Ethics in a Computing Culture

Chapter 1Critical Reasoning and Moral

Theory

Day 2

Review: Being a member of a profession usually ____ your ethical responsibilities.

A. DecreasesB. IncreasesC. Does not affect

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Review: Which moral theory says it is only appropriate to judge an individual with the standards of his culture?

A. Religious ethicsB. Divine Command

theoryC. Cultural RelativismD. Cultural Rescue

theoryE. No harm, no foul

theory.

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Ethics as a Meta-Norm

• Ethics is the study of rational choices.• Ethical = Doing the right thing

– How do we define the right thing?– Where we place the value

• Weakness of the previous theories; need to search for theories with universal validity:– Lasting and durable value– Transcends space and time– Intrinsic human goods exist and the moral choices to realize those

goods is possible.– These principles work in diverse cultures

– Ideas from Cyberethics by Spinello, p. 4Ethics in a Computing Culture 4

Ethics

Two dominant theories:

1. Deontological• Duty and rule based

2. Teleological• Consequence/outcome based

(pages 20-23) Deontology

• Greek word – deon (duty)

• Focus is on the rights, duties, obligations and rules– Looks at intrinsic value of the action, what are you having

to do?• consequences/outcome of the action are secondary, or

to some of these ethicists, completely irrelevant.

• Spinello: deontological ethicists “argue for the priority of the right over the good” … “their rightness or wrongness does not depend in any way in the consequences which they effect.”

Kant - Universalism

• Immanuel Kant looks to what would happen if the action were universal.

• “I shall never act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim become universal law.”– Absolutist: always wrong to lie. No exceptions

Kant’s Categorical Imperatives(a.k.a. Absolute Commands)

• Kant’s first formulation:– “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the

same time will that it should become a universal law.”

• For Kant, consider what would happen if everyone did this act all the time?

According to Kant, it is ethical to make an exception to a rule in order to help someone out.

A. TrueB. False

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Kant’s Categorical Imperatives(continued)

• Kant’s second formulation:– “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in

your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end.”

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Three minute philosophy:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwOCmJevigw

Soup Bowl Scenario

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What would Kant say?

A. Download the software if you want, it’s your choice, and you should be happy.

B. Download the software, give the money you saved to the poor, that makes the most people happy.

C. Purchase the software legally, even if that means you cannot donate to the Soup Bowl, as you should not break a rule.

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Two problems with theUniversalism theory

• Rigidity:– Some exceptions to absolute duty would make a lot of common sense.

• Sometimes two duties will conflict. – What to do then?

Another deontological theory

Pluralistic Deontology• WD Ross’ prima facie

duties:• Fidelity• Reparation• Gratitude• Non-injury/harm

prevention• Beneficence• Self-improvement• Justice

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Scenario: Annie the student

Annie lives in a poor section of Big Town. Last year, Annie started attending a magnet school. At the magnet school, teachers have high expectations and give lots of homework. Annie needs to use a computer to complete her work, but her family and friends do not have one, nor is there a public library nearby. Her school has resources that she can use immediately after school, but that time conflicts with her part-time job. It happens that her apartment is located next to a small private college. Annie usually walks there at night to the college lab and uses their resources. The signs clearly state “student use only” but there is no log in required.

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Would Kant say Annie’s behavior is ethical?

A. Yes, because she is completing her assignments as her teacher instructed.

B. Yes, because she is improving herself.

C. No, because her behavior is like lying and she is breaking the rules.

D. A and B are true

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Opinion: Would fellow deontologist Ross reach the same conclusion about Annie as Kant?

A. YesB. Maybe not

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Opinion: Annie & Pluralistic deontology;

What duty might be the most important here?

A. BeneficenceB. ReparationC. Self-improvementD. Fidelity

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Soup Bowl Scenario: What would Ross say?

A. Purchase the software legally, even if that means you cannot donate to the Soup Bowl, as you should not break a rule.

B. Download the software if you want, it’s your choice, and you should be happy.

C. Download the software, give the money you saved to the poor, that makes the most people happy.

D. Figure out the most important duty to meet. It may help other people, but it is not clear that you should break the law.

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Teleological Ethics: Consequentialismpages 15- 20

• Telos: Greek for end or purpose• Actions evaluated by their consequence.

– Consequentialism: the consequence of an action, not the motivation behind the action, makes an action good or bad

– Guiding principle: to increase happiness, a.k.a. utility (satisfies needs and values)

– Utilitarianism: an action is good if it causes more happiness than a potential, alternative decision*

*Look at the net consequence of behaviors.

Consequentialism/Utilitarianism’s Calculus

• Predictive

• Greatest good for the greatest number, including “depth” of happiness, p. 17 ex.

• Looking at the net consequences:

– Spinello’s summary: without being arbitrary, utilitarianism requires a “moral calculus”… “using all the possibilities” to find “the greatest net expectable utility”

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Utilitarianism Ethicists

• Theory: correct course of action maximizes expected utility &/or minimizes expected negative utility for humans

• Leading theorists are Jeremy Bentham & John Stuart Mill

• Bentham looks for what promotes “the general good”:

• "An act is right from an ethical point of view if, and only if, the sum total of utilities produced by that act is greater than the sum total utilities produced by another act the agent could have performed in its place."

Bentham (1748-1832)

Mill (1806-1873)

Luther clip

• Series 1: Episode 1– http://www.bbcamerica.

com/luther/videos/first-moments/

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Suppose you had to classify Luther. Where would you put him?

A. Deontology with Kant

B. Deontology with Ross

C. Cultural RelativismD. UtilitarianE. I’m not sure

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Utilitarianism variants

• Act Utilitarianism: the concept of performing an action that maximizes happiness– Act Utilitarianism & Officer Schmidt’s dilemma page 17

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Utilitarianism variants cont’d

• Rule Utilitarianism: the concept of adopting a set of rules, and only violating them in the case where compelling evidence indicates that utility is increased by such a violation.– See Gert’s rules, p. 19

• Be familiar with Gert’s rules

– Rule Utilitarianism & Officer Schmidt’s dilemma, page 19

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Comparing Deontology to Teleological Ethics

• Deontological ethics theories differ from teleological/consequentialist theories– the intention behind the action is considered more

important than the end result– focuses on rights, duties, obligations, and rules– assumes that the result will end badly if these rules are not

met

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Soup Bowl Scenario

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In-class discussion: Talk through in small groups the possible positions of _______ on this.

• Act Utilitarian• Rule Utilitarian

When Calvin says “I don’t mean for everyone, you dolt, just me!” Calvin is

showing himself to be a(n)

A. DeontologistB. Act UtilitarianC. Rule UtilitarianD. Egoist

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