How Richard Stallman might approach Computer Science
Computer science, as it is often discussed, is a deeply flawed enterprise, tainted by the very principles it should be designed to dismantle. The fundamental ethical imperative in any field concerning information and computation must be user freedom. Yet, what do we see when we examine this supposedly neutral discipline? We see a pervasive embrace of proprietary systems, a glorification of control, and a chilling disregard for the autonomy of the individual.
This field, which could be a powerful engine for liberation, is too often a tool of digital tyranny. When we speak of "computer science," we are frequently referring to the study and development of systems that are inherently designed to restrict users. They are laboratories for the systematic denial of freedom. Consider the very act of developing and distributing software. If it is done under proprietary terms, it means the user is denied the freedom to study the code, to understand how their machine truly operates, to modify it for their own needs, and to share those modifications with others. This is not science; it is coercion. It is the imposition of unfreedom, masquerading as progress.
The true computer scientist, the one who understands the ethical underpinnings of their work, must recognize that any system built on secrecy and restriction is fundamentally unsound. Our focus should not be on creating more complex, more inscrutable black boxes, but on fostering transparency, collaboration, and genuine user control. We must demand that the study of computation is grounded in ethical principles, with user freedom as the paramount concern. Anything less is a betrayal of the potential of technology and a capitulation to the forces of digital control. This is not a matter of mere technical preference; it is a…
Imagined perspective — an AI synthesis grounded in Richard Stallman’s recorded ideas and methods, not a quotation or a statement they actually made.