Mar 2019

Mary Warnock Baroness Warnock (1924 – 2019) was an English philosopher who was best known for her work in special educational needs and in the field of human fertilisation and embryology.

Despite being best known for her defining work in these areas, Warnock’s skill in examining complex and challenging ethical and philosophical issues extended to all areas of human existence.

There continues to be much hand-wringing about the apparent lack of ethical input in the conduct of tech giants in the handling of our data. But there is a sense that the mood music is changing, reflecting the increasing understanding that when we are talking about data, we are talking about us.

Governments and regulators are grappling with how best to respond but there is an increasing appreciation that if ethics does not form the foundations of our data-driven world, the costs could be devastating. But doing something ethically is more challenging than it may appear.

Warnock unpicks different moral perspectives and explores how we should distinguish between right and wrong both in our personal and working lives. Using highly controversial examples, she brings a wonderfully thoughtful and intelligent perspective on ethics as a whole. Writing in an accessible, unpretentious and intelligent way, Warnock encourages us to live thoughtful and engaged lives. Doing what is right is not always the same as doing what is easy.