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Rita van Haren
Stacie Bernasconi
Lance Lameyse
Haley Nicholson 
Kylie McCabe
Jennifer Hernandez
Grant St. MartinWin18_Phil302 Cyberethics’s Updates
Lesson 7: Professional Codes of Ethics
Module 5 Lesson 7: Professional Codes of Ethics
Where codes of Ethics Come From
A code of ethics is a series of statements or aphorisms that one lives their life by. Maybe you remember the apocryphal story of George Washington and the cherry tree, where the young George Washington professes “I can not tell a lie” and must admit to his father that it was he who cut down the tree. In this story, though he might have been able to avoid punishment, his code of ethics prevents him from taking the easy way out. Many individuals attempt to live their lives by codes of conduct that they have conceived of themselves or that they may have received from their family, culture or religion. Many of you in this class will be familiar with the Ten Commandments, which are a code of conduct promoted by Moses sometime in the 1400’s BCE, but other cultures and religions have similar codes, some even more ancient.
Professions also have codes of ethics that are specific to what they do. Some Professional codes of ethics also have ancient origins. The earliest evidence of these professional codes that we have can be found in the Code of Hammurabi, which was developed and written down by the Babylonians sometime between 1790 and 1750 BCE. We can conjecture that there were other similar codes previously but these are the first ones that we know of that were written and archived. While much of the code sow seems quaint, such as the provisions against falsely claiming others have cast deadly spells on them, in the code we also find some interesting evidence that the code enforced ethical business behavior. For instance one section of the code directly regulates engineering, design, and building practices. Translated to English a few samples of these codes read:
- 229. If a builder has built a house for a man, and has not made his work sound, and the house he built has fallen, and caused the death of its owner, that builder shall be put to death.
- 232. If he has caused the loss of goods, he shall render back whatever he has destroyed. Moreover, because he did not make sound the house he built, and it fell, at his own cost he shall rebuild the house that fell.
- 233. If a builder has built a house for a man, and has not keyed his work, and the wall has fallen, that builder shall make that wall firm at his own expense.
There are also sections that relate to the conduct of surgeons, what they are responsible for and exactly what they should be paid for their services. For example:
- 218. If a surgeon has operated with the bronze lancet on a patrician for a serious injury, and has caused his death, or has removed a cataract for a patrician, with the bronze lancet, and has made him lose his eye, his hands shall be cut off.
- 221. If a surgeon has cured the limb of a patrician, or has doctored a diseased bowel, the patient shall pay five shekels of silver to the surgeon.
- 222. If he be a plebeian, he shall pay three shekels of silver.
There are also sections on other the business such as shipping, and some very distasteful sections on the buying, selling and treatment of slaves. While I am not suggesting that we adopt this fairly brutal code of ethics, it is worth looking at for historical reasons as it shows that codes have been a useful tool for regulating human behavior for a very long time.
By the fifth century BCE we have the emergence of the Hippocratic Oath, which most modern readers mistakenly remember as: “Primum non nocere (First do no harm).” This concise version of the oath has an uncertain origin and appears much later than the original. It is at best just inspired by the wording of the original document but, due to its brevity and powerful message, this later version is widely cited both in and outside the medical community today and still serves as a good basic code for anyone to live by. The original code is fairly dated with its references to healing Gods and also in some of the treatments it suggests or prohibits, but in other instances it still holds value. The code asks the physician to swear an oath to the Gods to make sure their treatments do not cause more harm than healing, never use or make poison, not to lie to a patient or give false counsel, not to have sexual relations with a patient, keep a patient’s medical conditions and treatments secret, and aid in the education of others in the healing arts. There is a modern version of the code that is still in use today that appeals more to science and reason for its foundation, but for the most part the code asks the physician to uphold pro-social standards of behavior to protect the patient, the profession, and society at large form the potential abuses of medical science. By the time we see this version of the oath arise we can see the emergence of modern codes of ethics that begin to appear in every conceivable profession. No matter what profession you are contemplating joining, there is a code of ethics specific to your career choice and that you should find and be aware of as you will be held, explicitly or implicitly, accountable for what those documents say.
