Ethics

1. Ethics Presented by Trisha Cummings

2. Simple Definition • Comes from the Greek word – Ethos meaning character • Ethics define what is good for individuals and society. • Unethical behavior is not necessarily unlawful – such as lying or betraying someone

3. Ethics tend to be codified into a formal system or set of rules which are then adopted by a group of people. • Business’s operate from their own set of ethics – such as legal ethics, business ethics, medical ethics, computer ethics, etc …..

4. Morals • Moral – comes from the Roman word mores • A system of ideas about right and wrong – a code of conduct put forth by society, a group or religion. • Tend to get jumbled up with religion but is not only confined to religion. • These are standards accepted by individuals to govern their behavior

5. Examples of Moral Systems • The Golden Rule • The Ten Commandments • An It Harm None • Four Noble Truths/Noble Eightfold Path • Dharma Sutras • Torah

6. Values • Values are the internal rules by which we make decisions about right and wrong, should and shouldn't, good and bad. • Additionally, they tell us when something ismore important or less important, which is helpful when we have to decide to compromise or make trade offs choosing one value over another.

7. The difference between ethics and morals can is a basic, subtle, difference. • Morals define personal character. • Ethics stress a social system in which those morals are applied. • Ethics point to standards or codes of behavior expected by the group to which the individual belongs. • So while a person’s moral code is usually unchanging, the ethics he or she practices can be dependent on your group affiliation.

8. As children we are given rules of behavior – don’t lie, don’t hit, don’t steal, don’t cheat • Behaving in such ways is moral - it reflects a certain accommodation to others and a restraint on oneself - but it is not yet ethical. • Becoming ethical is a gradual process. • It is not a smooth and even pattern of growthfrom ignorance to enlightenment.

9. Being ethical is taking moral behavior into one's heart and mind - coming to understand why it is right to behave in a certain way that respects the rights and needs of others, and developing a capacity to empathize or put oneself imaginatively in another's place. • The difference between ethics and morals is a growth process.

10. If we don’t grow - we may move from rule to ideology. • Ideology is when moral rules are accepted uncritically and expanded into a rigid worldview to be imposed on everyone else. • This means the growth beyond the simple to the complex, from the black-and-white to the ambiguous, from the absolute to the contingent hasn’t taken place.

11. Ethics assume that moral problems are complex, and that the common experience of a conflict between good things or a forced choice between bad things requires judgment. • Ethics require an assessment of situations and alternatives, judgment of the consequences of action or inaction, weighing the claims and rights of others along with one's own interests and desires.

12. Morals are about following the rules. • Ethics are about enlarging the circles of empathy, and seeking common ground among vastly different moral and belief systems, to find the human qualities that transcend these differences.

13. Computer Ethics

14. The Ten Commandments of Computer EthicsWritten by the Computer Ethics Institute • Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people. • Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work. • Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files. • Thou shalt not use a computer to steal. • Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.

15. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid. • Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation. • Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output. • Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing. • Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.

16. What are Computer Ethics • Computer Ethics is the branch of philosophy that analyses the nature and social impact of computer technology as well as the standards of conduct which pertain to proper use computers. • It involves social issues, such as access rights, working place monitoring, censorship and junk mail; professional issues such as professional responsibility and code of conduct; legal issues such as legal obligations, data protection, computer misuse and software piracy. 

17. Within a relative short period of time, computer technology has created huge new possibilities but also new ethical and social implications on both business’s and individual’s life choices. • However, ethical framework and laws lag behind all the new innovations. • Computer Ethics attempts to fill the vacuum, while society catches up to make laws, • This helps individuls, business’s and corporations with company policy, personal policy and social conventions.  • Computer ethics is at its relatively young stages.

18. The Brief History of Computer Ethics: • In 1940s, • Norbert Weiner, MIT professor anda pioneer of computing, create “cybernetics”, an information feedback system and forecast that computers would create unemployment worse than Great Depression, but it was ignored for decades. • 1950s-1960s The dawn of computer technology, which features large mainframe computer, the main issues are “can machines think?” personal privacy threats, centralization of power and big government. • 1950:Norbert Wiener published the book, “the Human Use of Human Beings”, which established him as the founder of computer ethics and laid out the foundation of computer ethics.

