AIT, Comp. Sci. & Info. Mgmt AT02.98 Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues in Computing September Term, Objectives of these slides: l try to persuade the skeptics that ethics are useful (actually essential) for them 6. Doing Right – Why Bother?

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 2 Overview 1. What’s in Ethics for me? 2. Health and Ethics 3. The “Wages of Sin” 4. Self-Actualization 5. Moral Development Theory 6. The Ethics of Care

Comp. Ethics: Bother/ What’s in Ethics for me? §The skeptic says: “What’s the point of being ethical (doing right) unless it makes my life better?” §Ethical behaviour usually affects your friends/colleagues, making them happier. As a result, they will treat you better. continued

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 4 §A good person is liked because: l they are dependable l they keep their word l they are not under the control of money, power, popularity §“Virtue (moral excellence) is its own reward.” §A good person is more advanced, mentally healthier, and more mature than an evil person.

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 5 Why More Advanced? §A good person can accurately evaluate the ethics of their actions, and so can choose and control those actions better. §A good person is more sensitive to the ethical actions of others, and so can help/guide those people.

Comp. Ethics: Bother/ Health and Ethics §What does it mean that the mental health of a person’s character depends on their ethics? §Bad acts (e.g. lying) reinforce bad behaviour in our personalities l initial reservations are forgotten l we lose the ability to look beyond self-interest; we become childish l our judgement becomes impaired l we believe we are stronger/wiser, but are not

Comp. Ethics: Bother/ The “Wages of Sin” §Saint Augustine wrote of sin: l “Lust dominates the mind, despoils it of the wealth of its virtue, and drags it, poor and needy, now this way and now that.” §In short, sin (doing wrong) --> an unhappy, tortured, and an unsatisfied life continued

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 8 §Our minds don’t work as well as before (we defend what’s false as though it were true), and we lose control over our lives (our desires govern us). §The two wages (results) of sin (evil): l ignorance (not knowing what is right) l difficulty (the inability to act ethically)

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 9 The Skeptic’s Response §“But cheating/lying/stealing/etc. work. I get ahead of others.” §These techniques work because you have not played by the ethical rules that others follow. §The long-term effect is that everyone may stop playing by the rules: l you lose; society loses

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 10 Saint Augustine ( )

Comp. Ethics: Bother/ Self-Actualization §Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, studied the connection between ethics and mental health. He identified a hierachy of human needs: self-actualization esteem belongingness and love safety physiological increased priority continued

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 12 §Ethical thinking appears first in self-actualized people. §Some characteristics of self-actualization: l committed to causes; creative; well-integrated personalities; independent but socialable; a spiritual side §Most of the self-actualized people studied agreed on the key elements of human good l that suggests that ethical judgements may be universal and objective

Comp. Ethics: Bother/ Moral Development Theory §Lawrence Kohlberg (another American psychologist) claims there are 3 levels of moral reasoning, each with 2 stages. §He has found these present in people across a range of cultures.

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 14 Preconventional (Level 1) §Good and bad is seen in terms of reward, punishment, and power. §Stage 1: “good” is what the person with power says it is. §Stage 2: “good” is what is good for me.

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 15 Conventional (Level 2) §Good and bad is defined by family or society. §Stage 1: “good” is what pleases or helps others. §Stage 2: “good” is respecting authority.

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 16 Postconventional (Level 3) §Good and bad are based on moral principles. §Stage 1: “good’ is evaluated using some form of utilitarianism. §Stage 2: “good” is derived from universal moral principles l very act-oriented

Comp. Ethics: Bother/ The Ethics of Care §Carol Gilligan (third and final American psychologist) argues for male/female ethics: l male: ethics based on justice Everyone should be treated the same. l female: ethics based on care Base your response on the need of the person (equity). §She identifies three levels of care: l care for one self; care for others; care based on moral principles

Comp. Ethics: Bother/6 18 Two Ethical Voices §Gilligan believes that the two ethics are complementary, and should both be part of our moral reasoning. §Ethics of care == results-oriented approach l focusses on the consequences of actions §Ethics of justice == act-oriented approach l focusses on the person’s rights