We the People

“We the People sets the stage for a new digital constitution. This book will both scare you and give you hope for the future” –  Luke Mansfield, Harley-Davidson Chief Strategy Officer

In April of 2018, leaders from a dozen large players in the digital economy, four universities, one Indian Tribal Nation, the U.S. government, and several large not-for-profit organizations gathered to craft a digital-ethics Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

We the People sets the framework of ideas behind this groundbreaking effort and shares the working drafts of these key documents. The newly-organized Independent Digital Ethics Working Group now takes this framework to organizations around the world to expand the conversation about, and commitment to, reflective and humane standards for digital ethics in our emerging digital age.

Leading humanist Peter Temes and leading technologist Florin Rotar have joined together to help lead this work and expand the digital-ethics conversation.

“This book couldn't be more timely and relevant. In the age of 'big data' where so much is measurable, Peter and Florin provide an essential framework” – Steven Miller, Warby Parker CFO

Introduction: A Man and a Dog

Chapter One – How to Make the World Better with Technology, without Technology Running Away with the world

Chapter Two – The Stack

Chapter Three – Digging up our Buried Values: Revisiting the Man and the Dog, adding Karl Marx and a Woman in Chicago

Chapter Four – Tuning In: Some Real-World Examples of Learning to See the Ethics Layer in the Stack                        

Chapter Five – Who Owns What in a Digital Age?

Chapter Six – Privacy

Chapter Seven – Fairness

Three documents –  Aspirations, Roles, and Practices