost as “a weapon of war” and that it would be “painfully ironic” for the Internet to have the power to, not only bring people together, but go back to its Cold War origins and cause international conflict.

Further Reading

• English text of Ethics in Internet
• English text of Communio et Progressio