2nd

Term – 2nd Semester S.Y 2020-2021

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE OF LABASON, INC.

(Formerly St. Mary’s Academy)
Imelda, Labason, Zamboangadel Norte
Email Add: [email protected]
Contact Nos: 09778109853/09501506596
HEI CODE: 09050

Subject: Social Issues & Professional Practices Term: 2nd

Module No: 1&2 Week: 1&2
Teacher: ELCRIS M. TIMBAL Semester: 2nd

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Teacher’s Contact Number: 09364550488

Email Address: [email protected]

1. This module is made to help you continue education amidst the threat of this COVID19 pandemic
which has affected not only the Philippines but the entire world. This includes lessons and
activities that will help you develop further understanding in the study of computing.

2. You will be provided with a hard-copy of the module. This is expected to be finished in one week.

Note: There are activities with specific directions on their mode of submission so make sure to
read, understand and follow the directions properly. Some activities are to be submitted only
online to also improve your ICT skills so it would be better to have access to the internet from time
to time.

3. For those who have limited or no access to strong internet connectivity, you can write your
answers on a long bond paper which will be collected weekly in exchange for the next module.
You can directly indicate your answers, provided that they are labeled accordingly.

4. It is highly recommended that you jot down important details of the lessons in the modules to
serve as your personal notes in a different notebook or any piece of paper since modules will be
retrieved at certain schedules.

5. Links are available for your deeper understanding of each lesson.

6. Further questions and clarifications will be entertained through email, messenger or SMS. You
can also write them on a separate bond paper which will be collected together with your answered
modules.

7. Do not send any unnecessary information to the contact details given to you. Refrain from sharing
these to respect your teacher’s privacy.

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INTRODUCTION

The changing realities spurred by globalization underscore the shift in contemporary

international education discourse from education to lifelong learning and from education as
transmission of expert knowledge to education as building learner competencies – including learning
how to learn. Hence, under Section 2 of Ched Memorandum Order 46 Series of 2012, Philippine
Higher Education is mandates to produce thoughtful graduates imbued with values reflective of
humanist orientation, analytical and problem-solving skills, and ability to think through the Ethical and
Social Implications of a given course of action.

Computer scientists must understand the relevant social, ethical, and professional issues that
surround their activities. The ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct provides a basis for
personal responsibility and professional conduct for computer scientists who are engaged in system
development that directly affects the general public.

As the computer industry has developed increasingly powerful processors at lower

costs, microprocessors have become ubiquitous. They are used to control automated assembly lines,
traffic signal systems, and retail inventory systems and are embedded in consumer products such as
automobile fuel-injection systems, kitchen appliances, audio systems, cell phones, and electronic
games.

Computers and networks are everywhere in the workplace. Word and document

processing, electronic mail, and office automation are integrated with desktop computers,
printers, database systems, and other tools using wireless networks and widespread Internet access.
Such changes ultimately make office work much more efficient, though not without cost for
purchasing and frequently upgrading the necessary hardware and software as well as for training
workers to use the new technology.

MODULE 1 & 2: OVERVIEW

Common Ethical Theories & Computer Ethics

The formal study of ethics goes back at least two thousand four hundred years, to the Greek
philosopher Socrates. In the past two millennia, philosophers have proposed many ethical theories. In
this module, we review some of them. A useful theory allows its proponents to examine moral
problems, reach conclusions, and defend these conclusions in front of a disbelieving yet open-minded
audience.
The term ‘ethics’ broadly describes the way in which we look at and understand life, in terms of
good and bad or right or wrong. It is a branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles. Moral
theories are the frameworks we use to justify or clarify our position when we ask ourselves “what
should I do in this situation?” or “what is right or wrong for me?”. There are many moral theories and
there is no one right theory. They converge and often borrow from one another (Wallace, Susan).