Codes of Ethics for Computing Professionals
The computing profession is not very old and as such there are no ancient documents to consult. Instead, there are a number of relatively recent documents which computing professionals who are interested in promoting ethical behavior in the profession have written. There are at least three important documents that we need to know about and each has its particular strengths and weaknesses. First please read over the ACM Code of Ethics for Computer Professionals which was written by a committee of computing professionals and ethicists for the Association of Computing Machinery. After you are familiar with those, then read this discussion on how they can be used in making real decisions here: Using the New ACM CODE of Ethics in Decision Making. Next, let’s look at another interesting document written by Stuart Allen for CPSR, the Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility called, “The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics.” Finally, look at the Moral Responsibility for Computing Artifacts: The Rules, and this paper (Moral Responsibility for Computing Artifacts: “the Rules” and Issues of Trust) that explains what “the Rules” are and how to use them.
Assignments 12: Writing Reflection posted in the comments section below (no less than 400 words)—first, briefly explain how you think codes of ethics fit in with the ethical theories you have studied in this class. Next, of the various codes for computing professionals that you have just studied, which do you believe is the most effective? Please back up you claims with well thought out reasons and examples. Finally, write a short code of ethics for you to use in your own life. This will be part of your personal ethos statement which you will be turning in later in the course so please be diligent in thinking this thorough. Model it off of the codes we have looked at in this lesson but make sure it is personally relevant to you. The goal is to create something you can take with you after this class is done. You will be using this again later in your personal ethis statement.
Assignment 12: No matter how old in history the code of ethics must be respected and followed. The code of ethics is something a person lives their life by which means the code is very important to them. This code not only is about how you live your daily life but a rule you will follow by in the work place. Every profession has a code of ethics they expect their employees to follow and stay true to. The Code of Hammurabi and the Hippocratic Oath both commonly have the same guidelines which is to follow the rules in the code and oath. You basically are swearing to live by and follow the rules in these codes of ethics. These codes of ethics relate to the theories we have learned in class because they all make the workplace logically run with rules telling the employee certain ways to act. The deontological theory is the most relatable to the codes of ethics because of the structure they both use. They both have strict rules that they want people to follow and look at on how they want their employees to act in the workplace. As I read above George Washington is a good example of someone who followed his own code of ethics and stayed true to them no matter what the consequence. Technology is something that requires a lot of rules for its employees to follow because it has so many aspects to it. There are things like programs or hacking which can lead to dangerously getting into not your territory. When dealing with technology following the codes and rules is something they have to constantly think of when using devices they are unfamiliar with. I think the ACM code of ethics is the most effective because not only are they clear when stating what the main rules are but they explain why they are enforcing these rules. With each case of rules there is a long explanation behind it. My code of ethics will be related to the profession I want to go into which is similar to the surgeon section in the Code of Hammurabi except less violent.
1. All information about the clients must be confidential.
2. All workers must be professional and respectful in the workplace.
3. Be professional with all clients with a positive attitude.
4. Must respect the privacy of other co workers as well as clients.
5. Be productive with your time while on the clock.
6. Don't try to do someone else work, stay in your own field.
Assignment 12
After reviewing the code of ethics, I see them as fitting in very well with the ideas and theories we have studied so far, due to the ultimate goal these codes hope to meet. To be more specific, many of the ethical theories looked at in this course, preach the idea that one should not be selfish, and look towards taking actions that help the greater good and not just one self. And one should also be conscientious of how actions are taken. This ties in perfectly with the code of ethics analyzed because they have all been focused on making sure the user is protected. Within the computing profession, companies hope to create products that their users can trust and use successfully. Just as importantly, they want to create those products in the right way. That means not stealing ideas, respecting privacy, etc. They understand the importance of the customer (the user) coming first.
Throughout all the codes of ethics we have reviewed in this lesson, personally, I find that the “Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics” produced by the Computer Ethics Institute to be the most useful. I say this due to the fact that it is perfectly in tune with the idea of looking out for your fellow man, which is the key ethical point, which I mentioned above. For starters, their code speaks out against stealing intellectual property. This is a massive problem in the 21st century. With so many groundbreaking advancements and inventions taking place in an every rapidly changing and cut-throat environment, companies, and individuals are always looking for a way to stay ahead of their competition. Stealing intellectual property is one way to hinder ones competitors. This is extremely unethical behavior, and I’m happy to see that the Computer Ethics Institute realizes that.
As for my own code here they are
1. Respect other people’s opinions. Today, society is becoming ever more polarized, with no one wanting to hear an opinion that may be different or go against their own. It is important to hear other people’s viewpoints even if I disagree with what they are saying.
