Syllabus for Roster(s):
- 15F STS 2500-010 (ENGR)
Course Description (for SIS)
In the last several decades, many domains of human activity have been reconfigured around computers and information technology (IT) and new domains have been created. This has affected social values and norms, social organization, and the character of human relationships. This, in turn, has given rise to a myriad of ethical issues. This course seeks to examine the ethical issues with an eye to new policies. The challenge is to understand precisely how computers and information technology affect social relationships, institutional arrangements, human behavior, and in particular social values and norms. However, it is not enough just to examine what is happening (descriptive and empirical analysis); normative analysis is also essential. Normative analysis involves identifying key ethical issues, evaluating alternative strategies or approaches, and recommending personal or public policies.