Introduction to Ethics

What We Will CoverRapid Pace of ChangeNew Developments and Dramatic ImpactsIssues and Themes Ethics

Rapid Pace of Change1940s: The first computer is built1956: First hard-disk drive weighed a ton

and stored five megabytes1991: Space shuttle had a one-megahertz

computer2006: Pocket devices hold a terabyte (one

trillion bytes) of data2006: Automobiles can have 100-

megahertz computers

Rapid Pace of Change: Discussion QuestionWhat devices are now computerized that

were not originally? Think back 10, 20, 50 years ago.

New DevelopmentsBlogs (Word made up from ‘web log’):Began as outlets for amateurs who want to

express ideas or creativity Appealing because present personal views,

are funny and creative, and present a quirky perspective on current events

New Developments (cont.)Blogs (cont.):Now used as alternatives to mainstream

news and for business public relationsPopular blogs have 100,000 to 500,000

readers per day and can peak at several million views per day

New Developments (cont.)Video Sharing:Rise of amateur videos on the webBoom of websites like Youtube and MyspaceMany videos on the web can infringe

copyrights owned by entertainment companies

New Developments (cont.)Cell Phones:Can now be used for travel, last minute

planning, taking pictures and downloading music

Talking on cell phones while driving is a problem

Cell phones can interfere with solitude, quiet and concentration

Cameras in cell phones and privacy issues

New Developments (cont.)Social Networking:Some early sites classmates.com,

friendster.com, etcMyspace, founded in 2003 had roughly 100

million member profiles by 2006Between 2006 and 2010, the number of

Facebook users grew from below 10 million to more than 400 million.

New Developments (cont.)Collaboration:Wikipedia, the online, collaborative

encyclopediaOpen Directory Project (ODP)Collaboration between scientists in different

states or countries

New Developments (cont.)E-commerce and Free Stuff:Free stuff on the web: email, books,

newspapers, games, etc.www.Amazon.com started in 1994 and 10

years later annual sales reached $8.5 billionTV show episodes are available to view on the

WebEthical challenges associated with the use of

free stuff

New Developments (cont.)Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, and

Motion:AI suited to narrow, specialized skillsRobotic devices often special-purpose

devices, and may require AI to functionMotion sensing devices are used to give

robots the ability to walk, trigger airbags in a crash and cushion laptops when dropped

New Developments (cont.)Tools for Disabled People:Restoration of abilities, productivity and

independenceScreen readers and scannersSpeech recognitionProsthetics and motion sensors

New Developments (cont.)Discussion QuestionWhat changes and new developments do you

expect in the next 50 years? How will life be different than it is today?

Medical records on chips attached to medical bracelets

Biological and computer sciences will combine new ways to insert micro-processors or controlled devices on human bodies

Issues and ThemesPros/Cons:Unemployment

ATMs reduced teller jobs by 30%Jobs involving design, production, use of

computing Alienation and customer service

online banking removes human contact24x7 customer support, online chat, etc

Crime- anonymity of ATMs and web makes fraud easy- online web security

Issues and Themes (cont.)Loss of privacy

hacking online dataWebsites and database are protected but the

burden is on individualsErrors

credit card charges, ATM errors, etcComputers can help reduce mistakes

Issues and Themes (cont.)Themes:Old problems in a new context: crime,

pornography, violent fictionAdapting to new technology: thinking in a

new wayVaried sources of solutions to problems:

natural part of change and life

Issues and Themes (cont.)Themes (cont.):Global reach of net: ease of communication

with distant countriesTrade-offs and controversy: increasing

security means reducing convenienceDifference between personal choices,

business policies, and law

What is Ethics? AnywaysShould you download movies from unauthorized Web sites? Should you hire foreign programmers who work at low

salaries? Should you use a friends password to get into a computer

system on which you do not have an account? Will you install monitoring software that records what sites

each employee visits and how much time he or she spends there? Will you inform employees first?

