James H. Moor

James Haller Moor (November 2, 1942 – September 11, 2024) was an American ethicist and moral philosopher, particularly recognized for his foundational contributions to the field of computer ethics. He dedicated the majority of his academic career to Dartmouth College, where he held the esteemed position of the Daniel P. Stone Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy. Moor's academic journey began with a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Ohio State University in 1965. He then pursued philosophy at the University of Chicago, earning a master's degree. His doctoral studies were completed at Indiana University Bloomington, where he obtained a Ph.D. in the philosophy of science in 1972 for his thesis "Computer Consciousness," under the guidance of Wesley C. Salmon. Moor commenced his tenure at Dartmouth College in 1972 as an assistant professor in philosophy, progressing to associate professor in 1978 and full professor in 1985. His seminal 1985 paper, "What is Computer Ethics?", solidified his reputation as a key theorist in the emerging discipline of computer ethics. From 2009 until his passing, he held the endowed professorship at Dartmouth. Beyond his teaching and research, Moor served as the editor-in-chief of the academic journal "Minds and Machines" from 2001 to 2010. His research interests were diverse, encompassing the philosophy of artificial intelligence, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and logic. He made significant contributions to the discussion surrounding the Turing Test and developed a framework classifying robots into four ethical categories: ethical impact agents, implicit ethical agents, explicit ethical agents, and full ethical agents. Moor also critically examined established ethical frameworks, such as Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, highlighting potential unforeseen consequences of their strict application. His work in computer ethics and related fields earned him several accolades, including the SIGCAS Making a Difference Award (2003), the Barwise Prize (2006), the Weizenbaum Award (2017), and the Future of Life Award (2024).