2. Live a healthy lifestyle. It is more important than ever to have a healthy life. This can be physical, so getting more exercise, but this can also be mental. Block out negative influences that bring you down and don’t help you strive to be your best.
3. Be considerate. You may never know what someone’s going thru, so when they may be having a bad day, it is important to try and empathize with what they are going thru.
These look great so far. You have all come up with some great codes of ethics for your own lives and careers.
Assignment 12:
The code of ethics relate to the ethical theories we have studied because each one is constructed to make an individual act and do their best on the job. They are a set of rules that help to make the employee efficient but also socially aware of their responsibilities. Having a code of ethics ensures an individual will not behave unethically. If they do, the proper consequences or actions may take place. If an employee does something unethical, they may be terminated from the organization. This is important to have in a business because it is a set of guidelines on the standard behavior of the employees. Out of the codes for computer professionals, the one I feel most important to the workplace is from Section 3 Code 1 out of ACM Code of Ethics for Computing Professionals. This code states that an individual must Articulate social responsibilities of members of an organizational unit and encourage full acceptance of those responsibilities. This is important because it means that all behavior must be in the best interest of society. This reduces harm to the public. Actions of the organization must be ethical and accepting of responsibilities to society.
The code of conduct for my life would be described as follows:
1. Respect the people around you: you never know when they will no longer be around to help you
2. Never give up when things get difficult: try your best, even when you don't succeed, you at least tried
3. Don't be afraid to seek help: too much pride is never a good thing, ask for help when needed
4. Be positive: your positive energy will transmit onto others
5. Help others: you never know what other people are going through and when they need help
Assignment 12
These ethical codes all have aspects of each theory we have learned about in this class. But, I do see a lot of deontological ideas within these codes. Like in the computer ethics commandments it is their duty to only use their technology for positive things and to not harm others. This connects directly with patient-centered deontological theories. These commandments are just like the biblical commandments given to the Israelites who even though lead very different lives than information technology professionals the key points from each are just about the same, mostly including how you treat others, like the commandment, “ Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.” I think it is important that the creators of these ethical codes to have made these distinctions. Technology is very fickle and can be used to harm many people, so it is important to establish integrity from the get go because without those morals technology would become even more corrupt and hurtful than it already is in some cases. In my life I have been taught many moral codes that I have been thinking about recently. I was raised in a house that believes in God so many of the moral lessons come from the Bible and God’s teachings which gives me a different perspective on certain things. It is very important to me to treat others how I wish to be treated, this has become such an important thing in my life because I have not been always treated correctly even when I had done them no harm. I am sure we have all be victim of this betrayal. Through social media and computers and other forms of technology people use the anonymity of the web and technology to emotionally abuse others for their own self gain. Technology professionals want this to stop because it gives their products a bad name and they want their employees to reflect positively on their company. Having their company in a harassment law suit or something of that nature because their employees did not know their ethical limits while on the clock.
My Ethical Code:
1.Treat others the way you want to be treated. Treat them with respect, dignity and with care.
2.Give when you can, you never know who you could be helping and how much it could help them. You could be saving a life or helping someone become a better person by your kind act.
3.Do not use others to further your own personal gain. Get where you want to be on your own, with your own merit and success. If you use others you are selling yourself short and hurting others in the process.
4.Love the people who care about you and are in your life unconditionally; but be weary of a relationship becoming toxic. Do not continue the relationship if it is harmful to yourself or others.
5. Always try your hardest to put your best self forward, work hard to be true and honest to yourself and to the people you come in contact with.
Assignment #12
After reading these codes of ethics it is apparent that they have ties to both consequentialism and deontological ethical theories. Deontological ethics fit in the code of ethics because the nature of the codes require one to stick to a set of rules. An example of sticking to the rule that would be in the George Washington “I can not tell a lie”. In the code of ethics, lying is bad while for a deontologist lying is also bad. There are some discrepancies between someone following the code of ethics and one following deontologists thinking in that a deontologist would not lie, even if it were to save someone’s life. While to a code of ethics follower is more of a take everything with a grain of salt approach to situations. Consequentialist ethics in my opinion are ingrained in the code of ethics, the reason being the codes of ethics strive to bring as much good as possible with as little conflict. A good example being how in the past rulers of nations have used codes of ethics to convince a large group of the population that the death of a small few will actually bring more “good” to the overall population, this aligns perfectly with consequentialism. In my opinion the most effective code of ethics for computing professionals would be, “The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics”. The reason being that these “ten commandments” align with the “ten commandments” that were promoted by Moses, and those have withstood the test of time while giving millions of people a code to live their lives by. A good example from “The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics” is number 4, “Thou shalt not use a computer to steal” this code of ethics is very relevant in todays would due to the amount of e-commerce and information that is out on the web. With many hackers of there using computers for unethical activities such as stealing, we would ultimately be better off as a population is every computer professional followed these “ten commandments”.
