ethical Analysis of wiki leaks

7/31/2019 ethical Analysis of wiki leaks

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Subject Final Projects Of Business Ethics

(Wiki-leaks and ethical dilemma)

Project Participants:

Ahmad Zaryab L1f10mbam 2003

Umer mukhtar butt 0002

Wahab Tariq 2035

Ali latif

Section E

Course Business Ethics [Bus 5013]

Course instructor Rafia Maleeq

Date 29th /May/2012


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Acknowledgement

We have the pearl of our eyes to admire blessing of the compassionate andomnipotent because the words are bound, knowledge is limited and time is shortto express His dignity. It is one of the infinite blessings of almighty ALLAH that Hebestowed us with potential and ability to complete the present training and make amaterial contribution towards the deep oceans of knowledge. First we avail thisopportunity to bow our head before ALLAH almighty in humility who given us thewisdom and perseverance for completing this piece of report.

We invoke peace for Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) who is forever torch.

And we dedicated this efforts and hard work to our parents who Support us and prayfor our bright and Successful future.

We feel highly privilege to ascribe the most and ever burning flame of my gratitude anddeep scene of devotion to the Prof. Rafia Maleeq. who taught us Business Ethics withheart and also gave a guideline to make this Project.


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Table of Contents

Background of the Organization and case ............................................................................... 5

Introduction (Case) ...................................................................................................................... 7

Analysis of Case ......................................................................................................................... 10

Moral reasoning ......................................................................................................................... 10

Steps of moral reasoning: .......................................................................................................... 10

Moral Responsibility.................................................................................................................. 10

Utilitarianism Approach ........................................................................................................... 11

Right and duties Approach ...................................................................................................... 12

Legal right: .................................................................................................................................. 12

Moral right: ................................................................................................................................. 12

Negative right: ............................................................................................................................ 12

Positive rights: ............................................................................................................................ 13

Kant categorical imperative: ..................................................................................................... 13

1stformulation of Kants categorical imperative ................................................................... 14

2ndformulation of Kants categorical imperative .................................................................. 15

Justice and fairness (John Rawls) ............................................................................................. 15

Justice as Equality (Egalitarianism): ........................................................................................ 16

Justice based on Contribution (Capitalist justice): ................................................................ 16

Ethics of Care Vs Ethics of demand ........................................................................................ 16

Recommendation & Conclusion .............................................................................................. 18


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Background of the

Organization and Case


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Background of the Organization and Case

WikiLeaks is an international online organization publishing submissions of private,secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks,and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under the Sunshine Pressorganization,claimed a database of more than 1.2 million documents within a year of itslaunch. Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activist, is generally described as itsfounder, editor-in-chief, and director.KristinnHrafnsson is the only other publiclyknown acknowledged associate of WikiLeaks as of 2011. Hrafnsson is also a member ofthe company Sunshine Press Productions along with Assange, IngiRagnarIngason and Gavin MacFadyen.

The group has released a number of significant documents which have become front-page news items. Early releases included documentation of equipment expendituresand holdings in the Afghanistan war and corruption in Kenya.In April 2010, WikiLeakspublished gunsight footage from the12 July 2007 Baghdad airstrike in which Iraqijournalists were among those killed by an Apache helicopter, known as theCollateralMurdervideo. In July of the same year, WikiLeaks released Afghan War Diary, acompilation of more than 76,900 documents about the War in Afghanistan notpreviously available to the public. In October 2010, the group released a package ofalmost 400,000 documents called the Iraq War Logs in coordination with majorcommercial media organizations. This allowed every death in Iraq, and across theborder in Iran, to be mapped. In April 2011, WikiLeaks began publishing 779 secretfiles relating to prisoners detained in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

The background of our article is that the creator of wiki leaks Julian Assange plans to

release their most controversial disclosure yet, which is the posting of 391,832 secret

document on Iraqi war.The exposure of secret information may cause serious violence

and death upon those exposed in the documents.

This story was written by John Burns and Ravi Somaiya very objectively and exposed

the recent activity of wiki leaks. In sum this article truly expressed why objectivity is

used in our news today. Burns and Somaiya were well-rounded in the use of their

sources, and because of the material in the article, it was very appropriate to allow the

reader to ponder over the ethical dilemmas presented, rather than to be distracted by

