Introduction to Ethical Theories PDF

CS 142 – SOCIAL ISSUES & PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Introduction to Ethical Theories Learning Objectives At the end of the lesson students will: know the definition of the term ‘ethics’ discern the meaning of the terms ‘ethical dilemma’ and ‘ethical principle’ understand three key approaches t...

CS 142 – SOCIAL ISSUES & PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Introduction to Ethical Theories Learning Objectives At the end of the lesson students will: know the definition of the term ‘ethics’ discern the meaning of the terms ‘ethical dilemma’ and ‘ethical principle’ understand three key approaches to ethical decision making: consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics recognize that different ethical considerations and principles will apply in the different themes and areas of knowledge to be studied. What is ETHICS? What is Ethics? ETHICS ▪ deals with moral principles and values ▪ what is right and wrong ▪ what is good and bad ▪ what is fair and unfair ▪ how people ought to act in different situations BRANCHES OF ETHICS ETHICS can be divided into several branches/theories: ▪ Consequentialism ▪ Deontology ▪ Virtue Ethics ETHICAL DILEMMA ETHICAL DILEMMA What is ETHICAL DILEMMA? ETHICAL DILEMMA Ethical dilemma: A situation where a person must choose between two unappealing courses of action (the dilemma) and where the ‘correct’ action is determined by the application of concepts such as moral goodness, rather than simply aiming at some practical goal. ETHICAL DILEMMA Ethical dilemma: A situation where a person must choose between two unappealing courses of action (the dilemma) and where the ‘correct’ action is determined by the application of concepts such as moral goodness, rather than simply aiming at some practical goal. An ethical dilemma is a situation in which a decision must be made between two or more options, each of which has the potential to produce a negative outcome. These situations are often complex and may involve competing moral principles or values.  ACTIVITY Work with a partner. Cite a sample scenario facing ETHICAL DILEMMA in the field of computing. ETHICAL DILEMMA: COMPUTING – DATA PRIVACY When to share and when not to share personal information of individuals? ETHICAL DILEMMA: COMPUTING – DATA PRIVACY When to share personal information: 1.When the individual has given their consent. 2.When it is necessary for a specific purpose. 3.When it is legally required. 4.When it is in the public interest. ETHICAL DILEMMA: COMPUTING – DATA PRIVACY When NOT to share personal information: 1.When the individual has not given their consent. 2.When the information is sensitive. 3.When it is illegal. 4.When it could lead to harm. 5.When it is unnecessary ETHICAL DILEMMA: COMPUTING – DATA PRIVACY “In this case, the ethical dilemma is balancing the potential benefits of utilizing the data with the potential harm to individuals' privacy and autonomy.” ETHICAL DILEMMA Ethical dilemma: is a type of knowledge that comprises an entirely different sort of knowledge, with its own methods, tools and perspectives. is unique because it is essentially about how individuals should act, and not about what communities of knowers believe. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES ETHICAL PRINCIPLE Ethical Principle: A claim about what makes an action right or wrong in some circumstance. ‘Act in a way that maximizes people’s happiness’ is one such principle that a person would try to apply in their actions. ETHICAL PRINCIPLE “Making an ethical decision implies understanding or accepting some ethical principle, then putting that principle into action.” ETHICAL PRINCIPLE : CHALLENGES “…it is notoriously difficult to agree on a method by which the principles can be constructed.” “…the construction of ethical principles doesn’t seem to have a clear method.” ETHICAL PRINCIPLE : CHALLENGES “…it is notoriously difficult to agree on a method by which the principles can be constructed.” “…the construction of ethical principles doesn’t seem to have a clear method.” ETHICAL PRINCIPLE Ethical Principle: An ethical principle is a moral guideline or rule that helps individuals or organizations make decisions about what is right or wrong, good or bad. ETHICAL PRINCIPLE Examples of ethical principles include: ✓honesty, ✓fairness, ✓responsibility, and ✓respect for others.  ACTIVITY Work with a partner to draw up a list of general ethical principles and then compare your ideas with those of another pair. 1. How do they compare? 2. Can you think of any scenarios in which your principles might not be applicable? 