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This module covers the following:

Chapter 1 – Common Ethical Theories

Chapter 2 – Computer Ethics

Objective: At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

 Discuss and differentiate the different ethical theories,

 Determine the ethical theory which is the most appropriate to be applied by a person in a
particular scenario,
 Demonstrate the appropriate usefulness of a specific ethical theory in a given case,
 Examine moral problems, formulate conclusions and defend these conclusions to a
disbelieving and yet open-mined audience,
 State the Code of Ethics of Filipino IT Professionals,
 Apply the principles formulated by the Association of Computing Machinery in dealing with
other people, in making judgement, in software designs and all other dealings in the exercise
of the IT profession,
 Explain the Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics,
 Identify problems in a work scenario,
 Be a morally responsible student; and
 Manifest ethical thinking skills in analyzing and justifying computing issues.

Let’s Check It Out!

Using the words below, create a sound paragraph about ethics.

Let’s Explore!
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The words "moral" and "ethics" (and cognates) are often used interchangeably. However, it is
useful to make the following distinction:

Morality is the system through which we determine right and wrong conduct -- i.e., the guide to
good or right conduct.

Ethics is the philosophical study of Morality.

What, then, is a moral theory?

A theory is a structured set of statements used to explain (or predict) a set of facts or
concepts.Ý A moral theory, then, explains why a certain action is wrong -- or why we ought to act in
certain ways.ÝÝ In short, it is a theory of how we determine right and wrong conduct.Ý Also, moral
theories provide the framework upon which we think and discuss in a reasoned way, and so evaluate,
specific moral issues.

Seen in this light, it becomes clear that we cannot draw a sharp divide between moral theory
and applied ethics (e.g., medical or business ethics). For instance, in order to critically evaluate the
moral issue of affirmative action, we must not attempt to evaluate what actions or policies are right (or
wrong) independent of what we take to determine right and wrong conduct. You will see, as we
proceed, that we do not do ethics without at least some moral theory.Ý When evaluating the merits of
some decision regarding a case, we will always (or at least ought to always) find ourselves thinking
about how right and wrong is determined in general, and then apply that to the case at hand.Ý Note,
though, that sound moral thinking does not simply involve going one way -- from theory to applied
issue.Ý Sometimes a case may suggest that we need to change or adjust our thinking about what
moral theory we think is the best, or perhaps it might lead us to think that a preferred theory needs
modification.

Another important distinction:

Are moral theories descriptive or prescriptive ?

In presenting a moral theory, are we merely describing how people, in their everyday 'doings'

and 'thinkings,' form a judgement about what is right and wrong, or are we prescribing how
people ought to make these judgements?

Most take moral theories to be prescriptive. The descriptive accounts of what people do is left
to sociologists and anthropologists.Ý Philosophers, then, when they study morality, want to know
what is the proper way of determining right and wrong. There have been many different proposals.Ý
Here is a brief summary.

Theories of Morality
(1) Moral Subjectivism

Right and wrong is determined by what you -- the subject -- just happens to think (or 'feel') is
right or wrong.

In its common form, Moral Subjectivism amounts to the denial of moral principles of any
significant kind, and the possibility of moral criticism and argumentation.Ý In essence, 'right' and
'wrong' lose their meaning because so long as someone thinks or feels that some action is 'right',
there are no grounds for criticism.Ý If you are a moral subjectivist, you cannot object to anyone's
behaviour (assuming people are in fact acting in accordance with what they think or feel is right).Ý
This shows the key flaw in moral subjectivism -- probably nearly everyone thinks that it is legitimate to
object, on moral grounds, to at least some peoples' actions.Ý That is, it is possible to disagree about
moral issues.

(2) Cultural Relativism

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Right and wrong is determined by the particular set of principles or rules the relevant culture
just happens to hold at the time.

Cultural Relativism is closely linked to Moral Subjectivism.Ý It implies that we cannot criticize
the actions of those in cultures other than our own.Ý And again, it amounts to the denial of universal
moral principles.Ý Also, it implies that a culture cannot be mistaken about what is right and wrong
(which seems not to be true), and so it denies the possibility of moral advancement (which also
seems not to be true).

(3) Ethical Egoism

Right and wrong is determined by what is in your self-interest.Ý Or, it is immoral to act contrary
to your self-interest.