1. Treat all other the way you would like to be treated. This is an easy one, but is something I try to carry with me in every situation. I try to keep everything in perspective and just because I may be having a great time, or going through a stretch of ups in my life, someone else could very well be going through some of the lowest of lows. Thus, it is important to treat all the way I would want to be treated or better; it takes far more energy to treat someone bad and put out negativity, than it does to just simply smile and be kind.
2. Put energy towards things that are going to better me in my life. Personally, this is a very big one to me because of the many distractions out there that could potentially damage my future goals of becoming a professional athlete.
3. Make positive and long-lasting relationships. This is applicable in every facet of life, but to me it is especially important within my family. It also ties to my first code in that usually when you treat others as you want to be treated then you can build strong relationships on that building block.
Assignment #12
The ethic codes are judged solely by their own consequences by nature, they are intended to be on the deontological side because they detail how a person cannot commit a bad act even though the outcome is of successful result. A code of ethics reduces the risk of unethical behavior from developers and their consumer base. The Association for Computing Machinery Code of Ethics is by many, considered to be the most effective, each individual participating is given a different part of the creative process for the best possible outcome. Another one that grabbed my attention was the AMC Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, with AI becoming closer and closer to a reality, the rules in this code of ethics will be paramount when issues come along between technology and consumers. At the end of the day, it is hard to focus on just one of these ethics as the most effective, they all have their own way in contributing to fix ethical issues. They are all trying to help decreasing things that don't work in the workplace while increasing productivity and boost of morale. Our current society is filled with people willing to bully, disrespect others and gloat about it without punishment. That's why in ethical context, it is important for people to be aware codes of ethics, to engage in a more civilized way in the internet. I foresee problems arise where these code of ethics will need to be revisited as technology moves forward, the code of ethics will be harder to put in practice and harder to regulate.
My code of ethics are pretty straightforward:
1. Respect others, it doesn't matter their background in any way, shape or form. Keep an open minded when meeting or networking with others, treat them as I would like to be treated.
2. Be there for others, honest and trustworthy. Being straightforward without lies and deceiving behavior is very important at work or in your personal life.
3. Keep a positive attitude at work, school and at home. I always say that as long as nobody gets hurt or dies, there is always going to be a solution, stay focus and positive, good energy is contagious.
4. Work hard, never keep your hands in your pocket. There is always something to do, that needs to get fixed or taken care of, staying busy is stimulating to the brain and gives that sense of accomplishment when a task is completed.
Assignment 12
When reading the code of ethics I understand that there are ways you are expected to act that will help improve your professional and personal lifestyle. Codes of ethics fit in with the ethical theories that we have been studying in class because the ethical theories that we study in our class provide a certain rules for the way that people act in which they believe is ethical. Codes of ethics is basically a set of rules applied to create a peaceful and efficient work environment. The code of ethics is a way to create a mutual respect between the producers and the customers of a product. These codes of ethics are placed so that people have respect for each others work, privacy, and feelings. I think that “The ten commandments of computer ethics” was one of the more effective list of codes from those that were provided. I thought that commandment number 9 “Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing” Is a very important code to have placed on the list. It is smart and a very ethical thing to do to think about the outcomes and consequences of your work before making it public. Thinking about how your work could possibly harm others and thinking about ways that you could do to avoid that is a very ethical thing to do. Commandment number ten was also another example of why I think that this is an effective code of ethics. “Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.” To me this is an important ethical code because having respect for others is important to keep humanity between others. My codes of ethics that I would use in my personal life: 1. Respect others: even though someone is different from you and has different beliefs and a different way of life, still treat them with respect.
