ASSIGNMENT 2

Computer Ethics

OCTOBER 4TH,2022
STUDENT NAME
Student Id
Contents
Ethics and Its Theories...............................................................................................................2

References..................................................................................................................................4

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Ethics and Its Theories

A subfield of philosophy known as "ethics," which literally translates to "way of life,” is

concerned with the study of human behavior, particularly social behavior. In order to
determine what is ethically right or wrong, fair or unfair, ethics looks at the reasons behind
our moral decisions. When it comes to the relationship that exists between humans and the
world around us, ethical principles and theories typically place an emphasis on individual
independence. Any impartial evaluation of the facts and ethical decision-making necessitate
this independence. When a person chooses to withdraw as far from their surroundings as is
necessary, they demonstrate independence. [1]

It will become clear that choosing an ethical course of action is difficult given that this
procedure requires a level of clarity that enables us to evaluate something objectively.

There are different theories of ethics discussed in different scenarios and are based on
specified good decisions or not suitable to some extinct decisions. These are important and
some are workable in some cases but not all. They have advantages but there are some cases
where those theories cannot work or have some issues through which the case may go against
them. In Subjective Relativism, each person decides wrong or right for him or herself by their
own. But the issue in this theory is that the distinction between doing what you believe is
right and what you want to do becomes unclear. [2] Also, It does not morally differentiate
between the behaviors of distinct individuals. Contrarily, if we consider cultural relativism,
the problem is that a certain behavior might be considered fine in a society but considered
wrong in another society or at a different time, which makes it challenging to make decisions
or act ethically. Similarly, in divine command theory, Because different holy books disagree
on specific principles, there are differences in the quotations, making it challenging to draw
comparisons in today's multicultural society. In addition, ethical egoism is based on
exclusively focusing on an individual’s interests by him/herself. By its definition it seems that
it is unethical to point someone’s interests. [2]Moving ahead, Kantianism provides no
exceptions for flawless responsibilities. Act utilitarianism has the issue that it is uncertain
who to count in computations and how long into the foreseeable to take into account. The
issue of an unfair distribution of positive outcomes is disregarded by rule utilitarianism.
Individuals who are unable to uphold a contract may be treated unfairly in social contrast
theory. [2] Moreover, it is impossible to hold people accountable for their evil deeds because

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of virtue ethics. So mainly, considering these issues into account, The virtue ethics theory of
ethics, in my opinion, is the most practical since it emphasizes the formation of behaviors that
foster human greatness and enjoyment. [3]

It basically acknowledges how sensitivity to the individual and social aspects of life is
necessary for sensible behavior. The personal characteristics that are beneficial for people to
possess are virtues. They are crucial in the development of human character; the more upright
a person is, the more robust their character will be. The determination of whether a conduct is
virtue depends on the mannerisms that are acceptable and encouraged by every community
and religion. [4]

Divine command theory is the most supportive towards our values because after all, the basic
point is to follow the command of Allah SWT. Using God as just the foundation of all
concepts is one of the fundamental foundations of the divine command paradigm. [5]

In order to rely on the idea of the divine command in this way, one must believe that there is
a god who is rational and willful and has given the direction toward an ethical conclusion.
Because it bases activities' rightness or wrongness on God's commands, the divine command
theory provides a neutral evaluation of what is morally right or wrong. [5]

Nevertheless, there is uncertainty in the interpretation of some biblical passages. He (SWT)

has provided us the best religion Islam and we have follow him and his decided principles as
it is the basic duty of us being a Muslim. Despite of the weaknesses or contrasts, the most
supportive theory towards our values is Divine Command Theory. [5]

If we consider the foundation for the society’s moral order, the most suitable ethics theory
would be Social Contrast theory which will serve best. The social contract theory is another
descriptive theory of society that looks at the connection between norms and regulations and
the reasons why society needs them. A pessimistic but possibly accurate vision of humanity
in a world devoid of rules and authorities is the social contract concept. When a catastrophic
event throws a society into chaos, it can sometimes appear to be in a natural state [6]. A
society's members must all comply by a collection of moral and political norms in order for
them to coexist, claims the social contrast theory. Some people believe that if we adhere to
the social agreement, we must do it voluntarily rather than simply because a supernatural
entity has ordered us to. According to social contrast theory perspective, every member of
society is required to carry some obligations in exchange for some privileges. Hence, people's

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rights are intended to be protected by the legal system. If everything else is equal, we ought
to follow the law. This should only disobey the law if forced to do so by a higher moral duty.
[3]

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References

[1] "What is Ethics ?," Government of Canada , [Online]. Available:

https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/values-ethics/code/what-is-
ethics.html. [Accessed 05 October 2022].

[2] "Moral Traditions and Theories," Seven Pillars Institute, [Online]. Available:
https://sevenpillarsinstitute.org/ethics-101/moral-traditions/. [Accessed 05 October 2022].

[3] "Five Workable Ethical Theories," Medium, [Online]. Available:

https://medium.com/@mcccccc/five-workable-ethical-theories-a8bfa0a49f37. [Accessed
4 October 2022].

[4] "Ethical Theory," UTM , [Online]. Available:

https://www.utm.edu/staff/jfieser/class/160/1-ethical-theory.htm. [Accessed 5 October
2022].

[5] "Religion or Divine Command Theory," Open Text Bc, [Online]. Available:
https://opentextbc.ca/ethicsinlawenforcement/chapter/religion-or-divine-command-
theory/. [Accessed 4 October 2022].

[6] "Social Contrast Theory," Ethics Unwrapped, [Online]. Available:

https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/social-contract-theory. [Accessed 4 October
2022].