Ethical Egoism is usually based upon Psychological Egoism -- that we, by nature, act
selfishly.Ý Ethical egoism does not imply hedonism or that we ought to aim for at least some 'higher'
goods (e.g., wisdom, political success), but rather that we will (ideally) act so as to maximize our self
interest.Ý This may require that we forgo some immediate pleasures for the sake of achieving some
long term goals.Ý Also, ethical egoism does not exclude helping others.Ý However, egoists will help
others only if this will further their own interests.Ý An ethical egoist will claim that the altruist helps
others only because they want to (perhaps because they derive pleasure out of helping others) or
because they think there will be some personal advantage in doing so.Ý That is, they deny the
possibility of genuine altruism (because they think we are all by nature selfish).Ý This leads us to the
key implausibility of Ethical Egoism -- that the person who helps others at the expense of their self-
interest is actually acting immorally.Ý Many think that the ethical egoist has misunderstood the
concept of morality -- i.e., morality is the system of practical reasoning through which we are guided
to constrain our self-interest, not further it.Ý Also, thatÝ genuine altruism is indeed possible, and
relatively commonly exhibited.

(4) Divine Command Theory

Many claim that there is a necessary connection between morality and religion, such that,
without religion (in particular, without God or gods) there is no morality, i.e., no right and wrong
behaviour.Ý Although there are related claims that religion is necessary to motivate and guide people
to behave in morally good way, most take the claim of the necessary connection between morality
and religion to mean that right and wrong come from the commands of God (or the gods).Ý This view
of morality is known as Divine Command Theory.Ý The upshot is that an action is right -- or obligatory
-- if God command we do it, wrong if God commands we refrain from doing it, and morally permissible
if God does not command that it not be done.

Divine Command Theory is widely held to have several serious flaws.Ý First, it presupposes
that God or gods exist.Ý Second, even if we assume that God does exist, it presupposes that we can
know what God commandsÝ But even if we accept theism, it looks like even theists should reject the
theory.Ý Plato raised the relevant objection 2500 years ago.Ý He asked:

Is something right (or wrong) because the gods command it, or do the gods command it
because it is right?

If the latter, then right and wrong are independent of the gods' commands -- Divine Command
Theory is false.Ý If the former, then right and wrong are just a matter of the arbitrary will of the gods
(i.e., they might have willed some other, contradictory commands).

Most think that right and wrong are not arbitrary -- that is, some action is wrong, say, for a
reason.Ý Moreover, that if God commands us not to do an action, He does so because of this reason,
not simply because He arbitrarily commands it.Ý What makes the action wrong, then, is not God's
commanding it, but the reason.Ý Divine Command Theory is false again.

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(5) Virtue Ethics

Right and wrong are characterized in terms of acting in accordance with the traditional virtues
-- making the good person.

The most widely discussed is Aristotle's account.Ý For Aristotle, the central concern is "Ethica"
= things to do with character.Ý Of particular concern are excellences of character -- i.e., the moral
virtues.

Aristotle, and most of the ancient Greeks really had nothing to say about moral duty, i.e.,
modern day moral concepts.Ý Rather, they were concerned with what makes human beings truly
'happy'.Ý True 'happiness' is called Eudaimonia (flourishing / well- being / fulfilment / self-
actualization).Ý Like Plato, Aristotle wants to show that there are objective reasons for living in
accordance with the traditional virtues (wisdom, courage, justice and temperance).Ý For Aristotle, this
comes from a particular account of human nature -- i.e., the virtuous life is the 'happiest' (most
fulfilling) life.

Three steps to the argument:

(1) The ultimate end of human action is happiness.

(2) Happiness consists in acting in accordance with reason.
(3) Acting in accordance with reason is the distinguishing feature of all the traditional virtues.

Aristotle thought that humans had a specific function.Ý This function is to lead a life of true
flourishing as a human, which required abiding by the dictates of rationality and so acting in
accordance with the traditional virtues.

(6) Feminist Ethics

Right and wrong is to be found in womens' responses to the relationship of caring.

Comes out of the criticism that all other moral theories are 'masculine' -- display a male bias.Ý
Specifically, feminists are critical of the 'individualistic' nature of other moral theories (they take
individualism to be a 'masculine' idea).Ý Rather, feminist ethics suggests that we need to consider the
self as at least partly constructed by social relations.Ý So morality, according to some feminist moral
philosophers, must be ground in 'moral emotions' like love and sympathy, leading to relationships of
caring.Ý This allows legitimate biases towards those with whom we have close social relationships.