19. 1960s: • Donn Parker, an author on computer crimes, pointed by ACM, led the creation of ethics code in computer technology fields. • 1966: • MIT’s Joseph Weizenbaum writes a program called ELIZA that makes the computer act as a psychotherapist. • First computer crime, a programmer used computer code to prevent his banking account from being flagged as overdrawn.  When late discovered, there was no law to charge this crime. • The adoption of Freedom of Information Act, which gave the individual and organizations the right to access data held by the federal government • Famous quintessential author Issac Asimov, concern in his fiction stories, “are there decisions that computers should never make?”

20. 1970s-1980s The young and exponential growth of computer technology, which features minicomputer, microcomputer, personal computer and the beginning of networking. The attention turned to software and the issues are surrounding it, such as property rights, software piracy, liability, privacy, computer crime, hackers and more.  • 1970: • Walter Maner, a medical teacher and researcher, noticed the need for a separate branch of applied computer ethics, developed course, workshops. The “computer ethics” coined ever since. • The adoption of Fair Credit Reporting Act, which dealt with handling of credit data.

21. 1973: • ACM adopted the professional codes of ethics, by the middle of 70s, new privacy and computer crime laws had been enacted in American and European, • 1976: • Joseph Weizenbaum published book, “Computer Power and Human Reason” which considered the classic in computer ethics. • 1976: • AbbeMowshowitz published article, titled: “On approaches to the study of social issues in computing” • It identifies and analyzes technical and non-technical biases in research on social issues in computing. Five positions—technicism, progressive individualism, elitism, pluralism, and radical criticism—which reflect major streams of contemporary social thought are examined.   ---- The ACM digital library, volume 24, issues 3, March 1981

22. 1978: • The adoption of Right to Federal Privacy Act, which limited government’s ability to search bank records. • 1979: • Terrell Ward Bynum, developed curriculum for university course on computer ethics. He late launched an essay competition to generate interest in computer ethics.  In 1985, he published the widest-selling issue in journal’s history --  “ Entitled Computers and Ethics” • 1984: • The adoption of Small Business Computer Security and Education Act, which advises congress on matters relating to computer crime against small businesses.

23. 1985: • James Moor classic essay, “What is Computer Ethics?” were published, in his view, computer ethics includes: • (1) identification of computer-generated policy vacuums, • (2) clarification of conceptual muddles, • (3) formulation of policies for the use of computer technology, and • (4) ethical justification of such policies. ---Terrell Ward Bynum • 1985: • Deborah Johnson published the first major textbook in computer Ethics, and became the standard-setting textbook in computer ethics. It also set up the research agenda for almost a decade. • 1986: • The rewritten of Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which covers the digital, data, and video communication.

24. 1988: • Robert Hauptman a librarian at St. Cloud University coined the term “information ethics” it comprises all the ethical issues related to the production, storage, access and dissemination of information. • The adoption of Computer Matching and Privacy Act, which restricts government’s right to programs or identifying debtors. • Since the middle of 1980s, the computer ethics field has grown rapidly, university courses, research centers, conferences, articles, and textbooks have widely become the de facto of topics.

25. 1990s - Present - The pinnacle of computer technology, the coming together of computers, telecommunications and media, which features the internet and World Wide Web.  It become such a phenomenon, which brought a seemingly endless set of ethical issues   such as legal jurisdiction, free speech, virtual community and the concerns of all the past. • 1992: • ACM adopted the “ACM code of Ethics and Professional Conduct”.  It consists of 24 imperatives formulated as statements of personal responsibility. • 1995: • GorniakKocikowska, predicted computer ethics will eventually evolve into a system of global ethics that applicable in virtually every culture, then, it will be the ordinary ethics of information age.

26. 1999: • Deborah Johnson, opposite of Gorniak’s view, assumes computer ethical theories will not lead to a revolution in ethics, but only servers as the bedrock foundation of ethical thinking and analysis.  The computer ethics is only the same old ethics questions with a new twist. • From present to the near future. • Computer technology features the convergence of information and communication technologies.   • Issues will focus with decision-making capabilities, biochip implants, genomic research and such. • ACM – stands for Association for Computing Machinery – http://www.acm.org/

27. Resources • Wise Geek • http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-ethics-and-morals.htm • Ethics and Morals • http://www.paytonpapers.org/output/ESS0039_1.shtm • Computer Professional for Social Responsibility • http://cpsr.org/issues/ethics/cei/ • Learning Computing History • http://www.comphist.org/computing_history/new_page_5.htm