The development of computer ethics: Contributions from business ethics andmedical ethics

In this essay, we demonstrate that the field of computer ethics shares many core similarities with two other areas of applied ethics. Academicians wri ting and teaching in the area of computer ethics, along with practitioners, must address ethical issues that are qualitatively similar in nature to th ose raised in medicine and business. In addition, as academic disciplines, these three fields also share some similar concerns. For example, all face the difficult challenge of maintaining a credible dialogue with diverse con stituents such as academicians of various disciplines, professionals, polic ymakers, and the general public. Given these similarities, the fields of bi oethics and business ethics can serve as useful models for the development of computer ethics.