(7) Utilitarianism

Right and wrong is determined by the overall goodness (utility) of the consequences of action.
Utilitarianism is a Consequentialist moral theory.

Basic ideas:

All action leads to some end.Ý But there is a summum bonum -- the highest good/end. This is
pleasure or happiness.Ý Also, that there is a First Principle of Morals -- 'Principle of Utility',
alternatively called 'The Greatest Happiness Principle' (GHP), usually characterized as the ideal of
working towards the greatest happiness of the greatest number.Ý The GHP implies that we ought to
act so as to maximize human welfare (though Bentham thought we should include all sentient
animals in his utilitarian calculations).Ý We do this in a particular instance by choosing the action that
maximizes pleasure/happiness and minimizing suffering.

Jeremy Bentham -- the first to formulate Utilitarianism -- did not distinguish between kinds of
pleasures.Ý However, Bentham's student, John Stuart Mill, produced a more sophisticated version of
Utilitarianism in which pleasures may be higher or lower.Ý The higher pleasures (those obtained, e.g.,
through intellectual pursuits), carried greater weight than the lower pleasures (those obtained through
sensation).Ý The upshot is that in determining what action to perform, both quality and quantity of
pleasure/happiness count.
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Note: Utilitarians are not a Hedonist.Ý Hedonists are concerned only with their own happiness.
Utilitarians are concerned with everyone's happiness, so it is Altruistic.Ý In general, morally right
actions are those that produce the best overall consequences / total amount of pleasure or absence
of pain.

Modern versions of Utilitarianism have dropped the idea of maximizing pleasure in favour of
maximizing the satisfaction of all relevant peoples' preferences and interests.Ý Also, some distinguish
between Act Utilitarianism and Rule Utilitarianism.Ý Act Utilitarianism is pretty mush as described
above, where we make the utilitarian calculation based on the evaluation of the consequences of a
single isolated act.Ý It is thought by some that this leads to a number of significant problems -- for
instance, that one person may be harmed if that leads to the greatest good for everyone.Ý To
overcome these problems, some advocate Rule Utilitarianism -- the view that we should adopt only
those rules (for governing society) that produce the greatest good for all.

Other key points:

 For Utilitarians, no action is intrinsically right or wrong.

 No person's preferences or interests (including your own, your relatives, friends, neighbours,
etc.) carry a greater weight than any other person's.
 Usually we cannot make the required utilitarian calculation before acting.Ý So, in most
situations, following 'rules of thumb' will produce the best consequences.
 Democratic and economic principles reflect Utilitarianism.

Some things to ask about Utilitarianism:

 How can we determine accurately what the consequences of an action will be?
 Do people have rights that cannot be overridden by the goal of the best consequences for all?

(8) Kantian Theory

Right and wrong is determined by rationality, giving universal duties.

Kantianism is a Non-consequentialist moral theory.

Basic ideas:

That there is "the supreme principle of morality".Ý Good and Evil are defined in terms of Law /
Duty / Obligation.Ý Rationality and Freedom are also central.Ý Kant thought that acting morally was
quite simple.Ý That is:

- you ought to do your duty (simply because it is your duty).

- Reason guides you to this conclusion.

Good Will (i.e., having the right intentions) is the only thing that is good without qualification.Ý
So, actions are truly moral only if they have the right intention, i.e., based on Good Will.

What establishes Good Will?

- only can be a law of "universal conformity" -- "I should never act except in such a way that I can also
will that my maxim should become a universal law".

This is called the Categorical Imperative = Principle of Universalizability (something like The
Golden Rule).Ý The basic idea is that we should adopt as action guiding rules (i.e., maxims) only
those that can be universally accepted.Ý Consider someone wondering if they could break a promise
if keeping it became inconvenient.Ý We might formulate the following maxim governing promises:

I can break promises when keeping them becomes inconvenient.

