ethics cs4310 fall 2012 updated 2/09. what is a profession?
Post on 29-Dec-2015
224 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Ethics
CS4310
Fall 2012
Updated 2/09
What is a Profession?
What is a Profession?
• Calling in which special knowledge and skills are used in the service of mankind
• Elements (Greenwood 91)– systematic theory– authority– community sanction– ethical codes– culture
Who is a professional?
Who is a professional?
• One who recognizes his/her obligations to society by living up to accepted codes of conduct
What is the purpose of professional codes?
What is the purpose of professional codes?
• Inspire, educate, guide, and discipline members
• must be broad enough to cover ethical conflicts, and specific enough to guide professionals
Ethical Perspectives
• Professional Ethics
• Philosophical Ethics
• Descriptive Ethics
Professional Ethics
• The responsibility and obligation that affect individuals as members of a profession
• Examples: medical ethics, legal ethics
Professional Ethics
• The responsibility and obligation that affect individuals as members of a profession
• Examples: medical ethics, legal ethics
• Issues: professional responsibility, codes of conduct, systems reliability/safety (e.g., for engineers)
Professional Ethics
• The responsibility and obligation that affect individuals as members of a profession
• Examples: medical ethics, legal ethics
• Issues: professional responsibility, codes of conduct, systems reliability/safety (e.g., for engineers)
• In this view, we want to restrict the discussion to issues that are unique to the profession of computing and technology
Philosophical Ethics
• The responsibility and obligation that affect individuals as members of a society
• Issues: Intellectual property, privacy, free speech, fairness
Philosophical Ethics
• The responsibility and obligation that affect individuals as members of a society
• Issues: Intellectual property, privacy, free speech, fairness
• Method:– Identify moral problem or controversial practice– Analyze the problem, clarify concepts, examine facts– Apply moral theories and principles to reach a
position about the issue
Descriptive Ethics• Describe what is the case now
– Different from Normative: What ought to be
• How do members of a given group or culture view a particular issue– For example, copyrights.
• US and Chinese cultures view this differently
What is ethics?
• The science of conduct:– science: rational inquiry to gain knowledge– conduct: behavior when voluntary choice is
made because of belief that it right.
• Ethicists study how people ought to behave• Moralists try to make people behave better
• (Many other definitions exist …)
Ethics vs Morals
• Moralist (Webster)– one who leads a moral life
– one concerned with regulating the morals of others
• Ethicists– One who studies morality using philosophical
perspectives
– Approaches are rational and open to others for verification
Discussion Stoppers
• (a.k.a., “reasons” for not discussing ethics or morals)
Problem: People disagree on solutions to moral issues
Problem: People disagree on solutions to moral issues
• But many experts disagree on key issues in their fields. No need to stop the discussion.
• People do agree on many moral issues.• Need to recognize that disagreements could
be about– principles– facts– eg: stealing is wrong. Is copying over the
internet stealing?
Problem: Who am I to judge others?
Problem: Who am I to judge others?
• Need to distinguish between judging to evaluate and judging to condemn
• We routinely evaluate people: who fixes your car? who do you buy groceries from?
• Sometimes, we are morally obligated to make judgments– child abuse– human rights abuse
Problem: Morality is a private matter
Problem: Morality is a private matter
• Morality is a public system– if not, then it must be OK for me to steal from
you if I think it is OK for me to steal from you
• Don’t confuse moral choice with personal preference
Problem: Morality is a matter for individual cultures to decide
Problem: Morality is a matter for individual cultures to decide
• Does it follow that a culture can devise any moral scheme so long as the majority of people in that culture approve? – What if the majority says it’s OK to use
chemical weapons (or airplanes) to attack us?
Logical Arguments
Logical Arguments
• As ethicists, we must discuss unresolved issues
• These discussions may be termed as “arguments”
Logical Arguments
• Arguing is reason giving
• Reasons are justifications that support a claim
• Rationality is the ability to engage in reason giving (Zarefsky)
Effective Reasoning
• Concern is with audience:– We are trying to engage the audience – We are trying to reach the best decision– Argumentation is a cooperative exercise– We have the shared goal of reaching best
decision– Reasoning depends on the free assent of the
audience
Effective Reasoning
• Concern is with audience
• Success depends on the assent of a particular audience
Effective Reasoning
• Concern is with audience
• Success depends on the assent of a particular audience
• Argumentation takes place under uncertainty– We don’t argue about things that are certain
Effective Reasoning
• Concern is with audience
• Success depends on the assent of a particular audience
• Argumentation takes place under uncertainty
• Argumentation involves rational justification for claims
Ethical Theories
Utilitarian Theory
• Utilitarian: the goodness of the consequence determines the rightness of the action
• The greatest good for the greatest number• Bentham, John Mills
Deontological Ethics
• Duty: (Kant) the goodness of the motives determine the rightness of the action– Each individual has the same moral worth, regardless
of wealth, intelligence, or circumstance
– Each principle is universally binding, without exception, for all human beings
– Categorical Imperative: Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.
