Consequences of Computing:
A Framework for Teaching

Principles and Skills Underlying the Social and Ethical Dimensions - Page 20 of 36

Important Principles from Ethical Analysis [EP]

[EP1] Ethical claims can be discussed rationally. Many individuals have strong emotional responses or moral intuitions about the ethical issues that confront computer professionals. It is at times the strength of these emotional responses or intuitions that makes the discussion of particular ethical issues so vehement. And these discussions can quickly disintegrate into autistic hostility or simple power plays unless students realize that ethical claims can be discussed rationally. Even the most deeply felt emotional responses can often, with careful analysis, be articulated in terms of their structure and supporting reasons. These reasons can also be evaluated in terms of criteria like consistency, logical coherence, agreement with accepted standards (e.g. codes of ethics), and applicability to a variety of cases. None of these criteria are foolproof or infallible methods of evaluation, but they are rational methods of evaluation.

We make it impossible to discuss the ethical choices that confront us in design and implementation if we do not admit that ethical claims can be discussed rationally. We limit ourselves to the simple (and simplistic) sharing of opinion if we are unwilling to analyze the structure of and reasons behind our ethical decisions. And we abdicate our moral responsibility to develop safe, effective systems if we decline to discuss and reason about the choices we must make in design.

We can teach this principle in classes dedicated to ethical and social issues by making sure to ask probing questions about the reasons for opinions our students have and by pressing them to do more than simply state their opinion. In technical classes, we can make sure to point out the ethical dimensions of the design and implementation decisions we are confronted with, and by asking students to do more than simply share their opinions or vote on the issue.

[EP2] Ethical claims must be defended with reasons. Because students will need to defend their opinions and decisions when they work within organizations and teams, they need to be able to discern the reasons behind their opinion and decisions and to evaluate them. Evaluation of ethical arguments helps one to be reasoned in the position taken, rather than simply letting personal preference, convenience, bias, or apathy determine one's ethical positions. Students need to learn how to evaluate the reasons they give and can do so only by practice in using criteria like consistency, logical coherence, agreement with accepted standards (e.g. codes of ethics), and applicability to a variety of cases.

We can teach students to defend their ethical claims and decisions by asking them to, and by insisting that they not simply provide reasons, but also evaluate the quality of those reasons. The subtleties of ethical evaluation are best taught in a concentrated class where ethical reflection is a major topic. But technical classes can best convince students that it matters that they give good reasons for their ethical choices in a design, since these reasons will be closely connected to the technology and the situation under study at the time.