The document discusses different perspectives on cyberethics including as a branch of applied ethics, professional ethics, philosophical ethics, and descriptive ethics. It also discusses cases related to software piracy and the responsibilities of computer professionals. Additionally, it covers criticism of only considering professional ethics and introduces a disclosive method and multidisciplinary/multilevel approach for cyberethics analysis.
The document discusses different perspectives on cyberethics including as a branch of applied ethics, professional ethics, philosophical ethics, and descriptive ethics. It also discusses cases related to software piracy and the responsibilities of computer professionals. Additionally, it covers criticism of only considering professional ethics and introduces a disclosive method and multidisciplinary/multilevel approach for cyberethics analysis.
The document discusses different perspectives on cyberethics including as a branch of applied ethics, professional ethics, philosophical ethics, and descriptive ethics. It also discusses cases related to software piracy and the responsibilities of computer professionals. Additionally, it covers criticism of only considering professional ethics and introduces a disclosive method and multidisciplinary/multilevel approach for cyberethics analysis.
The document discusses different perspectives on cyberethics including as a branch of applied ethics, professional ethics, philosophical ethics, and descriptive ethics. It also discusses cases related to software piracy and the responsibilities of computer professionals. Additionally, it covers criticism of only considering professional ethics and introduces a disclosive method and multidisciplinary/multilevel approach for cyberethics analysis.
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Week#7
Instructor: Sidra Zubair
Date:28-3-2024 Uniqueness Issue (Cont…) • Traditionalists and uniqueness proponents are each partly correct • Traditionalists correctly point out that no new ethical issues have been introduced by computers • Uniqueness proponents are correct in that cybertechnology has complicated our analysis of traditional ethical issues Uniqueness Issue (Cont…) • So we must distinguish between: A. Unique technological features B. Any (alleged) unique ethical issues Two scenarios from the text: A. computer professionals designing and coding a controversial computer system B. Software Piracy Case Illustration of a Policy Vacuum: Duplicating Software
• In the early 1980s, there were no clear laws regarding the
duplication of software programs, which was made easy because of personal computers • A policy vacuum arose. • Before the policy vacuum could be filled, we have to clear up a conceptual muddle: What exactly is software? Cyberethics as a Branch of Applied Ethics
ethical issues. • It analyzes the moral issues from the ventage-point of one or more ethical theories • Ethicists working in the field of applied ethics are more interested in applying ethical theories to the analysis of specific moral problems than in debating ethical theories themselves Cyberethics as a Branch of Applied Ethics • Three distinct perspectives of applied ethics (as applied to cyberethics): • A. Professional Ethics • B. Philosophical Ethics • C. Descriptive Ethics A. Professional Ethics • According to this view cyberethics is the field that identifies and analyzes issues of ethical responsibility of computer professionals • Consider a computer professional’s role in designing and developing and maintaining computer hardware and software systems. • - Suppose a programmer discovers that a software product she has been working on is about to be released for sale to the public, even though it is unreliable because it contains ”buggy” software. • - Should she “blow the whistle”? Professional Ethics • Don Gotterbarn (1991) argued that all genuine computer ethics issues are professional ethics issues. • Computer Ethics for Gottenbarn is like medical ethics and legal ethics which are tied to issues involving specific problems • He notes that computer ethics issues are not about technology- e.g, we don’t have automobile ethics, airplane ethics etc. Criticism of Professional Ethics Perspective • Gotterbarn’s model for computer ethics seems too narrow for cyber ethics. • Cyberethics issues not only effect computer professionals; they affect everyone. • Before the widespread use of the internet, Gotterbarn’s professional ethics model may have been adequate Perspective#2 Philosophical Ethics • From this perspective cyberethics is a field of philosophical analysis and enquiry that goes beyond professional ethics (Gotterbarn) Moor define computer ethics as: • The analysis and the nature of social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of such technology Cont… • Moor argues that automobile and airplane technologies did not affect our social policies and norms in the same kinds of fundamental ways that computer technology has. Cont… Philip Brey describes “the standard methodolgy” in three stages: • 1. Identify a controversial practice as moral problem • 2. Describe and analyze the problem • 3. Apply moral theories and principles Perspective#3 Descriptive Ethics • The professional and philosophical perspectives both illustrate normative inquiries. • Descriptive investigations report: ”What is the case?” while normative evaluate the situations “What ought to be the case?” Cont… • Scenario: A community’s workforce and introduction of new technology • Suppose a new technology displaces 8000 workers in a community. • Analyze issue in terms of number of jobs(descriptive study) Cont… • Normative: what is to be the case? • Descriptive: what ought to be the case? • Non Moral: Prescribe or evaluate in matters involving standards • Moral: Prescribe or evaluate in matters having to do with fairness and obligation Summary of all perspectives • Professional: Computer science and engineering (Code of conduct) • Philosophical: Philosophy /Law (Free Speech/Intellectual Property, Privacy) • Descriptive: Social Behavioral Sciences (Impact of cybertechnology) A Disclosive Method for Cyberethics Breys Model: • It must not only be applied ethics but it also considers the technological issues. Multidisciplinary & Multilevel Method • Breys method is multidisciplinary because it requires the collaboration of computer scientists, philosophers and social scientists. • It is also multilevel • Disclosure level • Theoretical level • Application level Thank you