In search of a coherent theoretical foundation for LIS ethical principles: an appraisal of Floridi's Information Ethics

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the potential of Information Ethics (IE) to serve as a coherent ethical foundation for the library and information science profession (LIS profession).

Design/methodology/approach

This study consists of two parts: the first part present IE’s central theses and the main critiques it has received; the second part offers the authors' own evaluation of the theory from the LIS perspective in two steps: (1) assessing its internal consistency by testing its major theses against each other; (2) assessing its utility for resolving frequently debated LIS ethical dilemmas by comparing its solutions with solutions from other ethical theories.

Findings

This study finds that IE, consisting of an informational ontology, a fundamental ethical assertion and a series of moral laws, forms a coherent ethical framework and holds promising potential to serve as a theoretical foundation for LIS ethical issues; its inclusion of nonhuman objects as moral patients and its levels of abstraction mechanism proved to be particularly relevant for the LIS profession. This study also shows that, to become more solid an ethical theory, IE needs to resolve some of its internal contradictions and ambiguities, particularly its conceptual conflations between internal correctness, rightness and goodness; between destruction, entropy and evil; and the discrepancy between its deontological ethical assertion and its utilitarian moral laws.

Practical implications

This study alerts LIS professionals to the possibility of having a coherent ethical foundation and the potential of IE in this regard.

Originality/value

This study provides a systemic explication, evaluation and field test of IE from the LIS perspective.

Citation

Yu, L. and Zhang, Y. (2023), "In search of a coherent theoretical foundation for LIS ethical principles: an appraisal of Floridi's Information Ethics", Journal of Documentation, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-07-2023-0133