Critical Reasoning and Moral theory day 3 CS 340 Fall 2015 Ethics and Moral Theories Differences of opinion based caused by different value set Deontology Virtue Religious and Divine Command Utilitarian & Consequentialism Social Contract Justice theory Caring Theory 1
Review: Cultural Relativism goes beyond tolerance, claiming that there is never any acceptable justification for one culture to override the wishes of another. A. True B. False True False Review: Under which duty is honesty in WD Ross prima facie duty list? A. Reparation B. Beneficence C. Fidelity Reparation Beneficence Fidelity 2
Luther clip Series 1: Episode 1 http://www.bbcamerica.com/ luther/videos/first-moments/ Ethics in a Computing Culture 5 Do you agree with what John Luther allowed to happen to Henry? A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Somewhat Agree D. Neutral / Unsure E. Somewhat Disagree F. Disagree G. Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral / Unsure Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree 3
6) Teleological Ethics: Consequentialism Pages 15-20 Telos: Greek for end or purpose Actions evaluated by their consequence. Consequentialism: the consequence of an action, not the motivation behind the action, makes an action good or bad Utilitarianism: an action is good if it causes more happiness than a potential, alternative decision* *Look at the net consequence of behaviors. Guiding principle: to increase happiness, a.k.a. utility (satisfies needs and values) Bentham s Act Utilitarianism Greatest Happiness Principle Pleasure and pain analysis Choose course with highest utility for world Look for what promotes the general good Bentham said: "An act is right from an ethical point of view if, and only if, the sum total of utilities produced by that act is greater than the sum total utilities produced by another act the agent could have performed in its place." Bentham (1748-1832) 4
Bentham s Felicific Calculus for Act Utilitarianism Greatest good for the greatest number, including depth of happiness, see page seventeen s example of confiscating billionaire s money. Requires a moral calculus of predicted results. Factors considered: 1.Intensity: How strong is the pleasure? 2.Duration: How long will the pleasure last? 3.Certainty or uncertainty: How likely or unlikely is it that the pleasure will occur? 4.Propinquity or remoteness: How soon will the pleasure occur? 5.Fecundity: The probability that the action will be followed by sensations of the same kind. 6.Purity: The probability that it will not be followed by sensations of the opposite kind. 7.Extent: How many people will be affected? Source: Wikipedia Rule Utilitarian theory A rule utilitarian suggests the best course is to follow rules unless there is a compelling reason to break the rules. Rationale: in general people like rules (and are happier to have them) because they know what to expect from others. Rules are often formulated for general good producing best consequences for all. Sometimes justice calls for an actor to violate a rule. John Stuart Mill: justice is a name for certain moral requirements, which, regarded collectively, stand higher in the scale of social utility, and are therefore of more paramount obligation, than any others; though particular cases may occur in which some other social duty is so important, as to overrule any one of the general maxims of justice. Thus, to save a life, it may not only be allowable, but a duty, to steal, or take by force, the necessary food or medicine, or to kidnap, and compel to officiate, the only qualified medical practitioner. Mill (1806-1873) 5
Gert s rules for morality 1. Do not kill 2. Do not cause pain 3. Do not disable 4. Do not deprive of freedom 5. Do not deprive of pleasure 6. Do not deceive 7. Keep your promises 8. Do not cheat 9. Obey the law 10. Do your duty. In Rule Utilitarian theory, these rules are to be followed UNLESS you have a compelling reason to believe that breaking the rule will result in the highest utility. 6
The pure utilitarianism theory is A. Act B. Rule Act Rule A utilitarian cares about and considers everyone impacted by her decision. A. True B. False True False 7
Contractarianism Born into a State of Nature Perpetual conflict In Leviathan by Hobbes, life w/o gov t is pondered and declared to be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short w/o rules, complete entitlement to everything Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679 15 Ethics in a Computing Culture Contractarianism cont d To overcome, accede to social contract for mutual benefit. promote the common interests of society in order to promote their own selfinterests 16 Ethics in a Computing Culture 8
The Social Contract is an contract. A. explicit B. implicit Ethics in a Computing Culture 17 explicit implicit Game Theory Question: Is the person s self-interest really maximized by acting for the public good? Pages 24-26 Modeling of scenarios of conflict and cooperation between rational decision makers. Game Theory Core Concepts: Dominant Strategy Dominated Strategy Nash Equilibrium Prisoner s Dilemma Simultaneous Game Learn from a Ninja: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdwmvbx6jok 18 Ethics in a Computing Culture 9
Computer Modeling of the Prisoner s Dilemma (page 25) Multiple iterations, as opposed to a one shot, would model closer to the real world. 19 Winning Strategy from modeling experiments: 1. Cooperate in the first round 2. Thereafter, do whatever the opponent did in the previous round. Long term view (cooperation in the long run benefits everyone, social contract takes this view p. 26) Less clear that cooperating is best with a one shot or terminal deal. Our original Golden Balls shows this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3uos2fzij0 Ethics in a Computing Culture In game theory when you have a strategy that always produces the better result it s called the. A. Dominant strategy B. Dominated strategy Ethics in a Computing Culture Dominant strategy 20 Dominated strategy 10
When every player in the game plays his dominant strategy this is called the A. Nash Equilibrium B. Simultaneous Game Ethics in a Computing Culture Nash Equilibrium 21 Simultaneous Game In Prisoner s Dilemma, the stay quiet option would be an example of A. Dominant Strategy B. Dominated Strategy Ethics in a Computing Culture Dominant Strategy 22 Dominated Strategy 11
Golden Balls: Nick and Abraham The one where Nick promises Abraham that he is going to steal Makes it less of a simultaneous game http://davidweinberger.sys-con.com/node/ 2256940/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Prisoner's_dilemma Ethics in a Computing Culture 23 Contractarianism As opposed to placing value on duty or outcome, the focus shifts to individual rights Ex. John Locke s fundamental rights (life, liberty, property) What is a right? Negative right: w/o gov t interference examples? Positive: obligation to provide/help examples? 12
A right says the government should not interfere. A. Positive B. Negative Ethics in a Computing Culture Positive 25 Negative Rawl s Justice Theory Moral theory to ensure fairness in society as a whole. John Rawls argues that these principles of justice as fairness underlie all just societies 1. Impartiality 2. Universality Ethics in a Computing Culture 26 13
Justice Theory cont d Two qualities of Just societies throughout time: 1. Impartiality: the quality that every person is treated equally and no one is given preferential treatment in the theory 2. Universality Page 27 Everyone has as much freedom as possible. Any inequalities are justified only if Everyone has a fair chance to obtain the better position Inequalities provide the greatest benefit to least advantaged. 27 Ethics in a Computing Culture Ethics of Justice (continued) According to Rawl s Theory of Justice, in order for a society to be just: Everyone has an equal opportunity to reach desirable positions in society. All socio-economic differences are of the most benefit to the least advantaged. Rawl s Veil of Ignorance: a test of whether rules are fair. Idea: What if you got to choose your social contract before you were born, but you did not know your lot in life, would you consider the rules to be fair? 28 Ethics in a Computing Culture 14
Reconciling Ethical Approaches Let each approach shed light on different aspects of an ethical problem Normative guidance: Autonomy Non-maleficence Beneficence Justice Which normative principle relates to do no harm? A. Autonomy B. Beneficence C. Non-maleficence D. Justice Ethics in a Computing Culture Autonomy Beneficence 30 Non- maleficence Justice 15