Mtg 5 • CS-280 (202410) | D. H. Hepting, Ph.D.

Outline for Today

Methods for Ethical Analysis

Administration

Response to Responses

Groups are not for projects, but class discussions (inside and outside of class meetings)

Today

We have a TA who will be having availability outside of class to supplement my office hours
I am still behind on administrative tasks (e-mail) but this will be resolved soon
Groups will be set up after class today. Thank you for the contributions to the wiki. How did that go?
more about assignments
Ethical theories and principles are the foundations of ethical analysis because they are the viewpoints which can provide guidance along the pathway to a decision. Each theory emphasizes different assumptions and methods for determining the ethicality of a given action. It is important for students to recognize that decisions in different contexts may require different ethical theories to arrive at ethically acceptable outcomes, and what constitutes ‘acceptable’ depends on a variety of factors such as cultural context. Applying methods for ethical analysis requires both an understanding of the underlying principles and assumptions guiding a given tool and an awareness of the social context for that decision. Traditional ethical frameworks as provided by western philosophy can be useful, but they are not all-inclusive. Effort must be taken to include decolonial, indigenous and historically marginalized ethical perspectives whenever possible. No theory will be universally applicable to all contexts, nor is any single ethical framework the ‘best’. Engagement across various ethical schools of thought is important for students to develop the critical thinking needed in judiciously applying methods for ethical analysis of a given situation.