May 9 (Mon), 2016 Presentations by Prof. Manton Matthews and Dr. Ioannis Rekleitis.
May 10 (Tue), 2016 HW1 assigned (four questions on ethics and the law, etc.), due on Wednesday, May 11. See elsewhere for details of submission. Administrative information: objectives, textbook, syllabus, grading policy. Definition of computer ethics according to Moor: James H. Moor. "What is Computer Ethics?" _Metaphilosophy_, 16, 4 (October 1985), 266-275. (The paper is linked to the course website.) The students take the Ross-Barger philosophic inventory (cf. ch.4 [B]). Definitions of computer ethics. Notes based on: James H. Moor. "What is Computer Ethics?" _Metaphilosopthy_, 16, 4 (October 1985), 266-275, and James, H. Moor. "Reason, Relativity, and Responsibility in Computer Ethics." In: Terrell Ward Bynum and Simon Rogerson (eds.). _Computer Ethics and Professional Responsibility_. ISBN 1-85554-844-5. Blackwell Publishing, 2004. (In addition to Moor's article, the paper also contains historical and introductory material on the topic of Computer Ethics.)
May 11 (Wed), 2016 HW2 assigned (one question on what it means to be human, registration on Jobmate, and an essay on professional issues), due May 12. HW3 assigned: application of Robert Barger's eight-step decision process, due May 13. Philosophic belief systems: introduction, metaphysics (ontology), epistemology, axiology (ethics and aesthetics), idealism, realism, pragmatism, existentialism. Mohr's proposal for a unified ethical theory; the veil of ignorance and the blindfold of justice.
May 12 (Thu), 2016 HW4 (Presentation, final exam) assigned; details on the main web page for the course. Passages on Conscience (pp.107-108) and Permissible Actions (pp.95-96) from Roger J. Sullivan. _An Introduction to Kant's Ethics_. Cambridge University Press, 1994. Ch.5 (Mohr's proposal for a unified ethical theory); quotes from Mohr's paper, "Just Consequentialism and Computing," which is linked to the course website. Three short ethical dilemmas: absolutist (idealistic and realistic) and relativistic (pragmatic and existentialist) position. Robert Barger's eight-point ethical decision-making process, with the "Culture Clash on the Net" example. How logic justifies using conclusions obtained by automated reasoning to be used whan making decisions about real world entities: interpretation, models, logical consequence (in the propositional calculus).