COMPUTER ETHICS:
A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
BY
GIANNIS STAMATELLOS
Chapter 1 – Ranette Halverson
CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS COMPUTER ETHICS?
 Information

Technology
Application of appropriate technologies to the
organization, manipulations & distribution of
information by computers & telecommunications
 Computer
Ethics
From MIT Professor Norbert Weiner (1948+)
 “What is computer ethics?” James Moor (1985)
 Def: the analysis of the nature & social impact
of computer technology & the corresponding
formulation & justification of policies for the
ethical use of such technology (Moor)

WHY THE NEED FOR NEW STUDY?
 New
Technology provides New Choices &
Abilities
 Behavior
 Public Policies
 Personal Policies
1.2 COMPUTER ETHICS & MORALITY
 Ethics:





Systematic study of morality
A branch of philosophy
Involves
 Freedom, privacy, equality, duty, obligations
choice, justification of judgments, rights, claims
The code or set of principles, standards, or rules
that guide the moral actions of an individual
within a particular social framework
Moral judgment & decision: how a person ought to
act & the extent to which the action is described
as right or wrong
COMPUTER ETHICS
The systematic study of the ethical & social
impact of computer in the information society
 Involve the acquisition, distribution, storage,
processing & dissemination of digital data & how
individuals & groups interact with the systems &
data
 Responsibility & accountability
 Policies, regulations, legislation

EFFECTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
 Exaggerate

traditional ethical problems
New ways to invade privacy
 Convert
already know ethical issues into
analogous issues

Change idea of ownership & intellectual
property
 Create

entirely new ethical problems
Viruses, hacking
1.3 ETHICAL DECISION MAKING
 How
do I know if an action is ethical?
Law
 Codes of Practice
 Professional ethics
 Personal ethics

 Two
Factors
Person who acts
 Those affected by act

FACTORS OF ETHICAL ACTION
Intentions
Action
Consequences
Each factor is addressed differently by different
philosophies of ethics.
Example: Shooting someone with a gun
WHAT ARE YOUR MORAL VIEWS?
 In
my opinion, this is a VERY significant
question that you should answer.
 How will you behave out in the real world?
How have you behaved in college?
 How have you behaved at home?

 What
are you willing to sacrifice for you
principles?
REAL WORLD ETHICS
 Name
some ethics of ethical or moral
situations in current society?