Ethics

Choose two of the following questions - clearly state which questions you are answering. For each question, apply all 5 theories.

For example, if you choose #2, your post should look like:

Question #2
Should the tax dollars of citizens of democratic nations be used to help people in authoritarian nations get around the Web censorship of their repressive governments?

Kantianism: YES
Kantianism says yes because... (explain why here)

Act Utilitarianism: NO
Act Utilitarianism says no because... (explain why here)

Rule Utilitarianism:

Social Contract Theory:

Virtue Ethics:

 

Thoroughly explain your stance and please remember that each post must be a minimum of 250 words. Note that repeating the question (ex. "Kantianism says no, the tax dollars should not be used to help people in authoritarian nations get around the Web censorship of their repressive governments.") or summarizing/explaining the theory does not count towards the sentence requirement. It is safe to assume that everyone in the class has read Ethics for the Information Age, 8th Edition, Ch 2 and is already familiar with the theory, so don't explain the theory all over again. Please review the Ch. 3 material for 3 examples of using the theories to support an argument.

1. Facebook’s username policy requires each Facebook user to use “the name they go by in everyday life”. The policy forbids the use of professional or religious titles, phrases instead of names, and offensive words. Many Native Americans have had their accounts deactivated for supposedly using a fake name, including Dana Lone Hill, Shane Creepingbear, and Lance Brown Eyes. Meanwhile, people who set up accounts with phony but plausible usernames have not had their usernames challenged. Should Facebook require every user to use their real name?
2. Should the tax dollars of citizens of democratic nations be used to help people in authoritarian nations get around the Web censorship of their repressive governments?
3. Aside from the internet communicate using different systems: telephone system, physical mail, bookstores, movie theaters, newspapers, broadcast and cable TV. Should governments ignore the internet, or should they regulate it somehow?
4. Should children be prevented from accessing some Web sites?
5. Search engines, such as Google, depend on a page-ranking algorithm. The dependence on an algorithm may systematically exclude Web pages containing opinions held only by a small segment of the population. Should every opinion on the Web be given equal consideration? If 99% believe 1 thing and 1% believe something different, should the top search results include a website that represents the belief of the 1%?
6. A school district forbids students from using their cell phones on school buses, but many students ignore this rule. A frustrated bus driver installs a cell phone jammer on his bus. When the jammer is turned on, cell phones within 40 feet stop working. (The use of jammers is against the law.) The bus driver says, “The kids think they are sneaky by hiding low in their seats and using their phones. Now the kids can’t figure out why their phones don’t work, but can’t ask because they will get in trouble! It’s fun to watch them try to get a signal." Is it okay for the bus driver to use the jammer?
7. After popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011, the US government said it would spend $30 million to fund the development of new services and technologies designed to allow activists in other countries to get around Internet restrictions imposed by their governments. Announcing this initiative, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “We are convinced that an open Internet fosters long-term peace, progress and prosperity. The reverse is also true. An Internet that is closed and fractured, where different governments can block activity or change the rules on a whim—where speech is censored or punished, and privacy does not exist—that is an Internet that can cut off opportunities for peace and progress and discourage innovation and entrepreneurship.” Should the US government provide activists in other countries the tools to get around Internet restrictions imposed by authoritarian governments?
8. In July 2011, activists shut down a San Francisco subway station as a way of protesting the death of Oscar Grant, an unarmed man shot in the back by a BART police officer. A month later, the subway system blocked cell-phone service at several stations in an effort to prevent another protest. BART officials said protesters were planning to use their mobile devices to coordinate their activities and keep track of police movements. The agency pointed out that civil disturbances at crowded subway stations during rush hour could create unsafe conditions for commuters, BART employees, and the protesters themselves. Was BART justified in blocking cell-phone service?
9. The governments of other countries have taken action to limit the number of hours per day that children under the age of 18 can access online games. Should the United States government take similar action?
10. In 2000 the Estonian parliament passed a law declaring Internet access to be a fundamental human right of its citizens. Is Internet access a fundamental human right, along with such other fundamental human rights as the right to life and the right to free speech?
11. Martin Dula has suggested that parents should not provide their children with phones capable of taking photos and videos because these phones tempt children to participate in sexting. Should parents and legal guardians allow their children under the age of 18 to own cell phones capable of taking, transmitting, or receiving photographs or videos?
12. The FBI has asked Apple to help unlock iPhones belonging to gunmen involved in mass shootings. Should a company assist a government agency in accessing a user's private data if the data may contribute to a criminal investigation?