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Ethics

  • Descriptive Ethics -Study of peoples beliefs about morality
  • Normative Ethics - The study of ethical behaviour
  • Applied Ethics - Practical aspect of moral considerations
  • Meta-Ethics - Abstract level above applied

Computers enable social harms

  • Illegal content and activity
  • Organised crime

Dilemmas​

  • An ethical dilemma is a situation where competing options all have imperfect outcomes
  • e.g.
    • It is not clear which rule applies
    • More than one rule applies but they are in conflict
  • Ethics is rarely clear-cut; typically involves dilemmas

Deontology​

  • Greek word "deon" meaning; "To be obligated" or simply "duty"
  • Morality of an action lies on the inner motive rather than the external effects
  • Kants' ethics is primarily based on the idea of the good will
  • Duty must be done out of pure reverence to the moral law

Categorical Imperative​

Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law

  • Maxim is a personal and subjective guiding principle
  • We must universalize our moral judgement

Teleology​

  • Telos = Greek for "goal" (fulfilment or completion, consummation, end)
  • Most prominent type of teleological ethics: Utilitarianism
  • Ethical theory: the action which leads to greatest utility is ethically best

Act utilitarianism​

  • It asks a person to asses the effects of all actions
  • Rejects the view that actions can be classified as right or wrong in themselves
  • Example: lying is ethical if it produces more good than bad

Rule utilisation​

  • It asks a person to assess actions according to a set of rules designed to yield the greatest net benefit to all affected
  • Compares act to rules
  • Does not accept an action as right if it maximizes net benefits only once
  • Example: lying is always* wrong or "thou shalt not lie"