Computing and Society 29/6/2015Society= Association of people organized under a system of rules= Rules: advance the good of members over time= Govern the member of the society (to join, must adhere to certain part of rules of society known as morality)

Morality = A society rules of conduct= What people ought / ought not to do in various situations= Can be written or unwritten= Rule which determine right or wrong if you are a part of the society= Multiple society multiple rules and morality

Ethics= Rational examination of morality= Evaluation of peoples behavior= Official evaluation of morality based on reasoning. (Ethics process)= Either judge the person, or the act itself.

E.g.: Couple live together, not married with 3 kids but relationship complicated (Morally correct according to the society there)We come, and look at the moral system and compare it to best practices which is an accepted way of living by the world.1) Look at guidance set by United Nations on relationship2) Look at heredity. (to have child must be legal and license married)

Why study Ethics?= Ethics: a way to decide the best thing to do= New problems accompany new technologies= Common wisdom may not exist for novel situations brought about by new technologies

More on Ethics= Rational, systematical analysis Doing ethics : answers need explanations Explanations : facts, shared values, logic= Ethics: voluntary (action taken by that person is not involuntary movement or decision), moral choices= Workable ethical theory: produces explanations that might be persuasive to a skeptical, yet open minded audience.

Good Ethical Theory Supports Persuasive, Logical Arguments

1st Theory = Subjective RelativismWhat Is Relativism? Relativism No universal norms of right and wrong One person can say X is right, another can say X is wrong, and both can be right Subjective relativism Each person decides right and wrong for himself or herself only Whats right for you may not be right for me

Case for Subjective Relativism Well-meaning and intelligent people disagree on moral issues Ethical debates are disagreeable and pointlessRight conclusion will be right and wrong. Those support right got own reason and wrong got own reason to support it. (Based on general and not on religion Farah Ain (gymnast outfit case) debating on it is pointless)

Case against Subjective Relativism Blurs distinction between doing what you think is right and doing what you want to do[Grounded 3 months steal mother money, Got concert want go, if go out will violate ground rule. I still go which is wrong. Thus, I cant argue using this] Makes no moral distinction between the actions of different people SR and tolerance [mengalah , like lazy to fight to agree or disagree on smtg] are two different things Decisions may not be based on reason Not a workable ethical theory

2nd Theory = Cultural Relativism

Cultural Relativism in a Nutshell What is right and wrong depends upon a societys actual moral guidelines These guidelines vary from place to place and from time to time A particular action may be right in one society at one time and wrong in other society or at another time

Case for Cultural Relativism Different social contexts demand different moral guidelines It is arrogant for one society to judge another

Case against Cultural Relativism Because two societies do have different moral views doesnt mean they ought to have different views [For poor maybe stealing correct for rich will be wrong. In general they know that stealing is wrong] It doesnt explain how moral guidelines are determined What if there are no cultural norms? It doesnt account for evolution of moral guidelines. It provides no way out for cultures in conflict[Rohingya vs Myanmar] Existence of many acceptable practices does not imply all practices are acceptable (many/any fallacy) Societies do, in fact, share certain core values Only indirectly based on reason Not a workable ethical theory