1 Ethics of Computing MONT 113G, Spring 2012 Session 17 Sociotechnical Perspective Ethical reasoning

2 Recall: The Standard Account James Moore (1985) provided an account for why it is necessary to study computer ethics. a)Computers create new possibilities. b)The new possibilities create policy vacuums. c)Filling the vacuums often requires sorting out conceptual muddles.

3 Problems with Standard Account What are the problems with the standard account? (Class discussion) 1)Not specific to computers/IT 2)Emphasis on newness of technology ignores maturing technology. 3)It ignores the social context of technology.

4 The Sociotechnical Systems Perspective The Sociotechnical systems perspective can be summarized by three rules. 1.Reject technological determinism--Think coshaping. Technology that is developed is determined by social factors: (Name some) Adoption of technology does not necessarily determine social behavior. Examples: Internet/democracy Facebook

5 The Sociotechnical Systems Perspective Reject technology as material objects--Think sociotechnical systems. Technology by itself does not do anything—it can only function as part of a social system. People and artifacts are intertwined. They shape each other.

6 The Sociotechnical Systems Perspective--3 The Sociotechnical systems perspective can be summarized by three rules. 3. Reject Technology as neutral--Think Technology infused with values. Langdon Winner (1986): Adoption of a particular technology means adoption of a social order. Examples? Sociotechnical systems provide a framework for examining ethical issues associated with computer technology.

7 Why Computer Ethics? Technology is part of society and affects the way we act. Technology affects the courses of action available to us and the decisions we make. The better we understand how technology affects us and society, the better our decisions will be.

8 Discussion from Chapter 1 Facebook scenario: Ashley has a Facebook site. She applies for a job at company X. Shawn works for company X and is asked to examine Ashley's site before hiring her. Ashley is fully qualified and soars through the interview. Shawn sees signs of partying on the facebook site and informs the company. Ashley is not hired. Is anything wrong here? Who is wrong? Ashley? Shawn? Company X?

9 What is the purpose of "doing" Ethics? 1.Finding universal moral rules? 2.Should we focus on: right vs. wrong? good vs. bad consequences of actions? virtue and justice? 3. Theoretical vs. practical ethics Theoretical ethics tries to give an account of morality Practical ethics tries to understand and develop strategies for practical decision making. 4. We will focus on practical ethics. 5. Analysis will inform decisions and actions, but may not come to a final resolution.

10 Descriptive (Empirical Claims) Descriptive claims give facts that can be tested or verified. Examples: The car is in the driveway. XX% of the American public favor healthcare reform. All societies consider some domain of life private. (This one would be hard to test). Others?

11 Normative (prescriptive) claims Normative claims state what people should do or what ought to be the case. Examples: Speech on the internet should not be censored. All societies should keep some domains of life private. Others? These cannot be verified by examining societies. They make a recommendation. Empirical evidence may be used to analyze and evaluate them.

12 Empirical claims alone are not enough Normative claims cannot be supported by simply pointing to the facts about what people do: Examples: Throughout history some people have intentionally killed other people. Therefore? it is OK for individuals to kill others when they choose. Downloading proprietary music is commonly done. Therefore? it is OK to download proprietary music. These are not adequate arguments.

13 The Dialectic Method 1.Normative claims are formed into arguments. (Argument: A claim and a set of reasons to justify the claim). 2.Arguments are examined for: Consistency Plausibility Coherence Fit with ordinary experience Fit with empirical information