Ethical Issues in Computer Science CSCI 328, Fall 2013 Session 3 The Dialectic Method

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?

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.

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? Downloading proprietary music is commonly done. These are not adequate arguments.

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

Importance of the Dialectic Method First step is to move from unreflective beliefs and gut feelings to claims connected to a value that others accept. Example: "Censorship is wrong." Why? Is it always wrong? Specific cases? 2. Critical examination of beliefs can lead to change in belief OR to a stronger and better understood beliefs. Claims should be consistent from one argument to the next. Example: Views on abortion and capital punishment.

Example of the Dialectic Method Euthanasia. Claim: Euthanasia is wrong Reason for claim: Test claim in a variety of cases: Test claim in different types of cases: Modify claim:

Practical Ethics is like Design If you give design specifications to several groups of engineers, each group will come up with a different design. There is often more than one good solution. There are also solutions that a clearly wrong.

Ethical Relativism Claim: Ethical beliefs, rules and practices vary from culture to culture and from time to time. Empirical support: Cultures vary in what they consider right and wrong. Morals change over time Moral beliefs are influenced by how and by whom one is raised. Questions: Is it possible that universal norms underlie the disparate rules/practices? Is this the way things ought to be?

Problems with Ethical Relativism Normative claim: One should act in conformance with one's society. What is wrong with this rule? 2. Alternative claim: It is wrong to judge other cultures by the standards of your own. 3. Ethical relativism does not provide much help in making moral decisions. Why?