Database Reference
In-Depth Information
ethical morality, Kant's Categorical Imperative is perhaps his most famous. This maxim
states that if a given action cannot ethically be taken by anyone in a certain situation, then it
should not be taken at all. In data mining, we could use this philosophy to determine:
Would it be ethical for any business to collect and mine these data? What would be the
outcome if every business mined data in this way? If the answers to such questions are
negative and appear to be unethical, then we should not undertake the data mining project
either.
Rene Descartes' Rule of Change
: Rene Descartes was a French philosopher and
mathematician who like Kant, wrote extensively about moral decision making. His rule of
change reflects his mathematical background. It states that if an act cannot be taken
repeatedly, it is not ethical to do that act even once. Again to apply this to data mining, we
can ask: Can I collect and mine these data on an ongoing basis without causing problems
for myself, my organization, our customers or others? If you cannot do it repeatedly,
according to Decartes, then you shouldn't do it at all.
There are a few other ways that are not quite as specifically defined that you can use to seek out
ethical boundaries. There is the old adage known as the Golden Rule, which dictates that we
should treat others the way we hope they would treat us. There are also philosophies that help us
to consider how our actions might be perceived by others and how they might make them feel.
Some ethical frameworks are built around actions that will bring the greatest good to the largest
number of people.
CONCLUSION
We can protect privacy by aggregating data, anonymizing observations through removal of names
and personally identifiable information, and by storing it in secure and protected environments.
When you are busy working with numbers, attributes and observations, it can be easy to forget
about the people behind the data. We should be cautious when data mining models might brand a
person as a certain risk. Be sensitive to peoples' feelings and rights. When appropriate, ask for the
their permission to gather and use data about them. Don't rationalize a justification for your data
mining project—ensure that you're doing fair and just work that will help and benefit others.
