Ethics, Technology and Identity

Conference, June 18-20 of 2008

Information technology plays an increasingly important role in society and in human lives. Identity Management Technologies (e.g. biometrics, profiling, surveillance), in combination with a variety of identification procedures and personalized services are ubiquitous and pervasive. This calls for careful consideration and design of collecting, mining, storing and use of personal information. This conference aims to discuss the theme of ‘identity’ in light of new (information) technology. Key-note speakers are David Velleman, Oscar Gandy, Robin Dellon and David Shoemaker.

Key-note speakers

  • David Velleman, New York University
  • Oscar Gandy, University of Pennsylvania
  • Robin Dillon, Lehigh University
  • David Shoemaker, Bowling Green State University

Call for papers / submission of abstracts

Authors should submit an electronic version of an extended abstract (total word count 800-1000 words). The extended abstract submission deadline is Friday 7th December 2007. Please submit to: ETI@tudelft.nl. PhD students are especially encouraged to submit. Download call for papers.

Important dates

  • December 7, 2007 - Deadline for extended abstracts
  • February 8, 2008 - Notification of acceptance
  • May 1st, 2008 - Registration deadline
  • June 18 - 20, 2008 - Conference dates

On the conference topic

Information technology plays an increasingly important role in society and in human lives. Identity Management Technologies (e.g. biometrics, profiling, surveillance), in combination with a variety of identification procedures and personalized services are ubiquitous and pervasive. This calls for careful consideration and design of collecting, mining, storing and use of personal information. Access, rights, responsibilities, benefits, burdens and risks are apportioned on the basis of identities of individuals. These identities are formed on the basis of personal data collected and stored and manipulated in databases. This raises ethical questions, such as obvious privacy issues, but also a host of identity related moral questions concerning (the consequences of) erroneous classifications and the limits of our capacity for self-presentation and self definition. Which conceptions of identity are used when addressing ethical issues regarding information technology? 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? This conference aims to discuss the theme of ‘identity’ in light of new (information) technology.

Location and registration

The conference will be held in The Hague, the Netherlands. Registration fees and procedures will be posted shortly.

Organisation / more information

The conference will be organized by Noëmi Manders-Huits. For more information on the conference, please contact ETI[at]tudelft.nl.