1. Ethics in a Computing Culture
Chapter 1
Critical Reasoning and Moral Theory

2. Ethics Ethics is the study of rational choices.
Rational: reasoned, optimized for goal or problem
Ethical = Doing the right thing
How do we define the right thing?
Where we place the value
At Rational best.
Golden Balls
Ethics in a Computing Culture

3. Which of the answers below describes a rational choice?
A gut feeling
A reflexive, involuntary response.
A and B are true
A reasoned or calculated decision 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

4. Morality Tavani describes morality as a:
“system of rules for guiding human conduct & the principles for evaluating those rules.”
Many scholars distinguish morality and ethics, saying morality relates to all humans and ethics to a group.
Ethics in a Computing Culture

5. Case: Borrowing a Password (Scenario 1)
Page 2
Alice and Josh
Both students
Josh uses Alice’s account, doesn’t examine anything. Completes his work.
Ethics in a Computing Culture

6. Opinion Question: Did anyone do anything wrong?
Yes No 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

7. Opinion question: How do you interpret the word “wrong” here
Opinion question: How do you interpret the word “wrong” here? Wrong is …
Breaking the rules
Causing harm 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

8. Case: Borrowing a Password (Scenario 1)
Would it make a difference if there was a university policy again sharing passwords/logins?
If a university policy stated that providing passwords to others is prohibited, would the action be wrong?
This case did not specify why Josh’s account was disabled.
How does this hinder your ability to decide the morality of this case?
If they were seniors?
Computer experience?
Ethics in a Computing Culture

9. Case: Borrowing a Password (Scenario 2)
Bottom of page 2
Alice & Josh
Josh is a senior
Alice is a graduate working at a firm (Alpha Software.)
Ethics in a Computing Culture

10. Opinion Question: (scenario 2) Did anyone do anything wrong?
Yes No 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

11. My answer was that it was wrong before and it is still wrong.
Opinion Question: (scenario 2) Suppose Josh is accepting a job at Beta Software in 30 days. Does that affect your answer?
My answer was that it was wrong before and it is still wrong.
Yes, with that new fact, it would be wrong for Alice to share the password now.
No, it would still not be wrong to share the password. 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

12. Case: Borrowing a Password (Scenario 2)
How would you react if Alice were a software engineer at a software development firm?
What if Alice’s job has a confidentiality req.?
What if Alice had overlooked the confidentiality req.? Would her unawareness keep her action from being considered immoral?
What if Alice denies Josh the account use. Did anyone do anything wrong?
Ethics in a Computing Culture

13. Case: Borrowing a Password (scenario 3)
Alpha monitored employee Alice’s account and saw a file be sent outside the co network. Alice’s boss Carol fires her.
Did anyone do anything wrong? How are we defining wrong?
Suppose Alpha never told employees like Alice their s were monitored? Does that change whether firing was wrong?
What if Carol had been caught doing something similar but was only warned? Is that wrong?
Suppose we agree that firing is a fair option, what if we know that Josh did not examine any of Alice’s files. Is the firing fair?
Ethics in a Computing Culture

14. In-flight movie and beer scenario
Eric is flying to Hawaii over the Pacific Ocean. Eric is an emergency room doctor. Over the intercom an announcement is made that a woman has gone into active labor and the flight attendants are asking if there is a doctor on board who could assist. Eric just paid $6 for a beer that he is waiting for attendants to bring and he is 30 minutes into the film Identify Theft.
Ethics in a Computing Culture

15. Is Eric ethically obligated to help the woman or can he enjoy his beer when it arrives? Pick the true statement(s).
Many professions such as medicine, law and computing hold their members to higher standards.
As a doctor, Eric has a duty to assist.
The highest societal utility will be achieved by drinking the cold beer, as Eric doesn’t even know the pregnant woman.
A and B are true 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

16. Professional Ethics
Many professions hold their members to a higher standard of behavior.
Computing professionals:
Physicians:
Attorneys:
Teachers:
Social workers:
Law enforcement:
Ethics in a Computing Culture

17. Case 2: Warning or Ticket? (scenario 1)
Dolores ran stop sign
Bee & toddler
Did not see sign.
Dolores and Schmidt have known each other for years.
Ethics in a Computing Culture

18. Opinion: What should Officer Schmidt do in this situation?
Warning
Citation
Arrest 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

19. Case: Warning or Ticket? (scenario 1)
Other tweaks to the fact pattern:
What if Dolores had been an unknown 18 y o male?
What if Schmidt and Dolores had been romantically involved?
What if Dolores had been rude to Schmidt?
Other info that would help you have a clear opinion?
Emphasize that students are not being asked what might happen, but what ought to happen in this situation.
Ethics in a Computing Culture

20. Case: Warning or Ticket? (scenario 2)
Dolores ran stop sign and someone was injured.
What should Officer Schmidt do in this situation - warning, citation, or arrest?
Dolores hit mayor. Does that change the action Schmidt should take?
Suppose Dolores had had a warning on this exact behavior last week?
Emphasize that students are not being asked what might happen, but what ought to happen in this situation.
Ethics in a Computing Culture

21. Case: Warning or Ticket?
No harm, no foul: principle that states it is wrong to punish someone for a simple mistake when no actual harm has been done
Ask students to consider if the no harm, no foul principle affects their responses to the “Borrowing a Password” or “Warning or Ticket” scenarios. Suppose Dolores hit a pedestrian; how would that would affect students’ responses? Suppose the pedestrian were the mayor; should this influence Officer Schmidt’s action?
Ethics in a Computing Culture

22. How appropriate do you think “no harm, no foul” is in your moral decision making?
Very
Some
Not much
Never 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

23. Morality and Ethics
Ethics: a set of morally permissible standards for a group
Morality: the standards desired by all humans at their rational best.
Standards of morality are similar to standards of language: Rules regarding human behavior are complex and have many exceptions.
Ethics in a Computing Culture

24. Moral Theory The basic equation for defining morality:
How do I know that X is good?
Why is X good?
An action might be unethical, yet remain morally permissible.
Can we think of any examples?
Ethics in a Computing Culture

25. Moral Theory (continued)
Religious ethics: ‘doing the right thing’ usually is achieved by obeying the dictates of one’s religion
Divine Command Theory: God, and only God, decrees what is right and what is wrong
Disagreement among godly men (Aquinas & Calvin, Luther)
Can a person who is not religious act morally?
Ethics in a Computing Culture

26. Moral Theory (continued)
Cultural Relativism: an individual should be judged in terms of the standards of his own culture (time and space.)
members of one culture should not judge or be judged by a different culture
Page 11, “Cultural Relativism goes beyond tolerance, claiming that there is never any acceptable justification for one culture to override the wishes of another.”
Arguments against Cultural Relativism?
Ethics in a Computing Culture

27. An ethicist following cultural relativism would be critical of the Nazi’s extermination of Jews.
Yes, definitely.
Perhaps not. 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

28. Golden Balls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3Uos2fzIJ0
Ethics in a Computing Culture

29. Opinion: What will he do?
Choose Split
Choose Steal
I have no idea 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

30. Opinion: What will she do?
Choose Split
Choose Steal
I have no idea 30
Ethics in a Computing Culture

31. Moral Theory (continued)
THAT feeling?
Righteous Indignation: the anger we feel at someone’s undeserved good or bad fortune
Ethics in a Computing Culture