3. Are there any scenarios in which your principles might be contradictory? ETHICAL THEORIES ETHICAL THEORIES ▪Consequentialism ▪Deontology ▪Virtue Ethics ▪ Care Ethics ▪ Principle-based Ethics ▪ Religious or Theological Ethics ▪ Natural Law ▪ Cultural Relativism CONSEQUENTIALISM ETHICAL THEORIES : CONSEQUENTIALISM Consequentialism It is based around what happens after an action has been committed. This theory holds that the morality of an action is determined by its consequences. ETHICAL THEORIES : CONSEQUENTIALISM Utilitarianism is one form of consequentialism, which holds that the moral value of an action is determined by its ability to create the greatest amount of overall happiness or well-being. Applying this theory amounts to predicting the consequences of an action, then tallying up in some way, the supposed benefits. ETHICAL THEORIES : CONSEQUENTIALISM Utilitarianism: Potential Issues You might act in a way that you think will benefit people, but in fact it leads to far more suffering than you intended; your intuitions about what will happen might be way off reality. ETHICAL THEORIES : CONSEQUENTIALISM Utilitarianism: Potential Issues it’s not at all clear just whose happiness or suffering should be taken into account, or who decides what constitutes a good result.  ACTIVITY Work with a partner and think of a computer-related scenarios in which a consequentialist approach might be applied.  You may choose one of the following: Internet Censorship Robotics Digital surveillance Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence Data Mining/Analytics Cloud computing Blockchain Technology Augmented Reality Cybersecurity Human Computer Interaction Autonomous Cars DEONTOLOGY ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY Deontology This theory emphasizes the importance of following moral rules and duties, regardless of the consequences. This approach holds that the morality of an action is determined by its adherence to moral rules or duties, regardless of the consequences. ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY “Treat others as ends in themselves, not means.” -Immanuel Kant ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY Immanuel Kant’s 3 Basic Rule: 1. Only act on those rules which everyone can agree to, even while you perform the action. 2. Never treat other people as if they are there only to meet your own needs. 3. When making laws, make them with the goal for people to be allowed to make their own choices. ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY Immanuel Kant’s 3 Basic Rule: 1. Only act on those rules which everyone can agree to, even while you perform the action. 2. Never treat other people as if they are there only to meet your own needs. 3. When making laws, make them with the goal for people to be allowed to make their own choices. ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY “Lie when it benefits you” “Make false promises when it suits you” “Jump the queue when it suits you” ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY “Don’t Lie” “Don’t make false promises” “Don’t jump the queue” ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY Immanuel Kant’s 3 Basic Rule: 1. Only act on those rules which everyone can agree to, even while you perform the action. 2. Never treat other people as if they are there only to meet your own needs. 3. When making laws, make them with the goal for people to be allowed to make their own choices. ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY Immanuel Kant’s 3 Basic Rule: 1. Only act on those rules which everyone can agree to, even while you perform the action. 2. Never treat other people as if they are there only to meet your own needs. 3. When making laws, make them with the goal for people to be allowed to make their own choices. ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY The emphasis here on individual autonomy and rational choice has limits, of course, and those limits are generally set where one’s autonomy challenges the wellbeing of others. ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY Rule-based theories, however, are not always grounded in the rational abilities shared by all humans. Often, rules are given to a group of people through some other source. Cultural Rules : Tradition Religious Rules : Authority ETHICAL THEORIES : DEONTOLOGY - WEAKNESS who decides what the rules should be which rule should be followed when there are many conflicting rules VIRTUE ETHICS ETHICAL THEORIES : VIRTUE ETHICS Virtue Ethics This approach emphasizes the importance of developing good character traits and virtues, such as honesty and kindness. This approach holds that the morality of an action is determined by the character traits and virtues of the person performing the action. ETHICAL THEORIES : VIRTUE ETHICS Examples of GOOD CHARACTER ETHICAL THEORIES : VIRTUE ETHICS ETHICAL THEORIES : VIRTUE ETHICS ‘What would a good person do in this case’ ETHICAL THEORIES : VIRTUE ETHICS - CHALLENGE …the types of virtues which one might choose to act in accordance with (compassion, mercy, charity, kindness, truthfulness, etc.) are many and varied and it’s not clear which should take precedence when deciding the right thing to do. ETHICAL THEORIES ACTIVITY Think of an ethical dilemma or ethical choice. It could be one that you have encountered in your own life, or one that you have read about in the news. Try applying each of the three different approaches to define appropriate ethical principles for this dilemma. 