Essay Sample on Computer Business Ethics

Introduction

Advancement of technology implies that computers will continue having a massive impact on society. It is crucial to respect and abide by the ethical standards that are set by the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM). Ethics presents a set of principles that control the behaviors of individuals or groups. Computer ethics, therefore, presents morals principles that tend to regulate the use of computers. The ACM code of ethics introduces the expected standards of professionalism, confidentiality, and integrity to be used by businesses when it comes to computer operations. The issues that surround computer ethics have their basis on scenarios that arise from internet use and include internet privacy, copyright contents, sharing of personal information and user interactions. Sharing of personal information of clients and people by businesses without the consent of individuals has been a current issue, and companies are facing litigations for the practice. It is imperative to understand the ethical viewpoint of ACM in today's world which is rocked by massive systems and social networks which are also used by businesses. The paper focuses on different theoretical approaches to ethics in the line of business and computers.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Aristotle clearly emphasizes the role played by habit in conduct. For Aristotle, the good life is indicated to be a life of mindless routine while virtues become habits. Aristotle denotes habits with the word helix is to represent moral virtue. However, there is no passive habituation, and rather moral virtue is indicated to be an active condition (Rowe & Sarah 18). Individuals or something has to hold themselves in the same state to have moral virtue. Goodness will manifest itself through actions. Aristotle indicates that an action will be considered virtuous when an individual holds themselves in a stable equilibrium of their soul to be able to choose an action knowingly for their sake. The soul state of balance is indicated to be the character. Aristotle suggests that an individual whose appetites appears in correct order takes pleasure by acting moderately. Every action is depicted to always aim at some good, and the good is indicated to be the aim of all things. Aristotle notes that the primary purpose of ethics is to be good and it is not inclusive of the knowledge of good. He illustrates that the right action to take is dependent on information of various situation and is not always generated by an application of laws (Kenny 33). The mean is indicated to be a state of apprehension and clarification in pains and pleasures that helps one to choose between what is right and wrong. Businesses, therefore, must be able to select and achieve a good character by aiming at achieving good in their actions. The sharing of personal information is not a good action taken, and a reflection of the result of the action should be able to provide the guidance as to why the company is being sued. Aristotle, therefore, illustrates that moral virtue is the practical road towards the achievement of effective action.

Social contract theory illustrates that in a society, people have to live together according to an agreement that will establish the political and moral laws of behavior. Social contract theory, therefore, seems to suggest that morality becomes the set rules that govern the practices accepted by rational people with conditions that others must abide by them (Donaldson, Thomas, & Dunfee 265). Social contract theory, therefore, introduces rules that are to be followed to ensure morality and ethics is achieved in every action taken. An example proposed by the social contract theory is the constitution which is a social contract. ACM, therefore, presents a social contract which has to be followed by computer users and breaking the code means breaking a code of ethics. The violation of privacy in sharing personal information does not support the guidelines and rules of ACM in ethics thus the reason why the company is getting sued. For businesses to become a harmonious society, they must abide by the framework introduced implicitly or explicitly by the governing bodies.

According to Bowie (2017), Kantian ethics indicates that intrinsically, a good will is the only good thing. The action is therefore suggested to be good if the maxim is duty to the law of morals. Kant introduces categorical imperative which is subject to everyone regardless of their desires and interests. The categorical imperative introduces the universalizability principle that indicates for an action to become permissible, it has to apply to everyone, and there should be no contradictions. Humans can, therefore, be treated as ends themselves, and not a means to an end. Kant illustrates that as long as the intentions of action follow the moral law, the consequences become irrelevant. The main point is the good will of the action. Human is therefore indicated to choose moral codes, and they cannot be forced on them. Sharing of personal information by the business does not seem to abide by the set ACM guidelines. The company, therefore, is ethically wrong in selling people information as their actions will result to harm.

Utilitarianism presents a better approach as the core idea of the theory is the morality of actions depends on the effects they cause. The effects relevant to the theory can be bad or good results. The purpose of morality according to utilitarianism is to make life better. The focus is on increasing good things which include happiness and pleasure and decreasing the wrong things (unhappiness and pain) in the world (Mill, 35). Utilitarianism is focused on positive contribution to human life. Mill illustrates that if a society chooses to embrace utilitarianism as an ethics guide, the society members will internalize the standards to be morally binding. Since the ACM introduces the ethical that should be followed, all the businesses that deal with computer machinery take the standards to be morally binding. Selling of personal information, therefore, becomes unethical as it does not result in the happiness of the people involved.

The Marxist ethics shares the view of morality that has been derived from the Marxist philosophy. Marx has the belief that morality has a class character and can be manifested differently in people's behavior in different ways through historical conditions. The behaviors have to be dependent on the interests of the class or the social strata (Truitt p.35). Marxist ethics, therefore, introduces morality to be a human property that is conditioned by his historical and social existence (Kamenka 41). In the technology age, Marx theory of ethics would encourage the protection of privacy on people when it comes to the use of computers. It is unethical to sell the private information of people to other businesses, and it calls for more efforts to ensure businesses will abide by the ACM code of ethics.

Conclusion

Today's societies have been brought together by technology, and they live in one single global village. The use of computers by businesses has increased, and customers may leave personal information as they transact with the companies. ACM ethical standards prohibit the sale of people information by businesses and calls for protection of the people. Business has to be aligned in respecting and adhering to the code of ethics introduced by ACM.

Work Cited

Bowie, Norman E. Business ethics: A Kantian perspective. Cambridge University Press, 2017.

Donaldson, Thomas, and Thomas W. Dunfee. "Toward a unified conception of business ethics: Integrative social contracts theory." Academy of management review 19.2 (1994): 252-284.

Kamenka, Eugene. The Ethical Foundations of Marxism (RLE Marxism). Routledge, 2015.

Kenny, Anthony. The Aristotelian Ethics: A study of the relationship between the Eudemian and Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle. Oxford University Press, 2016.

Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty, Utilitarianism, and other essays. Oxford University Press, USA, 2015.

Rowe, Christopher J., and Sarah Broadie, eds. Nicomachean ethics. Oxford University Press, USA, 2002.

Truitt, Willis H. Marxist ethics: a short exposition. Capital Books, 2005.