INFS1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Immanuel Kant, Copyright Infringement, Udon Entertainment
4 Jun 2018
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WEEK 6: ETHICS
BIS ETHICS
• Technological advances introduce new ethical issues
• What is ethics?
o A branch of philosophy concerned with making judgements about intention (motivation), actions
(behaviour), and their consequences
o Ethical judgements are normative NOT descriptive à how things
ought to be
o Relationship b/w ethics and law: “In law, a man is guilty when he
violates the rights of others. In ethics her is guilty if he only thinks
of doing so” – Immanuel Kant
1. Information Privacy
a. Responsibility of orgs/institutes to collect only necessary data
b. Provides individuals the right to be left alone
i. What info about oneself should a person be required to disclose to others?
ii. What ‘things’ can people keep to themselves?
iii. To what degree can an employer monitor its employees?
iv. What information about individuals should be kept in databases, for how long, how secure should
the information be?
2. Information Accuracy
a. Responsibility to ensure data are accurate
b. Protect individuals from errors and manipulation of data
i. Who is responsible for authenticity and accuracy of data collected?
ii. How can we ensure info will be processed properly and presented accurately to users?
iii. How can we ensure errors in databases, data transmissions and data processing are accidental and
not intentional?
iv. Who is responsible for errors in info and how is an injured party compensated?
3. Information Property
a. Orgs are not always the ultimate owners of data collected on individuals
b. Who has the ownership rights to the information?
i. What are the just and fair prices for its exchange?
ii. How should one handle software piracy?
iii. Can corporate computers and info stored on them be used for private purposes?
4. Information Accessibility
a. Proper controls on information authorisation and authentication
b. Who has access to what
i. How can accessibility to data be provided (i.e. security controls)?
ii. How much should be charged for accessing information?
iii. What information does a person or an org have a right to obtain, under what conditions and with
what safeguards?
• Ethical dilemmas: when facing a certain situation or problem, more than a single course of action is possible à
neither alternative is without a downside
o Neither course of action is fully acceptable or justified b/c:
§ Codes of conduct may be non-specific or irrelevant
§ Right and wrong is not governed by laws
§ There are sound arguments for and against each course of action (conflicting values)
A MODEL FOR ETHICAL REASONING IN BIS (LAUDON & LAUDON, 2014)
1. Identify and clearly state the ethical dilemma
2. Identify and explain the underlying BIS ethical issues (info, privacy, property, accuracy, accessibility)
3. List the main affected stakeholders
4. State your proposed action
5. State your reasons for what you proposed (is it fair and just?)
Document Summary
In ethics her is guilty if he only thinks of doing so immanuel kant. Ethical dilemmas: when facing a certain situation or problem, more than a single course of action is possible neither alternative is without a downside: neither course of action is fully acceptable or justified b/c: Codes of conduct may be non-specific or irrelevant. Right and wrong is not governed by laws. There are sound arguments for and against each course of action (conflicting values) A model for ethical reasoning in bis (laudon & laudon, 2014) Identify and explain the underlying bis ethical issues (info, privacy, property, accuracy, accessibility: list the main affected stakeholders, state your proposed action, state your reasons for what you proposed (is it fair and just?) Ict profession: i must enhance the integrity of the ict profession and the respect of its members for each other. Finding a usb that you think belongs to an academic member of staff.
