Download Ethics in Computer Science

Department of Computer and Information Science,
School of Science, IUPUI
Ethics
Dale Roberts, Lecturer
Computer Science, IUPUI
E-mail: [email protected]
Dale Roberts
Two points of view
Utilitarian – Balance the benefits and liabilities of
different ethical stakeholders. A very simplistic
statement of its ethical claim is that the degree of
rightness or wrongness of an act depends upon the
consequences of the act.
Kantian - imperative asserting that one should never
treat a person merely as a means to an end, but always
as an end . The norms defining what are right and wrong
must respect the ability of each person to function
rationally and choose freely. Many of the precepts
embedded in the Declaration of Independence and
Constitution of the U. S. A. are based on such a concept.
One's human rights stem from his or her identity as a
person.
Dale Roberts
Example
Suppose that a software project is running
behind schedule and exceeding monthly budget
allocations. The final software product will not
be used in life-critical situations. One manager
proposes that the planned testing of the
software be reduced in order to accelerate the
schedule and reduce costs. Is this an ethical
problem, or solely economic? If it is an ethical
problem, what are the various ethical factors
involved and what is the best decision to make
ethically?
Dale Roberts
Utilitarian View
Yes!
Dale Roberts
Utilitarian View – Life Threatening Scenario
No!
Dale Roberts
Kantian View
Let us now apply this approach to evaluating
the first case described above. As before, we
first identify the ethical stakeholders. Then we
ask to what extent the proposed policy adheres
to the categorical imperative for each one. In
doing so, we do not need to allow each
individual free rein, but rather require only that
the she or he be free to make rational choices
about whether or not to pay the prices involved No, because
in order to obtain the benefits that might
there is a minus.
accrue.
Dale Roberts
Acknowledgements
Introductory material is a summarization of Providing and Ethical Basis for Ethical
Decisions, by Dr. Andrew Olsen.
Case studies are obtained from an Ethics Workshop hosted by Johnson, D. G.
Dale Roberts