Transcript Introduction

CIS 200
Professional and
ethical issues in
computing
Qais A. Marji
What is Ethics?
Ethics is our continuous search for an answer:
Is this behavior right or wrong?
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When Did This Search Start?
It all started when man moved into living
within communities
(the beginning of civilization)
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When Did This Search Start?
Man moved from caves to built houses
Is it right to take a house some one else has
built?
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When Did This Search Start?
If not !
Would it be right if I kill the man first then
take the house?
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When Did This Search Start?
OK !
I will not kill the man and will not take the house…
can I walk into the house and take the food
they have inside it?
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When Did This Search Start?
OK !
I will not kill the man and will not take the house and will not take the
food…
can I walk into the house without the
owner’s permission and just sit in there?
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When Did This Search Start?
OK !
I will not kill the man and will not take the house and will not take the
food and will not walk into the house…
can I just stand at the window and look at
the people inside the house?
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When will this Search End?
As long as there are new behaviors, the
search for right and wrong behavior will
continue
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Why Ethics in IT?
IT brings new inventions like:
www
Emails
Facebook
Cell phone
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Why Ethics in IT?
New inventions bring new behaviors:
Porn web sites
Spam Emails
Facebook privacy
Cell phone eavesdropping
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What are the Basis for Ethics?
This is a search for an ethical theory
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What are the Basis for Ethics?
behavior
Ethical theory
Right / wrong ?
right
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wrong
Where is the Problem?
behavior
Ethical theory
Right / wrong ?
right
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wrong
Where is the Problem?
Finding a universal
ethical theory
Ethical theory
Right / wrong ?
right
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behavior
wrong
What is Ethics?

Some years ago, sociologist Raymond Baumhart asked business
people, "What does ethics mean to you?" Among their replies
were the following:
"Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell me is right or wrong.”
Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
1-16
What is Ethics?

Some years ago, sociologist Raymond Baumhart asked business
people, "What does ethics mean to you?" Among their replies
were the following:
"Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell me is right or wrong.”
"Ethics has to do with my religious beliefs.”
Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
1-17
What is Ethics?

Some years ago, sociologist Raymond Baumhart asked business
people, "What does ethics mean to you?" Among their replies
were the following:
"Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell me is right or wrong.”
"Ethics has to do with my religious beliefs.”
"Being ethical is doing what the law requires.”
Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
1-18
What is Ethics?

Some years ago, sociologist Raymond Baumhart asked business
people, "What does ethics mean to you?" Among their replies
were the following:
"Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell me is right or wrong.”
"Ethics has to do with my religious beliefs.”
"Being ethical is doing what the law requires.”
"Ethics consists of the standards of behavior our society accepts.”
Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
1-19
What is Ethics?

Some years ago, sociologist Raymond Baumhart asked business
people, "What does ethics mean to you?" Among their replies
were the following:
"Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell me is right or wrong.”
"Ethics has to do with my religious beliefs.”
"Being ethical is doing what the law requires.”
"Ethics consists of the standards of behavior our society accepts.”
"I don't know what the word means."
Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
1-20
Feelings about what is right &
wrong
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But being ethical is clearly not a matter of following one's
feelings. A person following his or her feelings may recoil from
doing what is right. In fact, feelings frequently deviate from
what is ethical.
Should a Muslim girl cover her hair?
Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
1-21
Feelings about what is right &
wrong
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
But being ethical is clearly not a matter of following one's
feelings. A person following his or her feelings may recoil from
doing what is right. In fact, feelings frequently deviate from
what is ethical.
Should a Muslim girl cover her hair?
Should a Muslim girl cheat in an exam?
Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
1-22
Religious Beliefs
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Most religions, of course, advocate high ethical standards. Yet if
ethics were confined to religion, then ethics would apply only to
religious people.
But ethics applies as much to the behavior of the atheist as to
that of the saint. Religion can set high ethical standards and can
provide intense motivations for ethical behavior.
Ethics, however, cannot be confined to religion nor is it the
same as religion.
Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
1-23
Following the Law
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Being ethical is also not the same as following the law. The law
often incorporates ethical standards to which most citizens
subscribe.
But laws, like feelings, can deviate from what is ethical.
America’s pre-Civil War slavery laws and the old apartheid laws
of South Africa are obvious examples of laws that deviate from
what is ethical.
Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
1-24
Acceptable to Society
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Finally, being ethical is not the same as doing "whatever society
accepts." In any society, most people accept standards that are, in
fact, ethical.
But standards of behavior in society can deviate from what is ethical.
An entire society can become ethically corrupt.
Nazi Germany is a good example of a morally corrupt society.
Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
1-25
Why IT Students Study Ethics?
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The discipline of information
technology is providing a continuous
flow of innovations.
With IT innovations come user
utilization of the innovations (a new
behavior).
Why IT Students Study Ethics?
Are all of our behaviors while utilizing IT
innovations ethical?
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Why IT Students Study Ethics?
How about e-business fraud?
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Why IT Students Study Ethics?
How about software copying?
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Why IT Students Study Ethics?
How about invasion of privacy?
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