2. Be responsible for your actions: admit when you have made a mistake and make an effort to fix your wrong doings.
3. Be professional in a work environment: Use proper language, dress appropriately. Do not disrespect your bosses or coworkers. Follow the rules that are provided in the workplaces. Keep personal problems about of the workplace
4. Always do my best: Do everything you can to succeed. Don’t give up on something without doing all you can to try and make it happen.
Assignment 12:
I believe the code of ethics and the ethical theories we have been studying, are very much related. A code of ethics is established to provide guidance for individuals to utilize on a daily basis, and is most commonly used in business. It lays out the expectations of an individual, such as; they should avoid harm to others, be respectful, honest, and trustworthy. This is much like the ethical theory deontology, as they provide guidance on how you should behave based on rules. Without a code of ethics guiding an individual, they may not understand how an organization expects them to handle a situation. In the same way that we use ethics to guide our everyday lives. For instance, the AMC Code of ethics states “Computing professionals are obligated to protect the integrity of intellectual property. Specifically, one must not take credit for other's ideas or work, even in cases where the work has not been explicitly protected by copyright, patent, etc.”, as it is all too easy for intellectual property to be taken and miss represented for one’s own work. Ethically it would not be right to take what is not rightfully yours. Although, one can argue in the case of utilitarianism, it can be considered ethical, based on the amount of happiness the action would generate. While we know we are obligated to provide credit where credit is due, not everyone follows this practice. Therefore, it is imperative that organizations create a code of ethics as the standard practice for the organization.
I found rule 4 of Moral Responsibility for Computing Artifacts: “The Rules” and issued of Trust, to be the most effective. This rule states, “People who knowingly design, develop, deploy, or use a computing artifact can do so responsibly only when they make a reasonable effort to take into account the sociotechnical systems in which the artifact is embedded”. This is effective because it requires the technology to meet general ethical standards and those of the environment they will be utilized in.
The code of ethics I try to live by is:
Be kind, Respectful and Open minded: Treating others the way I wish to be treated. Take into consideration other people’s viewpoints and feelings. It’s okay not to share the same views or feelings with everyone you interact with.
Be honest and trustworthy: Don’t lie or create a false sense of truth.
Put forth effort: No matter what your goals are, understand that it takes effort to achieve them and maintain that level of achievement. Put forth the effort necessary to achieve what you want out of life.
Make time to enjoy life: Take a few minutes each day to do something you enjoy. Taking care of yourself will allow you to do more for others.
Assignment 12: The ethical theories that we have studied in this class relate to the code of ethics because each person forms their own code of ethics by adopting ideals from different ethical theories such as egoism, realism or relativism. People see these ethical theories demonstrated by others in their life and they can then use their experiences to build their own opinion of the theories. Watching how someone’s actions and decisions affect themselves or others allows them to either choose to follow the same ethical beliefs or try another. Eventually, a person builds their own code of ethics based off of their experiences and using their favorite aspects from different ethical theories. I believe that the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is the most effective code for computing professionals. It outlines many of the common and even uncommon issues a computer programmer may face and describes how the programmer should handle the situation in the most ethical way. It has helpful descriptions of each code to ensure that any programmer could understand exactly what the code entails. For example, the first code, titled “Contribute to society and human well-being”, has a two-paragraph description which says that ACM programmers are obliged to protect fundamental human rights and to respect the diversity of all cultures. The length and detail of the descriptions leave little room for misinterpretation and overall, the code covers a large number of possible situations that a programmer could be placed in.
My Personal Code of Ethics:
Respect: Respecting myself and others around me in all aspects and situations. Respecting others is a vital part building and maintaining relationships with loved ones, co-workers, employees or superiors.
Responsibility: Being responsible for my actions, owning up to mistakes, holding myself accountable and being productive for myself and others. Keeping up with one’s responsibilities allows you to advance to your goals. Being accountable for your own duties and not taking advantage of others who are willing to do your work for you is part of being self sufficient as well as a good team member or partner in any aspect of life.
Care: Caring for others, as well as myself, and considering others prior to making decisions that could affect them. Taking care of yourself is essential, but keeping others in mind and offering care and support is important in maintaining all relationships, including family, friends, coworkers, and employees.
Positivity: Having a positive outlook on life and being grateful for the little things that everyday brings. Maintaining a positive outlook on life allows you to enjoy life more and help lift up others who need positivity in their life.