what the authors may personally think about Assanges behavior.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism_sourcinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_leakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistleblowerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assangehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_activismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristinn_Hrafnssonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sunshine_Press_Productions&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ingi_Ragnar_Ingason&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ingi_Ragnar_Ingason&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gavin_MacFadyen&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenyahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_July_2007_Baghdad_airstrikehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AH-64http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collateral_Murder#Leaked_video_footagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collateral_Murder#Leaked_video_footagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collateral_Murder#Leaked_video_footagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collateral_Murder#Leaked_video_footagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_War_Diaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War_Logshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_files_leakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_files_leakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_files_leakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_files_leakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War_Logshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_War_Diaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collateral_Murder#Leaked_video_footagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collateral_Murder#Leaked_video_footagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AH-64http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_July_2007_Baghdad_airstrikehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenyahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present)http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gavin_MacFadyen&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ingi_Ragnar_Ingason&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ingi_Ragnar_Ingason&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sunshine_Press_Productions&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristinn_Hrafnssonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_activismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assangehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistleblowerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_leakhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism_sourcing


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Introduction (Case)


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Introduction (Case)

This article focuses on Julian Assange, the creator of Wiki Leaks, a whistle-blower

website that exposes secrets of the government and military and posts them online, out

of reach of government officials. Wiki Leaks plans to release their most controversial

disclosure yet, which is the posting of 391,832 secret documents on the Iraqi war.

we chose this story because the authors, John Burns and Ravi Somaiya, wrote veryobjectively in this article. I thought he did a great job exposing Assange and his recent

activity regarding WikiLeaks without taking a moral stance on the situation. In sum,this article truly expressed why objectivity is used in our news today. Burns andSomaiya were well-rounded in the use of their sources, and because of the material inthe article, it was very appropriate to allow the reader to ponder over the ethicaldilemmas presented, rather than to be distracted by what the authors may personallythink about Assanges behavior.Wikileaks is a Swedish-based web site that has becomea sort of a clearing house for sensitive documents. Their latest venture has been torelease sensitive U.S. military documents related to military operations and intelligencein Iraq and Afghanistan. Wikileaks was largely responsible for releasing the videoshowing a U.S. Army Apache gunship attack on a group of Iraqi men in which two

Reuters cameramen were killed. Wikileaks appears to be run by a rather nomadicAustralian named Julian Assange. He denies being the founder of the site, but admits tobe Wikileaks' "editor in chief".In all fairness, Wikileaks has exposed documents from alot of different government and international companies all across the politicalspectrum, but most recently they seem to be focusing their attention on the war in Iraqand Afghanistan and US foreign military policy specifically. Just last week PFC BradleyManning, a twenty two year old US Army intelligence specialist serving in the MiddleEast, was arrested and faces court martial for releasing sensitive military data that waseventually released on Wikileaks.

The United States government has expressed alarm over some of the documentsreleased on Wikileaks and has said that the information could hamper our efforts inIraq and Afghanistan and could result in US military and civilian casualties. The USgovernment has asked Wikileaks to withdraw the documents and to stop displayingclassified materials, but not only has Wikileaks refused to stop posting sensitive items,they have indicated that they are going to release thousands of additional documents.


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The media pundits have been discussing what can be legally done to stop Wikileaksfrom releasing sensitive intelligence that could endanger the lives of military personnel.The problem is that Wikileaks has no official headquarters, and while it is based inSweden its contributors seem to operate out of private residences or rented officespaces.


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Analysis of Case


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Analysis of Case

Moral reasoning

The reasoning process by which human behaviors, Institutions, or policies are judged to

be in accordance with or in violation of moral standards.

Moral reasoning can be defined as being the process in which an individual tries to

determine the difference between what is right and what is wrong in a personal

situation by using logic.

Steps of moral reasoning:

1st : Moral reasoning must be logical the analysis reasoning is requires that thelogical of the arguments used to establish a moral judgment be rigorously examined, all

the un spoken moral and factual assumptions be made explicit and both assumptions

and premises be displayed and subjected to criticism.

2nd: Factual evidence cited in support of a personsjudgment must be accurate,

relevant and complete.

3rd : The moral standards involved in a persons moral reasoning must be consistence.

They must consistence with each other and with other standards and beliefs the person

hold.

Moral Responsibility

Is kind of moral responsibility of a person has when we say a person is to be blame. A

person is cause the injury when he do that knowingly and freely.


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In this case of wiki leaks who morally responsible for this entire ethical problem Govt.,

organizations or like leaks.

For knowing who is morally responsible for this entire scenario well analyze this case

on the basis of Ethical theories.

Utilitarianism Approach

Utilitarianism is a general term for any view that holds that actions and polices

should be evaluated in the basis of cost and benefit they will impose on society. In

any situation the right action or policy is the one that will produce the greatest net

benefits or the lowest net costs.

Or

Utilitarianism a approach in which an action is right from an ethical point of view if

and only if the sum of total utilities produced by that act is greater than the sum total

of utilities produced by any other act could have performed in its place.