1. How did your decisions differ with each approach? 2. What problems did you encounter using each approach? 3. Which approach do you think helped guide you through the ethical question most effectively? FACTS vs. VALUES What is Fact? FACTS vs. VALUES FACT ▪Facts are statements that can be verified or proven to be true or false through evidence or experimentation. ▪Facts are objective and impartial. FACTS vs. VALUES FACTS vs. VALUES What is Value? FACTS vs. VALUES VALUE ▪A value is a belief or principle that is considered important or worthwhile by individuals or society. ▪Values are subjective and can vary from person to person or culture to culture. ▪Values are often used to guide behavior and decision making FACTS vs. VALUES Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, with a peak elevation of 29,029 feet. Everyone has the right to a fair trial. The binary number system, which consists of only 0 and 1, is used by computers to represent all forms of data. The use of technology should not be used to discriminate against people. Methods of Moral Knowledge METHODS OF MORAL KNOWLEDGE Subjectively-based/ Non-Theoretical Normative Theories Moral Skepticism METHODS OF MORAL KNOWLEDGE Subjectively-based/ Non-Theoretical is a perspective that argues that moral knowledge is based on personal opinions, feelings, or experiences, rather than on universal principles or theoretical frameworks. This method emphasizes the importance of personal subjectivity in determining what is morally right or wrong. Normative Theories Moral Skepticism METHODS OF MORAL KNOWLEDGE Subjectively-based/ Non-Theoretical Normative Theories are a type of theoretical method of moral knowledge that seeks to establish a set of moral principles or guidelines for determining what is right or wrong. These theories typically rely on reasoning, logic, and observation to derive moral principles that are considered to be universally applicable. Moral Skepticism METHODS OF MORAL KNOWLEDGE Subjectively-based/ Non-Theoretical Normative Theories Moral Skepticism is a method of moral knowledge that holds that it is impossible to know what is morally right or wrong with any degree of certainty. METHODS OF MORAL KNOWLEDGE EXAMPLES: Subjectively-based/ Non-Theoretical: An individual is deciding whether or not to use a particular social media platform. They may base their decision on their personal feelings about the platform, their interpretation of the potential consequences of using it, or their biases about the platform's impact on society. METHODS OF MORAL KNOWLEDGE EXAMPLES: Normative Theories: A company is developing an AI system that will be used to make hiring decisions. A consequentialist may argue that the overall net benefit to society justifies the use of AI in hiring, as it can increase efficiency and reduce bias, while a deontologist may argue that it is morally wrong to sacrifice the well-being of job applicants for the sake of efficiency. METHODS OF MORAL KNOWLEDGE EXAMPLES: Moral Skepticism: A group of people are discussing whether or not it is morally acceptable to use facial recognition technology for surveillance. One person might argue that it is not possible to determine whether or not it is morally right or wrong to use facial recognition technology, as moral claims are based on personal opinions, feelings, or biases. They might argue that any discussion about the morality of facial recognition technology is ultimately meaningless. METHODS OF MORAL KNOWLEDGE Subjectively-based/ Non-Theoretical Normative Theories Moral Skepticism Values and Morality VALUES AND MORALITY Values are principles or beliefs that an individual or a society considers to be important or desirable. They are often described as the guiding principles that inform an individual's or society's choices and actions. Morality, on the other hand, is the system of beliefs and practices that a society or individual uses to determine what is right and wrong, good and bad behavior. It is a set of rules and principles that govern how people should behave in different situations, and it is often based on values. VALUES AND MORALITY VALUES AND MORALITY : ONLINE CONTENT Values Perspective: the removal of harmful or offensive content may be seen as a means to protect vulnerable individuals and communities, and to maintain a safe and respectful online environment. the removal of content may be seen as a violation of free speech, and an infringement on individual rights to express themselves. VALUES AND MORALITY : ONLINE CONTENT Moral Perspective: there are questions about the responsibility of social media platforms to moderate and remove content, and the morality of using algorithms and automated systems to make decisions about what content should be removed. there are also concerns about the potential consequences of content moderation, such as censorship, bias, and the suppression of dissenting voices.  END Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma Fourth Edition © Henly and Sprague, 2020