Phil 327 – Ethics in the Information Age --Fall, 2018
Metropolitan Sate University
Paper Assignments
Paper writing guides:
from Joe Cruz of Williams College
Date | Topic | Reading | Writing Due | Handouts - in class stuff |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aug 28 | Introduction
|
none
|
Cases for Discussion; Discussion Project: Identifying Ethical Issues |
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Sept. 2 | Overview:
Personal, Professional, and Social Issues in Information Technology
|
1. Quinn,
Chapter 1; |
Response to Readings | Discussion Project Killer Robot |
Sept. 11 | Ethical
Theories 1: Relativism, Religion, Kant
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1. Quinn,
Chapter 2, the first six sections, through p. 72; |
Response to Readings | Discussion Project: Applying Kant |
Sept. 18 | Ethical
Theories 2: Utilitarianism, Social Contract theory
|
1. Quinn,
Chapter 2, the rest (but skip section 10 on virtue ethics for now); 2. "The Singer Solution to World Poverty" by Peter Singer; 3. Prisoners' Dilemma: Game and Explanation: "We are all Prisoners" and "An Ethic Based on Prisoners' Dilemma" by Jonathan Blumen; (another version of the game) |
Response to Readings | Discussion Project: Applying Utilitarianism;
First Paper Assignment handed out |
Sept. 25 | Professional/Business
ethics 1: responsibilities, standards, codes
|
1. Quinn, Chapter 2, section 10, pp. 88-94; 2. Quinn, Chapter 9, the first five sections, through p. 436 |
Response to Readings | Discussion Project:Applying the Software Engineering Code of Ethics |
Oct. 2 | Professional/Business
ethics 2: whistleblowing, loyalty
|
1. Quinn,
Chapter 9, the rest; 2. "Illusions of whistleblower protection" by Brian Martin, 3. Brian Martin's summary of Robert Jackall's discussion of whistleblowing; 4. Summary of Jackall's book "Moral Mazes" (pdf) by Damian Grace, University of New South Wales |
Response to Readings; First Paper Due |
Discussion Project: Whistleblowing |
Oct. 9 | Computer Security and
Reliability
|
1. Quinn, Chapter 7: the whole thing. If you are pressed for time, skip section 7.3 on malware. |
Response to Readings |
|
Oct. 16 | Spam, Pornography, Free Speech, Censorship | 1. Quinn, Chapter 3; 2. Brian Leiter on Cyber-Cesspools, cleaner version, explicit version 3. Entropy and the Internet (a New Yorker cartoon) 5. A shorter article that makes some of the same points as Sullivan's: The Destructive Switch from Search to Social 6. As much as you can of: this research report on Technology Addiction (TL;DR) |
Response to Readings | Second Paper Assignment handed out |
Oct. 23 | Privacy
1
|
2. MSNBC article on privacy law |
Response to Readings |
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Oct. 30 | Privacy
2
|
1. Quinn,
Chapter 6; plus whatever you have time for from the articles listed on this page |
Response to Readings | Discussion project on Surveillance
|
Nov. 6 | Intellectual
Property 1
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1.Richard Stallman, Misinterpreting Copyright—A Series of Errors 2. Quinn, Chapter 4 3. links to further (optional) materials on copyright |
Response to Readings; Second paper due | Larry Lessig's TED talk Discussion project on Copyright |
Nov. 13 | Intellectual
Property 2
|
1. Benkler, Wealth of Networks, Introduction
to Chapter 2 (pp. 35-41); |
Response to Readings | Film: Revolution OS |
Nov. 20 | The
Internet and Democracy
|
Read in this order: 1. "The Daily Me" by Cass Sunstein (You can skip the last five pages, i.e., the section called "What isn't the Issue".); 2. Sunstein on Group Polarization and Cybercascades 3. Benkler, Wealth of Networks, Chapter 7, selections 4. Interview with Benkler: http://bostonreview.net/politics/yochai-benkler-deborah-chasman-selling-outrage Optional Extras that give more insight into Benkler’s latest thoughts (read if you have time and interest):
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Response to Readings | Discussion Project on the Internet and Democracy Benkler Notes |
Nov. 27 | Access and Equity | Quinn, Chapter 10 | Response to Readings | Story of Stuff videos: Stuff in general Electronic stuff |
Dec. 4 | Wrap Up |
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Response to readings Third paper due by 10am on December 10 by email
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