PHIL 350: Computing Ethics

Course Description

This course focuses on ethical issues involved in computing in the age of the internet, including privacy, plagiarism, intellectual property rights, piracy, security, confidentiality and many other issues. We will use several moral theories to investigate these issues and carefully analyze a professional code of ethics from a variety of perspectives. We will also discuss the logical structure of ethical arguments and positions, the quality and integrity of decisions and inferences based on data, and how important cases have shaped the legality, if not the morality, of computing in the age of the internet. Case studies will be used to further investigate these issues. Prerequisite: One prior Philosophy course, or Computer Science major with Junior standing, or instructor consent.