Lecture 5 - Deontological Ethics PDF

Digital Ethics Information Systems Honours DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS Lecture 5 LEARNING OUTCOMES Recognise deontological approaches to ethics and understand how they apply to IS. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of deontological approaches to ethics in relationship to IS. DEONTOLOGICA...

Digital Ethics Information Systems Honours DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS Lecture 5 LEARNING OUTCOMES Recognise deontological approaches to ethics and understand how they apply to IS. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of deontological approaches to ethics in relationship to IS. DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS DEFINED Duty-based or rule-based ethics The Greek word ‘deon’ means duty (a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility). Deontology is the study of duty. People who believe in deontological ethics do their duty because they respect the moral obligation, not because it would lead to better consequences for them, serve their self- interest or make them happy. The consequences of their actions is not ethically relevant. For example, if honesty is ethical to them, then lying to a murderer about the location of his/her next victim would be unethical. Deontological ethics mandates that ethical rules are logically consistent and do not give contradictions. DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS DEFINED Duties can be perfect or imperfect A perfect duty is inflexible. For example, “Do not kill innocent people”. Examples are the Ten Commandments and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. An imperfect duty is less absolute about how much we commit to it. For example, we can all donate different amounts of time to something and each fulfil our duty. KANTIAN DEONTOLOGY Immanuel Kant believed that personhood arises from a human’s ability to reason, which inherently gives every person dignity, rights and obligations. Our dignity prevents us from acting in certain ways towards others or ourselves, and we should never treat others as resources or instruments. Therefore, our actions reflect one or more maxims or principles that express our personal morals. For example: Truth-telling: “Lying is always wrong.” Keeping promises: “A promise should always be kept, no matter what.” Justice: “All people should be treated fairly and equitably regardless of their social status or personal characteristics. DEONTOLOGY EXAMPLES Consider the AIS Professional Ethical Code 1.3 Be honest and trustworthy: Honesty is an essential component of trustworthiness. AIS members should be transparent and provide full disclosure of all pertinent system capabilities, limitations, and potential problems to the appropriate parties. Making deliberately false or misleading claims, fabricating or falsifying data, offering or accepting bribes, and other dishonest conduct are violations of the Code. AIS members should be honest about their qualifications, and about any limitations in their competence to complete a task. AIS members should be forthright about any circumstances that might lead to either real or perceived conflicts of interest or otherwise tend to undermine the independence of their judgment. Furthermore, commitments should be honored. AIS members should not misrepresent the Association’s policies or procedures, and should not speak on behalf of the Association unless authorized to do so. Now, considering the duty-based ethical approach to honesty and trustworthiness: What if we agree to do something believing and claiming we are competent and then later discover we do not have the right competencies? DEONTOLOGY EXAMPLES Consider the AIS Professional Ethical Code 1.4 Be fair and take action not to discriminate: The values of equality, tolerance, respect for others, and justice govern this principle. Fairness requires that even careful decision processes provide some avenue for redress of grievances. AIS members should foster fair participation of all people, including those of underrepresented groups. Prejudicial discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, family status, gender identity, labor union membership, military status, nationality, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or any other inappropriate factor is an explicit violation of the Code. Harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying, and other abuses of power and authority, is a form of discrimination that, amongst other harms, limits fair access to the virtual and physical spaces where such harassment takes place. The use of information and technology may cause new, or enhance existing, inequities. Technologies and practices should be as inclusive and accessible as possible and AIS members should take action to avoid creating systems or technologies that disenfranchise or oppress people. Failure to design for inclusiveness and accessibility may constitute unfair discrimination. Now, considering the duty-based ethical approach to being fair and not discriminating: Is it ethical to hire based on principles of Black Economic Empowerment, or getting more women into technology? DEONTOLOGY: PROS & CONS Pros It provides a clear and consistent framework for moral decision-making. This ensures that everyone is treated fairly and with respect. It places ethics entirely within our control. We can’t always predict the outcomes of our actions, but we are in complete control of our intentions in actions. It emphasises the intrinsic value of individuals. This prioritises human dignity and rights. DEONTOLOGY: PROS & CONS Cons It can be overly rigid or inflexible. Sticking to the rules without considering the potential consequences can lead to morally questionable outcomes. There could be conflicting moral duties amongst individuals. This makes it tricky to provide clear guidance in cases where individuals come from different cultures and societies which may have differing values. DISCUSSION TIME! Applying deontology to practices of data sharing and security You are in someone’s office, and they go out of the office, and you happen to see a pop- up on their laptop with “Help, they are going to kill me!”, the person doesn’t come back and doesn’t answer their phone, you are left in the office looking at the pop-up. You work for a government agency that is developing a sophisticated surveillance system to prevent terrorist attacks. The system requires access to vast amounts of personal data, including location history, financial transactions, and communication records. Considering these 2 scenarios, what do you do that conforms to the duty-based rule of observing people’s confidentiality and privacy? QUESTIONS?