Co-Hosted Talk with NOYCE, Ari Edmunson (UC Berkeley), "What is Moral Philosophy Good for? Reflections on Teaching the “Human Contexts and Ethics of Data”"

The Philosoophy Department is co-hosing a speaker the NOYCE School of Applied Computing. Dr. Ari Edmundson (Department of History/School of Data Science, UC Berkeley) will be presenting "What is Moral Philosophy Good for? Reflections on Teaching the “Human Contexts and Ethics of Data”

Time/Location:  Thursday, November 14, 11:10-12:00, 20-231 (Engineering East)

Abstract: Moral philosophy occupies an odd position in the world of “data ethics.” On the one hand, certain strands of moral philosophy shape the worldviews of powerful Silicon Valley insiders, especially those associated with industry-centered visions of “AI Safety.” On the other hand, influential critical voices in academia and activist circles tend to eschew the tradition of moral philosophy altogether, with some going as far as to reject the very word “ethics” in favor of supposedly more emancipatory rhetoric of “justice.” But moral philosophy obviously has more to offer contemporary data ethics than self-serving justifications for the interests of Silicon Valley capital, retaining a reservoir of critical potential for fostering more reflective and responsible forms of professional data practice. Reflecting on over six years of experience teaching and designing the “Human Contexts and Ethics” program at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Ari Edmundson will discuss the complex politics of moral philosophy within contemporary data ethics education, and suggest how moral philosophy can collaborate with interdisciplinary scholarship in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) to expand the possibilities of ethical life in the datafied world.