Comp 380 Computers and Society

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Comp 380Computers and Society

• Ethics and Morality Part 2
• May 23, 2007
• Russell Gayle
• Summer Session I - 2007

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Announcements

• Due today Short paper 1
• Paper copy Now, front of room
• E-copy By 500pm today
• Poll about Gattaca Writeup
• Term Project Teams online!
• Check the schedule for when you present
• If you have any questions, concerns, conflicts,
  let me ASAP!
• Briefly today Chat with your partner(s),
  exchange contact info, etc

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Recall

• Ethics philosophical study of morality
• Morality rules of conduct describing what
  people in a society should and should not do

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Studying Ethics

• Three Approaches
• Descriptive ethics what people believe to be
  right and wrong
• Normative ethics what people should believe is
  right and wrong
• Philosophical ethics (meta-ethics) looks at the
  logic behind the decisions
• Relationship between normative and philosophical
  ethics?
• Examples where descriptive and normative ethics
  differ?

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Well look at these

• Ethical relativism
• Subjective (or Individual)
• Cultural
• Normative ethical theories
• Deontological
• Kantianism
• Contractualism
• Teleological
• Utilitarianism
• Are there other broad categories that you can
  think of?

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Ethical Relativism

• Is there anything universally right or wrong?
• How is right or wrong decided?

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Subjective Relativism

• Means?
• Each person decides right or wrong for himself or
  herself

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Subjective Relativism

• What appears logical about this view?
• Well meaning and intelligent people can disagree
• Ethical debates are pointless
• Problems?
• Does not provide a moral distinction between
  actions of different people
• Not based on reason

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Cultural Relativism

• What is it?
• The meaning of right and wrong rests with a
  societys actual moral guidelines
• Consider Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars work

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Cultural Relativism

• Why is it logical?
• Different societies different moral guidelines
• Arrogant for one society to judge another
• Morality in actual behavior
• Problems?
• Evolution of practices
• Societies share some core values

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Rejecting Relativism

• Not such a great idea after all
• We will NOT consider relativism any further

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Normative Ethical Theories

• Deontological based on the sense of duty
• Right because of the act
• Teleological based on the result
• Right because of the result

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Deontological

• What is it?
• Based on our duties and responsibilities
• Actions are fundamentally right or wrong
• Examples
• Contractualism (Hobbes)
• Kantianism (Kant)

1588-1679
1724-1804
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Kantianism Ethics of Duty

• What we should do vs. what we want to do
• Duty as freely imposing obligation on ones own
  self
• Duty is internal
• We impose duty on ourselves
• Is duty affected by outcome?
• Why is lying always wrong, in his view? What if
  it produces a terrible outcome?

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Universalizability

• What is fair for one is fair for all
• Living by rules
• Most of us live by rules much of the time
• Imperatives
• Hypothetical conditional commands that are
  applicable in certain conditions (if then)
• Categorical unconditional commands that are
  binding on everyone at all times

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Maxims

• Subjective rules that guide actions
• Relevant act description
• Sufficient generality
• All actions have maxims
• Examples of maxims (not necessarily good)
• Never lie to your friends
• Never act in a way that would make your parents
  ashamed of you
• Its ok to cheat if you need to

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Categorical Imperative

• Universality Always act in such a way that the
  maxim of your action can be willedas a universal
  law of humanity.
• Respect Always treat humanity, whether in
  yourself or in other people, as an end in itself
  and never as a mere means.
• Are these the same? Which do you prefer?

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Kants use of logic

• If a maxim is not universal, then it is self
  defeating (causes a logical contradiction).
• Means what?
• Example?
• Doing your duty brings honor.
• Duty and honor bound up with good will.
• Example of when one might do the right thing
  but--in Kants view--action would not exhibit a
  good will?

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Strengths of Kantianism

• Rational
• Produces universal moral guidelines
• Treats all people as moral equals

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Criticisms

• Philosophical
• Moral minimalism requirements are not heartfelt
• Moral alienation alienated from feelings
• Practical
• Actions may need to be characterized by multiple
  rules and there is no way to resolve a conflict
  between rules
• Allows no exceptions

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Brief Digression

• Important digression for us
• Just saw conflicting moral principles within one
  individual.
• among individuals
• among groups
• So a recurring course theme will be.

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Moral Integration Theory

• Main contention
• You do the right thiing because you want to, not
  just because you feel its your duty
• Examples?
• Aristotles views?

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Another digression

• Would you rather...
• NBA All-Star Dance-Off
• or
• Mythbusters Rube Goldberg machine

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Contractualism

• Social Contract Theory
• Morality consists in the set of rules, governing
  how people are to treat one another, that
  rational people will agree to accept, for their
  mutual benefit, on the condition that others
  follow those rules as well.
• James Rachel, The Elements of Moral Philosophy

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Rights and Duties

• Duty not to interfere with others rights
• Negative and positive rights
• Negative right duty is to not interfere
• Positive right duty is to provide
• Absolute and limited rights
• Typically, negative rights are absolute and
  positive are limited

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Rawls Principle of Justice

• Each person may claim basic rights and liberties
  as long as these claims are consistent with
  everyone else having a claim to the same rights
• Social and economic inequalities must
• Be associated with positions in society to which
  everyone has an equal opportunity
• Be of the greatest benefit to the least-advantaged

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Contractualism Strengths

• Framed in terms of rights
• Explains acting out of self-interest when there
  is no common agreement
• Provides framework for moral issues dealing with
  government (civil disobedience)

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Contractualism Criticism

• Doesnt address actions that can be characterized
  multiple ways
• Doesnt address conflicting rights

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Contractual vs. Kantian

• Both believe that there are universal moral rules
• Basis of those moral rules
• Kant can be universalized
• Contract would benefit the community

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Teleological Theory

• What is it?
• Something is good based on its consequences
• Doing Good is important
• Primary example Utilitarianism
• Jeremy Bentham
• John Stuart Mill

1748-1832
1806-1873
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Utilitarianism

• Greatest Happiness Principle
• Compute the costs and benefits
• Simple calculation do positives outweigh the
  negatives?
• Two forms
• Act judge the consequence of a specific act
• Rule judge the consequence of the generalized
  rule

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Act Utilitarianism Strengths

• Focus on happiness
• Down to earth
• Appeals to many people
• Comprehensive

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Act Utilitarianism Criticism

• Too much work to make a decision on each act
• Where do you draw the line?
• Susceptible to luck
• Ignores our sense of duty
• Range of effects that one must consider
• Calculus requires that we balance very different
  aspects
• Unjust distribution of good results

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Just Consequentialism

• James Moor
• Not only the greatest good for the great number
  of people, but also within the constraints of
  justice

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Discussion

• Small Group Discussion
• Handout

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For next time

• Finish up Ethics (Morality and Law)
• Assigned today
• Reading 10
• Term Project Summary Statements and Bibliography
  (Due FRIDAY!)