CSC
208-102 Ethics in Technology
Paul Sisul, C.M.
Computing
Technology and the rapid pace in which it has advanced have had a tremendous
impact on our lives. Changes have been swift and the human capacity to deal
them limited. It has been said that our technology has outpaced our humanity.
This course will research the new responsibilities technology presents and our
ability to deal with these changes in an ethical manner. Students will employ a
framework for ethical analysis, which integrates computer science and ethics,
to develop the skills required to examine different sets of assumptions and
question them, resulting in an informed evaluation of issues. Philosophies
covered: Kant, social contract, Rawls, moral rights, virtue ethics, Mill’s harm
principles, Feinberg’s offense principle (ride on the bus thought experiment),
and utilitarianism.
No previous knowledge of computers or philosophy is assumed, or necessary.
PI Learning Outcomes
1. Students will be able to address, critically think about, and analyze philosophical questions and problems.
Students will develop these skills through writing analytical papers, weekly writing submissions, class discussion, midterm essay, and a final project requiring the writing of a personal code of ethics.
2. Students will be able to evaluate philosophical questions, issues and/or problems using informed judgment.
Students will develop these skills through writing analytical papers, weekly writing submissions, class discussion, midterm essay, case studies, current events, and a final project requiring the writing of a code of ethics.
3. Students will be able to analyze and interpret the methods used by philosophers in addressing philosophical questions, issues, and/or problems.
Students
will develop these skills through readings, writing analytical papers, weekly
writing submissions, class discussion, midterm essay, and a final project
requiring the writing of a personal code of ethics.
4. Students will be able to engage with philosophical topics and figures in their historical context.
Students
will develop these skills through weekly reading responses and class
discussion.
5. Confront and interpret primary texts from the philosophical tradition.
Students
will read sections of original works and discuss them in class and in weekly
reading responses.
6. Students will be able to write an analytic essay treating a philosophical question, issue and/or problem that forwards an identifiable thesis, argument, and conclusion.
Students will write an analytical paper and a Final Project.
Students will be expected to complete a minimum of 10 pages of writing for this course. This writing may take the form of essays, response papers, reading journals, take-home essay exams, critical analyses, etc. At least one assignment should involve revision, which may count (but only once, not twice) towards the 10-page minimum.
Students will meet this requirement by weekly reading responses, a midterm essay, and a Final Project.
Required
1. Print edition of: Birsch, Douglas.
(2014) Introduction to Ethical
Theories, A
Procedural
Approach. IL:Waveland
Press, Inc. ISBN: 1-4786-0670-3; ISBN: 978-1-
4786-0670-3 https://waveland.com/browse.php?t=628
2. (Free Online) Abelson & Ledeen & Lewis (2008) Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty,
and Happiness After the Digital Explosion.
NY:Addison-Wesley Professional,
ISBN
0137135599. Download for
free at: http://www.bitsbook.com/
3. Handouts/links for original texts.
4. Access to the news. Possible sources: New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Wall
Street Journal, CNN, MSN, Time, Newsweek, PC World, or online newsgroups. You
may find newspapers, journals, and magazines at the library or online.
Supplemental
1. Optional purchase: Quinn, M. J. (2017) Ethics for the Information Age, 7th edition.
NY:Pearson/Addison Wesley. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-429654-8; PowerPoint slides will be
provided on D2L.
http://www.mypearsonstore.com/bookstore/ethics-for-the-information-age-0134296540
Recommended
1. A jump drive, or other storage.
2. Lunsford, Andrea A. (2015) The St. Martin's Handbook. 8th, NY:Bedford Publishing.
ISBN-10: 1-4576-6724-X; ISBN-13: 978-1-4576-6724-4
This text is used in DePaul's required writing classes (WRD 103 and 104) and every
student should have a copy. It is also available at DePaul's library.
3. A dictionary and thesaurus, which can be found at the library, or online.
Detailed instructions for all assignments will be posted on D2L.
The class consists of Computer Science (CS) majors and Non-CS majors. Although the level of technical content will be kept low, there will, at time, be supplementary reading list for CS majors. Note, the most effective way to learn to think critically is in small groups.