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Can this be universalized?Ý Kant says no because making promises then becomes, in
essence, contradictory.Ý The thinking is that a promise is, by definition, something you keep.Ý The
above maxim would lead to a contradiction of will, i.e., "I'll make a promise (something I keep), but I'll
break it if I choose".Ý The more general way to understand the Principle of Universalizability is to
think that we must always ask the following questions: What if everyone did the action you are
proposing?Ý Or, what if I were in the other person's position?Ý This leads to the basic idea behind
the Golden Rule.

Kant had another way of formulating the Categorical Imperative that is worth noting.

Never treat anyone merely as a means to an end.Ý Rather, treat everyone as an end in themselves.

We can understand this by noting an example, i.e., the slave society.Ý What is wrong with the
slave society, following the above principle, is that a slave is treated as a means to the slave owner's
ends, i.e., as an instrument or tool, not as a person.Ý The upshot is that no person's interests (or
rights) can be overridden by another's, or the majority.

Many think that this way of formulating the Categorical Imperative shows that Kantianism is clearly
anti-Utilitarian.

Some things to ask about Kantianism:

 Is it true that having good intentions is the only thing that counts morally?
 Must we always ignore good consequences?
 Is it always wrong to treat people merely as a means to an end? (Can we do otherwise?)

(9) Rights-based Theories

We are to act in accordance with a set of moral rights, which we possess simply by being human.

Rights-based views are connected to Kantianism and are Non-consequentialist.Ý The basic
idea is that if someone has a right, then others have a corresponding duty to provide what the right
requires.

Most distinguish between positive and negative rights.Ý A positive right is one in which the
corresponding duty requires a positive action, e.g., giving a charitable donation in order to sustain
someone's right to life, shelter, education, etc.Ý A negative right is one in which the corresponding
duty merely requires refraining from doing something that will harm someone.Ý Some claim -- e.g.,
Libertarians -- that only negative rights count morally.Ý For instance, the right to life does not require
that we give what is needed to sustain life, rather merely that we refrain from taking any action that
would take life. [Note: others argue that there is really no significant distinction between positive and
negative rights, arguing that a positive right can be understood negatively, and visa versa.Ý Also, that
there is no morally significant difference between, for example, letting someone die and killing them.Ý
Obviously, this is a hotly disputed issue.]

Some things to ask about Rights-based theories:

 Where do rights come from?Ý From nature (we have them simply by being human)?Ý From
principles of Justice?Ý Or, from Utilitarian procedures?
 How do we decide between competing rights?

(10) Contractarianism

The principles of right and wrong (or Justice) are those which everyone in society would agree
upon in forming a social contract.

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Various forms of Contractarianism have been suggested.Ý In general, the idea is that the
principles or rules that determine right and wrong in society are determined by a hypothetical contract
forming procedure.Ý Here is John Rawls's example.

Through a thought experiment, Rawls developed a way of getting people to come up with
universal principles of justice.Ý The basic idea is nothing new -- i.e., of impartial developing a social
contract ofÝ universal principles -- but many find Rawls' novel method very appealing.Ý The idea is to
start by thinking, hypothetically, that we are at the beginning of forming a society and we want to
know which principles of justice to ground the society.Ý However, in this 'original position' we do this
without knowing which position we will occupy in the future society -- we don't know if we will be rich
or poor, male or female, old or young, etc.Ý We then advocate those principles that will be in our self-
interest (though we don't know what 'self' that will be).Ý This forces us to be impartial, and if we are
rational, to propose universal principles.Ý The idea of the thought experiment is not to think that we
actually begin again, and construct a society from scratch.Ý Rather, we can use the thought
experiment as a test of actual principles of justice.Ý If a principle is one that would not be adopted by
people in the original position, behind the 'veil of ignorance' (about who they will be), then it is unjust
and should be rejected.

