What Are Ethics

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What Are Ethics?

• Daniel Sarvis

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How do we define Ethics?

• Ethics is the study of what it means to do the
  right thing
• Ethical theory is based on the assumption that
  people are rational and make free choices
• Humans are in most cases responsible for their
  actions
• What are some instances these two principles may
  not be true?

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Purpose of Ethics

• Ethical rules are rules to follow in our
  interactions with other people and in our actions
  that affect other people.
• Most ethical theories attempt to achieve the same
  goal to enhance human dignity, peace,
  happiness, and well-being.
• Ethical rules apply to everyone
• Good ethical theory recognizes the fact that we
  are each unique and have our own goals

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Discovered or Invented?

• Ethics can be viewed in two basic ways
• Fundamental and Universal
• Treat ethics like laws of science
• Ethics Discovering Right and Wrong
• As rules we make up
• Invent rules to interact with others in a
  peaceful, productive way such as in rules of a
  sport.
• Ethics Inventing Right and Wrong

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Ethical Views

• Deontological Theories
• Emphasize duty and absolute rules
• 3 Principles from Immanuel Kant
• Follow rules of behavior that we can universally
  apply to everyone (Do unto others as you would
  have them do unto you)
• Logic or reason determines rules of ethical
  behavior
• One must never treat people as merely means to
  ends, but rather as ends in themselves.

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Ethical Views

• Utilitarianism
• Guiding principle is to increase happiness
• We should consider the consequences-the benefits
  and damages to all affected people-and calculate
  the change in aggregate utility (happiness)
• An act is right if it tends to increase aggregate
  utility and wrong if it tends to decrease it

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Natural Rights

• Let people make their own decisions without
  coercive interference by others
• Views ethical behavior as acting in such a way
  that respects a set of fundamental rights of
  others, including the rights to life, liberty,
  and property.
• Tend to see acts as likely to be ethical if they
  involve voluntary interactions and freely made
  exchanges.

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Questions

• How can ethics help in dealing with issues we
  face each day?
• Can there be more than one ethically acceptable
  solution to a situation?
• How are ethics applicable to Computer Science
  professionals?
• Do Laws determine ethics?

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Sources

• Baase, Sara. A Gift of Fire. Second Edition
• http//www.ethics.org/