CSCI 369
Ethical Issues in Computing
Fall Semester, 2015
Course Description
Is computerized surveillance good or bad? Was Edward Snowden a hero or
a villain? Will artificially intelligent computers eventually replace
human beings? Should scientists stop researching in fields such as
artificial intelligence or nanotechnology in order to safeguard future
lives? When software malfunctions, who is responsible? Do humans have a
right to privacy? How does Facebook change our relationships? Is
playing video games harmful to our children?
This course will examine how computers contribute to our lives in good
and bad ways. Students will become familiar with a variety of ethical
perspectives, will look at how these perspectives crop up in
twenty-first century life and dialog, and will apply these perspectives
to questions that arise in the design and use of computers.
This course is designed to address the professional and ethical
concerns of computer science majors. It is also designed to help
students integrate their orientation as scientists with their personal
belief system to promote better informed decisions as professionals and
to see their lives as an integrated whole.