[Rawls claims that people in this original position will choose conservatively when developing
principles governing the distribution of benefits and burdens.Ý This conservatism, Rawls claims, will
lead to the choosing two basic principles: (1) that each member of the society should have as much
liberty as possible without infringing on the liberty of others; and (2) the 'maximin' rule for decisions
about economic justice -- namely, that they will choose those rules that would maximize the minimum
they would receive.Ý In other words, make the society in which the least well off are in the best
possible position.Ý Deviations from equality of distribution of benefits and burdens is justified only if it
advantages the least well off.Ý Rawls thought that some inequalities would be adopted because
rewarding on the grounds of merit and hard work, for example, would lead to a society in which there
was a greater production of social benefits, so the least well of would be better off than in a society of
pure equality.

Let’s Expand!

Ethics are a structure of standards and practices that influence how people lead their lives.   It
is not strictly implemented to follow these ethics, but it is basically for the benefit of everyone that we
do.
Ethics are unlike laws that legally mandate what is right or wrong.  Ethics illustrate society’s
views about what is right and what is wrong.

Computer ethics are a set of moral standards that govern the use of computers.  It is
society’s views about the use of computers, both hardware and software.  Privacy concerns,
intellectual property rights and effects on the society are some of the common issues of computer
ethics.

Privacy Concerns
 Hacking – is unlawful intrusion into a computer or a network. A hacker can intrude through the
security levels of a computer system or network and can acquire unauthorised access to other
computers.
 Malware – means malicious software which is created to impair a computer system. Common
malware are viruses, spyware, worms and trojan horses.  A virus can delete files from a hard
drive while a spyware can collect data from a computer.
 Data Protection – also known as information privacy or data privacy is the process of
safeguarding data which intends to influence a balance between individual privacy rights while
still authorising data to be used for business purposes.
 Anonymity – is a way of keeping a user’s identity masked through various applications.

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Intellectual Property Rights

 Copyright – is a form of intellectual property that gives proprietary publication, distribution and
usage rights for the author. This means that whatever idea the author created cannot be
employed or disseminated by anyone else without the permission of the author.
 Plagiarism – is an act of copying and publishing another person’s work without proper citation.
It’s like stealing someone else’s work and releasing it as your own work.
 Cracking – is a way of breaking into a system by getting past the security features of the
system. It’s a way of skipping the registration and authentication steps when installing a
software.
 Software License – allows the use of digital material by following the license agreement.
Ownership remains with the original copyright owner, users are just granted licenses to use the
material based on the agreement.

Effects on Society
 Jobs – Some jobs have been abolished while some jobs have become simpler as computers
have taken over companies and businesses. Things can now be done in just one click
whereas before it takes multiple steps to perform a task.  This change may be considered
unethical as it limits the skills of the employees.
 There are also ethical concerns on health and safety of employees getting sick from
constant sitting, staring at computer screens and typing on the keyboard or clicking on the
mouse.
 Environmental Impact – Environment has been affected by computers and the internet since
so much time spent using computers increases energy usage which in turn increases the
emission of greenhouse gases.
 There are ways where we can save energy like limiting computer time and turning off the
computer or putting on sleep mode when not in use.  Buying energy efficient computers
with Energy Star label can also help save the environment.
 Social Impact – Computers and the internet help people stay in touch with family and friends.
Social media has been very popular nowadays.
 Computer gaming influenced society both positively and negatively.  Positive effects are
improved hand-eye coordination, stress relief and improved strategic thinking.  Negative
effects are addiction of gamers, isolation from the real world and exposure to violence.
 Computer technology helps the government in improving services to its citizens.  Advanced
database can hold huge data being collected and analysed by the government.
 Computer technology aids businesses by automating processes, reports and analysis.

Computer Ethics

Ethics deals with placing a “value” on acts according to whether they are “good” or “bad”. Every
society has its rules about whether certain acts are ethical or not. These rules have been established
as a result of consensus in society and are often written into laws.

When computers first began to be used in society at large, the absence of ethical standards about
their use and related issues caused some problems. However, as their use became widespread in
every facet of our lives, discussions in computer ethics resulted in some kind of a consensus.
Today, many of these rules have been formulated as laws, either national or international. Computer
crimes and computer fraud are now common terms. There are laws against them, and everyone is
responsible for knowing what constitutes computer crime and computer fraud.

