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.
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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It is more probable that it will be superseded by a subsequent technological application.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].
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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
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