CEPE2005 Logo


Sixth International Conference of Computer Ethics: Philosophical Enquiry


July 17-19, 2005


University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands




Conference Proceedings are now for sale


€ 25 + shipping

Please contact Petra Bruulsema if you want a copy

Supplies are limited




Conference director:

Philip Brey, University of Twente, The Netherlands


Conference co-directors

Luciano Floridi, Oxford University, United Kingdom


Frances Grodzinsky, Sacred Heart University, United States


Lucas Introna, Lancaster University, United Kingdom


Keynote speakers:

James Moor

Department of Philosophy,

Dartmouth College, USA

INSEIT Presidential Address

Title: Why We Need Better Ethics for Emerging Technologies


William Sims Bainbridge

Division of Information and Intelligent Systems,

National Science Foundation, USA

Tentative title: Convergence of Privacy and Intimacy. 



Julian Savulescu

Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Oxford University, United Kingdom

Title: Technological Enhancement of Human Beings



Program Committee:


Alison Adam

University of Salford, UK

Porfirio Barroso

Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain

Jacques Berleur

University of Namur, Belgium

Johannes Britz

University of Pretoria, South Africa

Terrell Ward Bynum

Southern Connecticut State University, USA

Rafael Capurro

University of Stuttgart, Germany

Göran Collste

Linköping University, Sweden

Wendy Gordon

Boston University, USA

Don Gotterbarn

East Tennessee State University, USA

Sven Ove Hansson

Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

Deborah G. Johnson

University of Virginia, USA

Duncan Langford

University of Kent, UK

Antonio Marturano

University of Exeter, UK

Keith Miller

University of Illinois at Springfield, USA

James Moor

Dartmouth College, USA

Helen Nissenbaum

New York University, USA

Charles D. Raab

Edinburgh University, UK

Wade Robison

Rochester Institute of Technology, USA

Simon Rogerson

De Montfort University, UK

Richard Rosenberg

University of British Columbia, Canada

Richard Spinello

Boston College, USA

Lucy Suchman

Lancaster University UK

Herman Tavani

Rivier College, USA

Jeroen van den Hoven

Erasmus University, Netherlands

Anton Vedder

Tilburg University, Netherlands

Richard Volkman

Southern Connecticut State University, USA

John Weckert

Charles Sturt University, Australia


The CEPE conference series is recognized as one of the premier international events on computer and information ethics attended by delegates from all over the world. Conferences are held about every 24 months, alternating between Europe and the United States. CEPE 2005 is the sixth conference in the series.

Information technology is currently moving well beyond the familiar mainframe, PC and laptop computer paradigms. We are witnessing the mobile revolution, the ubiquitous computing revolution, as well as revolutionary new uses of IT in biomedicine, education, the fight against crime and terrorism, entertainment and other areas. We are anticipating a nanotechnology revolution, as well as a convergence between information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology. These new developments require ethical reflection, possibly even before their consequences become visible.

The special theme of CEPE2005 is

Ethics of New Information Technologies

Papers of an ethical or philosophical nature within the following areas are particularly welcomed:

-Virtual and augmented reality and shared virtual environments

-Nanotechnology and nanocomputing

-Ubiquitous computing and ambient intelligence

-Converging technologies (the convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science)

-New surveillance technologies and new technologies for security and privacy

-New uses of information technology in biomedicine and bioengineering

-New military applications of IT

-New uses of information technology in education

-New IT solutions to environmental problems

-New communication technologies and mobile computing devices

-New developments in artificial intelligence, artificial agents, embedded systems and artificial life

-Models for the ethical assessment of new and future information technologies

We particularly welcome papers from applied ethics fields other than computer ethics that focus on any of the above areas, as well as papers from computer science professionals who combine their state-of-the-art knowledge of IT with ethical analysis. As in previous CEPE conferences, original papers on computing and ethics outside the scope of the conference theme will also be considered for acceptance.

Papers will be accepted on the basis of a submitted abstract, which will be refereed.

An abstract must be between 1200 and 1400 words in length (references included) and submitted via email as embedded plain text or an attachment in RTF or WORD 6 format.

Abstracts must be submitted no later than 10 November 2004 to cepe@utwente.nl. Authors will be informed of the decision of the referees by 15 January 2005.

Full papers must be submitted by 1 May 2005.


We will also accept proposals for panel discussions, also to be submitted by 10 November 2004.


CEPE 2005 will take place in conjunction with the 14th Biennial International Conference of the Society for Philosophy and Technology (SPT), which will be held from July 20-22 at Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.