The Ten Commandments of computer ethics have been defined by the Computer Ethics

Institute. Here is our interpretation of them:

1) Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people: If it is unethical to harm people by
making a bomb, for example, it is equally bad to write a program that handles the timing of the
bomb. Or, to put it more simply, if it is bad to steal and destroy other people’s books and
notebooks, it is equally bad to access and destroy their files.

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2) Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work: Computer viruses are
small programs that disrupt other people’s computer work by destroying their files, taking huge
amounts of computer time or memory, or by simply displaying annoying messages. Generating
and consciously spreading computer viruses is unethical.

3) Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's files: Reading other people’s e-mail
messages is as bad as opening and reading their letters: This is invading their privacy.
Obtaining other people’s non-public files should be judged the same way as breaking into their
rooms and stealing their documents. Text documents on the Internet may be protected
by encryption.

4) Thou shalt not use a computer to steal: Using a computer to break into the accounts of a
company or a bank and transferring money should be judged the same way as robbery. It is
illegal and there are strict laws against it.

5) Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness: The Internet can spread untruth as
fast as it can spread truth. Putting out false "information" to the world is bad. For instance,
spreading false rumors about a person or false propaganda about historical events is wrong.

6) Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid: Software is an
intellectual product. In that way, it is like a book: Obtaining illegal copies of copyrighted
software is as bad as photocopying a copyrighted book. There are laws against both.
Information about the copyright owner can be embedded by a process
called  watermarking into pictures in the digital format.

7) Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without

authorization: Multiuser systems use user id’s and passwords to enforce their memory and
time allocations, and to safeguard information.  You should not try to bypass this authorization
system. Hacking a system to break and bypass the authorization is unethical.

8) Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output: For example, the
programs you write for the projects assigned in this course are your own intellectual output.
Copying somebody else’s program without proper authorization is software piracy and is
unethical. Intellectual property is a form of ownership, and may be protected by copyright
laws.

9) Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write: You have to
think about computer issues in a more general social framework: Can the program you write
be used in a way that is harmful to society? For example, if you are working for an animation
house, and are producing animated films for children, you are responsible for their contents.
Do the animations include scenes that can be harmful to children? In the United States,
the Communications Decency Act was an attempt by lawmakers to ban certain types of
content from Internet websites to protect young children from harmful material. That law was
struck down because it violated the free speech principles in that country's constitution. The
discussion, of course, is going on.

10) Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect: Just like
public buses or banks, people using computer communications systems may find themselves
in situations where there is some form of queuing and you have to wait for your turn and
generally be nice to other people in the environment. The fact that you cannot see the people
you are interacting with does not mean that you can be rude to them.

Let’s Ponder!

Answer each question on your answer sheet.

 How do we decide if a particular theory is useful?

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Term – 2nd Semester S.Y 2020-2021
 What is the significance of the different ethical theories?

 Why do we need to study computer ethics?

Let’s test you!

A. Jonidel, a gifted high school student, wants to become a lawyer in the future. Because she
comes from a poor family, she needs a scholarship in order to attend college. Some of her
classes require students to do extra research projects in order to get an A. Her high school has
a few older PC’s but there are always long lines of students waiting to use them during the
school day. After school, she usually works on a part-time job to help support her family.
One evening Jodinel visited the library of a private college few miles from her family’s
apartment, and she found plenty of unused PC’s connected to the Internet. She surreptitiously looked
over the shoulder of another student to learn a valid login/password combination. Jodinel returned to
the library several times a week, and by using its PCs and printers she effectively completed the extra
research projects, graduated from high school with straight A’s and got a full-ride scholarship to attend
a prestigious university.

Questions:

1. Did Jodinel do something wrong?

2. Who benefited from Jodinel’s course of action?
3. Who was hurt by Jodinel’s course of action?
4. Did Jodinel have an unfair advantage over her high school classmate?
5. Would any of your answers change if it turns out Jodinel did not win a college scholarship after
all and is now working at the Burger Barn?
6. Are there better ways Jodinel could have accomplished her objectives?

B. Parents nowadays, allow their children to play computer games because according to them,
computer games help, in one way or another, in developing the decision making and analytical
skills of their child. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Let’s wrap everything up!

Please complete the sentence below.

I learned that ___________________________________________________________________

________________________________.

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