Now we know that what is Utilitarianism and what this case all about is. So if we

analyze Utilitarianism approach with wiki leaks operations so 2 results come front of

us.

1st is positive and that is about peoples welfare. Wiki leaks is non profit making

organization that work for public and inform them about their national and

international affairs that hides from them so from Utilitarianism prospective wiki leaks

secretes of Govt. departments and organization that are against public so after knowing

about those violations peoples can protest and they can ask for their right and also that

information can help peoples for decision making. So costs of these leaks are less in

amount (euro 600000) but peoples get most benefits for future decision.

2nd result is negative and that is about whatever wiki leaks public welfare organization

it is helps peoples to know what is right and wrong but I create disputes between

nations and international relations that create problems for trade and other economic

activities.


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Right and duties Approach

This approach/theory talks about individuals rights and their responsibilities/duties.

lets look on different type of rights

Legal right:

The entitlement may derives from a legal system that permits and

empowers a person to act in a specified way to that requires others to act in certain

ways toward that person.

Example:

American constitution guarantees all citizens the right to freedom of speech and

commercial status specify that each party to a valid contract has a right to whatever

performance the contract requires from the other person.

Moral right:

Moral right are based on moral standards, norms and principles that

specify that all human beings are permitted or empowered to do something or areentitled to have something done for them.

For Example:

The right to work is not guaranteed by the American constitution but

many argue that this is a right that all human being possess.

Negative right:

Negative right distinguished by the fact that its members can be

defined wholly in terms of the duties other have not interfere in certain activities of

the person who hold a given right.

Example:

If I have a right to privacy so this mean others should have not to interfere in my

personal matter even my employer. Whatever I sell my assets or destroying it.


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Positive rights:

Positive rights imply that some other persons have the positive duty of

providing the holder of the right with whatever they need to freely pursue their

interests.

Example:

Ive a right to education, work, health, social security so Govt. should have duty

to interfere in my interest.

So here we learnt some rights types and Duties attached with them so if we analyze this

with Wiki leaks case so we can say that every person has Right to speech and freedom

and it is also a moral right of every person of a nation that they know all about their

political and economical issues. So Wiki leaks exposed all the secrets of Govt. and

organizations that are hiding by them and those who cheat with peoples. So we can saythat wiki leaks working for Positive Right of peoples that protect them for future lose.

But on other side in analysis we also notice a point that wiki leaks violating to Negative

right of those govt. and organizations. Some information is not allowed to public for

special reasons but wiki leaks violate these rights of them.

But according to wiki leaks they publish only those secrets that have value to peoples

and those are violate and injustice with peoples of nation.

Kant categorical imperative:

Kant categorical imperative theory based on moral principle that requires that

everyone should be treated as a free person equal to everyone else.

According to this theory our case show us results that every person is a free and equal

to everyone elses so wiki leaks free to do any work . for further briefing about Kant

theory lets see his 2 formulations.


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1st formulation of Kants categorical imperative

Universalizability:

universalizability refers that an action is morally right for a person in a certain

situation if and only if the persons reason for carrying out the action is a reason that

he or she would be willing to have every person act on in a or similar situation.

So if wiki leaks work for peoples welfare it leaks only those documents that cheat with

nations and peoples of nations .so If universalizabitlity apply on everyone in society

and everyone work like wiki leaks in similar situation so this world can become a goodplace where no one can hide or cheat with peoples right.

On the other side those organizations and governments hide and cheat with their

nations so if universalizabilty theory applies on them and every body do that in such

situation so it will create a evil in society.

Reversibility:

reversibility refers that an action is morally right for a person in a certain situation

if and only if the persons reason for actingmust be reason that he or she would be

willing to have all other use even as basis of how they treat him.

So if we talk about wiki leaks on the basis of reversibility so they have no fear that

peoples leaks their secrets and if some one will do this with them so they has lawyers

and evidence that can protect them from these acts.

Also if reversibility applies on Govt. and nations so that act they doing can come on

them so they will lose their ownership and existence in this world.


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2nd formulation of Kants categorical imperative

This approach says that act in a such way that you always treat humanity, whether

in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means but always

at the same time as an end.

So wiki leaks using peoples as ends it public welfare organization that helps other for

their decision making process and for future forecasting. i doesnt used peoples as end

ever.

Libertarianism philosophy:

It believe that freedom from human constraint is necessarily good and that all

constraints imposed by others are necessarily evils except when needed to prevent

the imposition of greater human. constraints.

