Research Track Descriptions

Information and Computer Ethics

Computer ethics is often traced back to Norbert Wiener’s ground breaking work in the 1940s and 50s,  his fundamental proposal being that “machines can and do transcend some of the limitations of their designers, and in doing so they may be both effective and dangerous” (1960).  Since then we have seen significant developments in Computer and Information ethics, by Floridi, Weckert, Van den Hoven, Moor, Johnson and others and is typically characterised as the study of the moral issues arising from information communication technologies.  Papers which address the theoretical and empirical development of information ethics, the intersection of computing and information ethics, new topics, ideas, controversies and case studies in information and computing ethics are welcome in this track. 

 

Identity, Trust and the Social Networking Phenomenon

The emergence of the social networking phenomenon has been as rapid as it has been a surprising application of internet and communication based technologies.  On the other hand the use of IT is almost ubiquitous in managing our identities. 

Manders-Huits (2010) argues “IT has become the medium, and at the same time the environment, in which identities are formed”.  Additionally we are increasingly aware that IT is utilized to manage such information, for example the various health and Government related data sets, such as census and internal revenue data, police and criminal data recording systems and an almost endless array of commercial customer marketing data sets.  “Who we are in these contexts is shaped for a large part by the ways in which we are represented in these systems and technologies” (ibid).

 

Following Manders-Huits, “How can the concepts of ‘identity’ and ‘identification’ be understood from a philosophical perspective when discussing morally problematic developments in information technology? What are the philosophical semantics pertaining to reference and identification which may help clarify ambiguities and ethical issues? How can we arrive at a normatively sound conception of personal identity as a starting point for the study of the ethical aspects of the (information) technology that is shaping our lives?”  Papers addressing these and related questions are welcome in this track. 

 

Virtual Environments

Virtual reality in the form of computer games, and virtual environments for exploration and social networking are experienced by hundreds of millions of users on a daily basis.  These forms of virtual reality raise questions regarding their benefits and harms to users and society, and the values and biases contained within them (Brey, 2008).  This research track encourages participants to think about these issues as well as any other computational, scientific and philosophical aspects of virtual environments. 

 

Computing, Culture and Society

The focus of this track is broad and is related to cultural impacts of information technologies, both global and local.  We invite discussion of issues relating to feminist/gender, ethnicity, age and class as well as post-colonial and socio-economic impacts and intersections with technology.  Additionally research involving cross-cultural issues, internet governance, IT in developing nations is welcomed.

 

Computer-based Education and Electronic Pedagogy

The track considers interdisciplinary approaches to learning and teaching (including distance learning and teaching) of philosophy and computing, as well as other related cross-disciplinary issues.

 

Computational and related Logics

This track welcomes papers, in the spirit of IA-CAP conferences, related to logical issues in logic programming, automated reasoning and knowledge based systems, logics and semantics in programming as well as related topics in all classical and non-classical logic.

 

Metaphysics (Ontology, etc.)

Ontological aspects of computation and information.  Is information or are algorithms ontological categories?  Topics may include emergent properties, formal ontologies, structuralist conceptions of information and causal relata.

 

Artificial Intelligence, Mechatronics, Robotics and Autonomous Agents

An IA-CAP conference would not be complete without including the research track that perhaps started it all.  The goal of applying cognitive concepts such as perception, reasoning and learning still loom large as the path to developing a “thinking machine”.  This track welcomes papers from all disciplines but has its focus on robotics, AI, autonomous and semi-autonomous agents and systems and we have included a special new topic; Mechatronics.

 

Mechatronics is described as engineered solutions the result of a combination of the principles of mechanics, electronics and computing but may also include molecular engineering and nanotechnologies.  Mechatronic applications are used in a wide variety of industries from aerospace to medical and defense systems as well as manufacturing, material processing and consumer products – as such we expect philosophical issues related to the discipline to be wide reaching. 

 

Philosophy of Computer Science

The Philosophy of Computer Science (PCS) is concerned with philosophical issues that arise
from reflection upon the nature and practice of the academic discipline of Computer
Science. Below we indicate a few of the central questions.

1. How is a programming language determined? What role does a semantic definition play? Does it have to be a formal abstract specification?
2. What sense is to be made of the notion that a programming language has an ontology? What is the role of such an ontology? How is it linked to the type structure of the language?
3. What does it mean to say that a program is correct? What role do specifications play in correctness?  How does the nature and use of theorem checkers and verifiers inform the debate? What are formal methods? What is the difference between a formal method and informal one?
4. Is there a distinctive form of reasoning that might be called computational reasoning? How, if at all, does it differ from mathematical reasoning?
5. What kinds of things are digital objects?
6. What is abstraction in computer science? How is it related to abstraction in mathematics?
7. Does the Church-Turing thesis apply to physical machines? Does it make sense to say that the universe computes?

 

Among others, papers that address issues that the concern the methodology of the
discipline, the status and nature of its claims to knowledge, the nature of its artefacts, the
nature and form of computational reasoning and the philosophical basis of computational modelling are welcome.

 

Philosophy of Information and Information Technology

Floridi (2008) defines the philosophy of information (PI) as ;
a) the critical investigation into the conceptual nature and principles of information including its dynamics, utilisation and sciences, and
b) the elaboration and application of information-theoretic and computational methodologies to philosophical problems. 
Question arise with regard to a) related to;  

• Data, information, knowledge (‘the information continuum’) including semantic information and formal epistemology. 
• The logic of ‘being informed’.
• Competing construals of information.
• Information: historical contexts and examinations.

With regard to b) we deal with the following questions,

• Critical analysis of the methodology of PI, problems related to scope and specificity,
• Informational perspectives on mind, language, cognition and other AI related issues.
• The use of information in the service of philosophy in general, particularly logics, and philosophy of science.

Other topics may include issues related to the representation and organisation of information, non-linguistic information, issues related to library sciences, information on the internet, and the like.
More about the philosophy of information can be found in Floridi (2008) Modern Trends in the Philosophy of Information, and Floridi (2004) Open Problems in the Philosophy of Information.
Papers concerning these issues will be well received.  

 

Intersections

The intersections track intends to be something of a catch all – We welcome papers related to logic, epistemology, philosophy of science and ICT/Computing, such as the philosophy of AI which do not fit nicely into the other tracks.  Additionally, papers on other aspects of computing, information and communication technologies and related philosophical considerations or implications which may have been left out of the above research tracks are welcome here.  Papers should combine knowledge from different disciplines, they may be applied in nature, perhaps presenting bold or novel ideas capable of generating further discussion.

 

Reference Note
We have attempted to maintain some consistency regarding explanations of the various research tracks.  As such I have for the most part used either wholly or partly, previous details from past and present IA-CAP conference programs.  I hereby acknowledge and thank the organisers of recent IA-CAP conferences who developed these track definitions. We should additionally point out that papers considering alternative angles and interesting perspectives on the same tracks are welcome. 

Questions and Enquiries
Questions  concerning AP-CAP’10 may be addressed to the following;
Soraj Hongladarom  s.hongladarom@gmail.com
Steve McKinlay   stevet.mckinlay@gmail.com

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