Professional Ethics

Tom Kelliher, CS 200

Mar. 26, 2009

Administrivia

Announcements

Presentations begin in two weeks First up: Melissa, Jonathan, and Russ. Hardcopy of paper due at time of presentation.

Assignment

Read Chapter 9.

Turn in answers to these questions: 1, 4, 9.

From Last Time

Computer reliability.

Coming Up

Work and Wealth.

Chapter Summary

1. Strongly differentiated professions.
   1. Exceptions to ordinary morality by virtue of profession, not position.

   2. Role of efficacy.

2. Characteristics of a profession.
   1. Mastery of an esoteric body of knowledge.

   2. Autonomy, at personal and profession levels.

   3. Formal Organization. Sets standards; controls admission.

   4. Code of ethics.

   5. Social function.

3. Professional relationships:
   1. Employer-Employee.

   2. Client-Professional.

   3. Society-Professional.

   4. Professional-Professional.

4. Codes of ethics.

Discussion Questions

1. Should computing be a profession?

2. What about software engineering?

3. What about other sub-disciplines of computing?

4. Some thorny technical ethics cases:
   1. Challenger and Columbia disasters.

   2. Therac-25 disaster.

   3. e-Voting.

   4. RFID technology.

5. Exercises 21--.

Tom Kelliher