Suppose you manage a Web site. What information will you collect from visitors to the site and how will you use and protect the information?

Alexis, a gifted high school student, wants to become a doctor. Because she comes from a poor family, she will need a scholarship in order to attend college. Some of her classes require students to do extra research projects in order to get an A.

Her high school has a few older PCs, but there are always long lines of students waiting to use them during the school day. After school, she usually works at a part- time job to help support her family.

One evening Alexis visits the library of a private college a few miles from her family’s apartment, and she finds plenty of unused PCs connected to the Internet. She surreptitiously looks over the shoulder of another student to learn a valid login/ password combination. Alexis returns to the library several times a week, and by using its PCs and printers she efficiently completes the extra research projects, graduates from high school with straight A’s, and gets a full-ride scholarship to attend a prestigious university.

QuestionsDid Alexis do anything wrong?Who benefited from Alexis’s course of action?Who was hurt by Alexis’s course of action?Did Alexis have an unfair advantage over her

high school classmates?Would any of your answers change if it turns out

Alexis did not win a college scholarship after all?Are there better ways Alexis could have achieved

her objective?What additional information, if any, would help

you answer the previous question?

EthicsWhat is Ethics:Study of what it means to “do the right thing”Assumes people are rational and make free

choicesRules to follow in our interactions and our

actions that affect others

Ethical Point of ViewMost everyone shares “core values”,

desiringLifeHappinessAbility to accomplish goals

Two ways to view worldSelfish point of view: consider only own self

and its core valuesEthical point of view: respect other people and

their core values

Few approaches to EthicsDeontological (non consequential) – Immanuel

KantWe should follow rules of behavior that we can universally

apply to everyone e.g “Do not lie”use your reason, rationality, and judgment, rather than

emotions, when making a decision in an ethical contexttreat people always as ends in themselves, never as mere

means

Utilitarianism (consequential) – John Stuart MillA persons utility is what satisfies the persons needs and

values.An act is right if it tends to increase aggregate utility and

wrong if it tends to decrease it.

Few approaches to Ethics (contd)Natural rights

respects a set of fundamental rights of others, including the rights to life, liberty, and property.

Respect for these rights implies ethical rules against killing, stealing, deception, and coercion.

No simple answersWe cannot solve ethical problems by applying a

formula or an algorithm.ethical theories do not completely settle difficult,

controversial issues, they help to identify important principles or guidelines.

Carla is a single mother who is working hard to complete her college education while taking care of her daughter. Carla has a full- time job and is taking two evening courses per semester. If she can pass both courses this semester, she will graduate. She knows her child will benefit if she can spend more time at home.

One of her required classes is modern European history. In addition to the midterm and final examinations, the professor assigns four lengthy reports, which is far more than the usual amount of work required for a single class. Students must submit all four reports in order to pass the class. Carla earns an “ A” on each of her first three reports.

At the end of the term, she is required to put in a lot of overtime where she works. She simply does not have time to research and write the final report. Carla uses the Web to identify a company that sells term papers. She purchases a report from the company and submits it as her own work.

Was Carla’s action morally justifiable?

Important Distinctions:Right, wrong and okay

ethically obligatory, ethically prohibited, or ethically acceptable.

Negative rights (liberties)The right to act without interference e.g.

freedom of speech, free use of InternetPositive rights (claim-rights)

An obligation of some people to provide certain things for others e.g pay to use Internet, right to be paid for the work you do

Important Distinctions Difference between wrong and harm

If your product is really good, you might put a competitor out of business completely and cause many people to lose their jobs. Yet there is nothing wrong with doing honest, productive work.

Black hat hackers

Law and EthicsWhat is the connection between law and ethics?

Sometimes very little.Ethics precedes law in the sense that ethical principles

help determine whether or not we should pass specific laws.

Ethics fills the gap between the time when technology creates new problems and the time when reasonable laws are passed.