If we analyze this case with respect to this theory so everyone has right to freedom and

freely live life so wiki leaks has freedom to leaks and publish secrets of defaulter

peoples so this act can create positive trend in society. Lockean rights (John Locke):

Justice and fairness (John Rawls)

Principle of equal liberty is claim that each citizens liberties must be protected

from invasion by others and must be equal to those of others

So according to constitution of USA and Australia every nationality holder has right of

Equal liberty and freedom to speech so if some one injustice with them so it violates the

rights of peoples and that law so wiki leaks work for protection of those liberty right

which is basic and legal right of peoples.


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Justice as Equality (Egalitarianism):

According to Egalitarianism every-person should be given exactly shares of a cositys

or a groups benefits and burdens.

So if we look it on wiki-leaks matter so when govt and organizations hide from their

peoples so they doing injuctice with them so in that matter wiki leaks and wrestle

blowers so they have equal right to benefit and burden they pay taxes to govt. but in

against they injustice by them so wiki-leaks a platform where peoples can ask for their

justice and wiki-leaks disclose where peoples are in attack of injustics.

Justice based on Contribution (Capitalist justice):

According to Capitalist justice benefits should be distributed according to value of

contribution the individuals makes to a society

Here if we see peoples of wiki leaks work for public welfare they give the nations justice

that hide by them and that against to them so about benefit so they face threaten from

govt. that is injustice with them

On the other hand govt. has right of secrecy so wiki-leaks dont have to interfere in that

matter.

Ethics of Care Vs Ethics of Demand

Ethics of care emphasizes on caring fro those who near to us. This type of view is not

follow the universal and impartial moral principles but instead to attend and respond to

the good of particular concentrate persons with whom we are in a valuable and close

relation ships.

Other thing is when peoples dont care about their-self and about their families and

friends but they care for those who create maximum utility.

So in this case wiki leaks work for peoples wiki leaks owner/founder jailed cause of this

organization, his passport canceled for a time but he carry on working on his project

and still working for public welfare.


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Recommendation & Conclusion


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Recommendation & Conclusion

Lets imagine that you have learned a secret, and this secret is so important, or so

damaging, that you need to tell someone. But lets also imagine that you need to remain

unknown person. For example, you might fear that you would face jail or perhaps

murder if people found out how the secret got out.

What would you do?

You might go to the government, perhaps to a agency, to disclose your secret. But what

if the secret involves the government? Or what if the government needs to protect

someone who played a role in your secret, perhaps because of campaign contributions

or insider connections? The government might not help, or might bury your secret, and

you with it. You might go to the police, but the police force is usually part of the

government. So the police may be out as well. You might go to a well-known reporter at

a major news organization, but there is some risk that the reporter might consciously or

accidentally reveal your identity. Or the reporter might bury your story as well.

In other words, if you have a big, secret especially one that involves the government

it may be hard to get the word out with out anyone know your identity. In that case you

might want to try Wikileaks, at Wikileaks.org. Wikileaks describes itself in this way:

Wikileaks is a not-for-profit media organisation. Our goal is to bring important news

and information to the public. We provide an innovative, secure and anonymous way

for sources to leak information to our journalists.

That anonymity is important to maintaining Wikileaks incoming flow of information.

Wikileaks claims that it has never blown the cover of any informant. And Wikileaks

provides a number of ways to submit material, as well as instructions for ensuring

anonymous Internet submissions.

So wth the help of a lot knowledge about wikileaks and its case we all group members

conclude and recommend that wiki leaks is working for public welfare and help to

those with them govt. and organizations doing injustice. Like employers mistreat in

organizations with employes but peoples cant speak there due to fear of job elimination

so wikileaks helps to promote their rights and if govt. and organizations hiding


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something from peoples and anyone came to know about that which is wrong and not

good for civilians so wristerblower can publish those news with the help of wikileaks.

Yes there is some very bad secrests that damage more than utility they create. Wikileaks

should have to work on that deficieces . o the other hand according to our group wiki

leaks working good.

If you think about it, Wikileaks should not be necessary, at least in the United States.

The U.S. government is supposed to be government by the people and for the people.

Such a government should be completely transparent to the entire population in every

action it takes. Unfortunately, the U.S. government appears to be far from transparent,

and Wikileaks is helping to remove that opacity one leak at a time


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References


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References

Book: Business Ethics Concepts and cases by Manuel G. Velasquez

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/world/24assange.html?_r=2&hp

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/w/wikileaks/index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/world/24assange.html?_r=2&hphttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/world/24assange.html?_r=2&hphttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/w/wikileaks/index.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/w/wikileaks/index.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/w/wikileaks/index.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/world/24assange.html?_r=2&hp

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