Hedonism
• Hedonism: the sole good in life is pleasure
Social Contract Theory (Hobbs)
• Legitimate authority must be derived from the consent of the governed
• All members of a society are bound to respect a sovereign will by the social contract
• We surrender some freedoms to a sovereign in return for the benefits of the rule of law that protect individuals from being harmed by others
Code of Ethics
Software Engineers
• Ought to uphold normal standards of honesty and integrity
• Ought to uphold the law
• Ought to uphold the reputation of the profession
• Not all standards of behavior are bounded by law
Professional responsibility
• Confidentiality
• Competence
• Intellectual property rights
• Computer misuse
• Fairness
Professional responsibility
• Confidentiality
– Respect the confidentiality of employers and clients with or without signed agreement
• Competence
• Intellectual property rights
• Computer misuse
• Fairness
Professional responsibility
• Confidentiality
• Competence
– Engineers should not misrepresent their level of competence
• Intellectual property rights
• Computer misuse
• Fairness
Professional responsibility
• Confidentiality• Competence• Intellectual property rights
– Engineers should be aware of laws governing use of intellectual property and protect the rights of employers, clients, and other engineers
• Computer misuse• Fairness
Professional responsibility
• Confidentiality• Competence• Intellectual property rights• Computer misuse
– Engineers should not use technical skills to misuse computers belonging to others (e.g. game playing at work or dissemination of viruses)
• Fairness
Professional responsibility
• Confidentiality• Competence• Intellectual property rights• Computer misuse
• Fairness– Engineers should strive to be fair towards each
other and towards the public. For example, proper attribution in papers and code
Three levels of obligations
• Level 1: Humanity
• Level 2: Professionalism
• Level 3: Each Profession
Three levels of obligations
• Level 1: Humanity– Integrity– Justice
• Level 2: Professionalism
• Level 3: Each Profession
Three levels of obligations
• Level 1: Humanity
• Level 2: Professionalism– Fairness, giving credit
• Level 3: Each Profession
Three levels of obligations
• Level 1: Humanity
• Level 2: Professionalism
• Level 3: Each Profession– Understand specifications– Ensure adequate testing
Software Engineering Code of Ethics
• Purpose: – A standard for practicing engineering– Documents ethical and professional
responsibilities of software engineers
• Adopted by IEEE and ACM• Developed by international task force
including industry, academics, military, and government
Standard
• Describes ethical and professional obligations against which peers, the public, and legal bodies can measure a software developer’s behavior.
Why our own code?
• Most professionals have profession-specific codes of ethics.
• Professionals have great impact on the well-being of others.
• They have a higher standard of conduct than non-professionals.
Eight Principles of Responsibility
1. Public
2. Client and employer
3. Product
4. Judgment
5. Management
6. Profession
7. Colleagues
8. Self
Public
• Software engineers shall act consistently with the public interest.
Public
• What is the public interest?
• How do we know the public interest?
Client and employer
• Software engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best interest of their clients and employer, consistent with the public interest.
Client and employer
• Software engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best interest of their clients and employer, consistent with the public interest.
• What does that mean? • What about making bombs?
– Ethical? Public interest?
Product
• Software engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the highest professional standards possible.
Product
• Software engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the highest professional standards possible.
• What are the professional standards? Does that mean “zero defects”?
Judgment
• Software engineers shall maintain integrity and independence in their professional judgment.
Judgment
• Software engineers shall maintain integrity and independence in their professional judgment.
• If your boss comes in and says “we have to ship the pacemakers next week, cut the testing cycle.” what do you do?
Management
• Software engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance.
Management
• Software engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance.
• What implications does this have wrt programmers working for you?
Profession
• Software engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession consistent with the public interest.
Profession
• Software engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession consistent with the public interest.
• What does integrity mean?
• What does reputation mean?
• Why do they matter?
Colleagues
• Software engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues.
Colleagues
• Software engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues.
• Give examples.
• Give counter examples.
Self
• Software engineers shall participate in lifelong learning regarding the practice of their profession and shall promote an ethical approach to the practice of the profession.
Self
• Software engineers shall participate in lifelong learning regarding the practice of their profession and shall promote an ethical approach to the practice of the profession.
• Give examples.
• Give counter examples.
Group Exercise
• Get into groups of 4. Each team member takes two sections of the code.– 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, 7&8
• Each team member will teach the rest of the team about the sections they have.
• Teachers: get with other people teaching the same section. – You have 15 minutes to prepare– You will have 5 minutes to teach
top related