10% – Four Labs designed to be completed during class (Meets PID Learning outcomes #1–6).
20% – Reading Responses/ 3-5 Quizzes/HW (Meets PID LOs #1–6). Reading Responses. Questions on the reading assignments will be posted on the course website and are due at the start of class.
10% – Approximately 5−9 Current Events (Meets PID LOs #1 & 2). Students will be required to identify the computing ethical issue only; no additional writing required. Current Events may not be submitted late.
20% – Midterm Paper with mandatory rewrite and presentation (Meets PID LOs #1−6 and the writing requirement). One 7–10 page (doubled spaced) ethical analysis paper on an approved, relevant issue explicitly applying the ethical theories in order to compare philosophies. You may work alone, or in groups of 2 or 3, on this paper. The first draft of your paper is worth 50 points; you will receive full credit for a complete draft submitted by the due date. The final draft/rewrite is worth 100 points. I will explicitly look for improvements in your rewrite. You will present your paper (10 to 15 minutes). The presentation is worth 50 points.
30% – Take home Final Exam (Meets PID LOs #1–6). Students will write their own personal code of ethics annotated with justification using the procedures studied (approximately 5 pages, single spaced).
10% – Attendance & Class Participation (PID LOs #1–6). See policies above.
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter.
Check for changes, assignments, and due dates on D2L.
Introduction to course; review syllabus; a brief history of computing.
Reading assignments will be posted on D2L.
Birsch, Chapter 1. Woodford, Chris. (2016, January 9). A Brief History of Computers. Retrieved from: http://www.explainthatstuff.com/historyofcomputers.html
Reading and response questions will be posted on D2L, but will not be collected.
Read Quinn, Chapter 2. An introductory examination of ethical issues, philosophical theories, and ethical procedures used for ethical analysis.
Lab We will meet on Wednesday, September 19, in the lab, SAC
232.
Fake news and freedom of speech; Rousseau; Mill; Feinberg.
**Reading Response Due September 19 in class. Reading assignments will be posted on D2L.Readings include, but are not limited to, Birsch Chapter 7 Moral Rights Theory; sections of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract; Rawls’s Theory of Justice; John Stuart Mill's Harm Principle; Joel Feinberg's Offense Principle
Lab We will meet on Wednesday, September 26, in the lab, SAC
232.
Intellectual Property; Virtue Ethics; Rule Utilitarianism
**Reading Response Due September 26 in class. Reading assignments will be posted on D2L. Readings include, but are not limited to, Birsch, Chapter 8 Aristotle’s Ethical Theory; Birsch, pages 76-77 & Rule Utilitarian pages 83-84; John Stuart Mill (1863) Utilitarianism.
Lab We will meet on Wednesday, October 3, in the lab, Byrne
Hall 358 [tentatively].
Computer Reliability and Network Security
**Reading Response Due October 3 in class. Reading
assignments will be posted on D2L. Readings include, but are not limited to,
sections of Bentham’s Introduction to the
Principles of Morals and Legislation; Quinn’s PP Chapter 8; Skim Abelson & Ledeen & Lewis,
Chapter 4.
Lab We will meet on Wednesday, October 10, in the lab, Arts
& Letters Hall 110.
Information Privacy and Government Privacy; Kant
**Reading Response Due October 10 in class. Reading assignments will be posted on D2L.
Readings include, but are not limited to, Birsch Chapter 6;
Abelson & Ledeen & Lewis pages 32–35; Sections from Kant’s Groundwork
for the Metaphysic of Morals; Quinn’s PPs for Chapters 5 & 6.
Movie The Traveling
Salesman
Reading assignments and response questions will be posted on D2L.
Decision Making; Professional Ethics; Work and Wealth;
Current Events
Reading assignments and response questions will be posted on D2L.
Readings include, but are not limited to, Birsch, Chapter 4 & 10; Ethics of Whistleblowing Link posted on D2L.
Possible Current Event; Presentations
Possible Current Event; Presentations
Possible Current Event; Presentations
Final Exam is due During Finals week; details will be posted on D2L.