RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE AND

TECHNOLOGY

Ethical Theories

Objectives:
● To determine what is ethics.
● To identify what is Ethical Theory?
● Analyzed the Three Broad Types of Ethical Theory.
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE AND

TECHNOLOGY

Group: Clever Cats

Blangquisco, Reymar Nabartey, Cherrybelle

Sumayop, Edzel Sangcada, Jherson Esturas, Timothy

What is Ethics?

⮚ Ethics are defined as moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or conduct of a certain
activity. Our ethics influence the way we interact with others and the world around us.

What is Ethics in Information Technology?

 Information technology in ethics is the study of the ethical
issues arising out of the use and development of electronic
technologies. Its goal is to identify and formulate answers to
questions about the moral basis of individual responsibilities
and actions, as well as the moral underpinnings of public
policy.
What is Ethical Theory?
 Ethical theories in information technology are frameworks
for making moral decisions about the use of technology.
They can be used to guide individuals, organizations, and
governments in their use of information technology, and to
help them avoid ethical problems.
Here are some of the ethical issues in information technology that can
be addressed by ethical theories:
o Privacy: How can we protect the privacy of individuals in the digital age?
o Accuracy: How can we ensure that the information we use is accurate?
o Property: Who owns the information that is created and stored on computers?
o Accessibility: How can we ensure that everyone has equal access to information and technology?
o Security: How can we protect information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure
o Artificial intelligence: How can we ensure that artificial intelligence is used in a safe and ethical way?

Ethical theories can help us to think critically about these issues and to make informed decisions about how to use
technology in a morally responsible way.
Three Broad Types of Ethical Theory:
I. Consequentialist Theories (Utilitarian, Egoistic)
II. Non-consequentialist Theories (Duty Based Approach,
The rights Approach, Justice Approach, Command
Approach)
III. Agent centered Theories (Virtue Approach, Feminist
Approach, Applied Ethics)
Consequentialist Theories
 The term "consequentialist" in information technology refers to a
theory of ethics that judges the morality of an action based on its
consequences. In other words, an action is considered right if it produces
good consequences and wrong if it produces bad consequences.

Utilitarian
o Utilitarianism, which says that the right thing to do in any situation is
whatever will “do the best” (that is, produce the best outcomes) taking
into consideration the interests of all concerned parties.
Consequentialist Theories
2 main types of utilitarianism:
o Act utilitarianism- judges the morality of an action based on its
consequences in a particular situation.
o Rule utilitarianism- is a form of consequentialism that judges the
morality of an action based on the consequences of following a
general rule.
Consequentialist Theories
Egoism
o Egoism is an ethical theory that focuses on self-interest as the
primary motivation for human actions and decisions. Egoistic
theories assert that individuals should prioritize their own well-
being, happiness, and self-advancement over the interests of
others.
3 main types of egoism:
1. Ethical Egoism 2. Psychological Egoism 3. Rational Egoism
1. Ethical Egoism- Ethical egoism argues that individuals ought to act in
their own self-interest as a matter of moral duty.

2. Psychological Egoism:
⮚ Psychological egoism is a descriptive claim that asserts that all human
actions are fundamentally motivated by self-interest, whether consciously
or unconsciously.

3. Rational Egoism
⮚ an action is rational if and only if it maximizes one’s self-interest.
Non-consequentialist Theories

⮚ Non-consequentialist theories in ethical theory are those that judge the

rightness or wrongness of an action based on factors other than or in
addition to the consequences of that action.
Non-consequentialist Theories
1. Duty-based or Deontological ethics Deontological (duty-based) ethics
are concerned with what people do, not with the consequences of their
actions. Do the right thing. Do it because it's the right thing to do. Don't
do wrong things. Avoid them because they are wrong.

Duty ethics simply means that these ethics place a duty on others. For
example, if we take right to live, in this right we have a right to live but then
we are placing a duty on others that they should not kill us. This duty
placed on others is known as duty ethics.
Non-consenquentialist Theories

2. The rights Approach- this approach stipulates that the best ethical
action is that which protects the ethical rights of those who are affected
by the action. It emphasizes the belief that all humans have a right to
dignity.

People have dignity based on their ability to choose freely what they will
do with their lives, and they have a fundamental moral right to have these
choices respected.
Non-consenquentialist Theories
Justice Approach
"equals should be treated equally and unequal unequally." The basic moral question
in this approach is: How fair is an action? Does it treat everyone in the same way, or
does it show favoritism and discrimination?" - Aristotle

In relation to us computer students, technology really helps us in our daily lives but
technology can also cause harm like bullying and threat. It can be used in crimes, so
as a computer students are we going to used our knowledge to have justice or are we
going to practice favoritism and discrimination.
Non-consequentialist Theories
Command Approach
Divine command theory is the theory that what makes something morally right is that God
commands it, and what makes something morally wrong is that God forbids it.

When God commands not to worship false idols, then that means worshipping idols is not right,
when God said love your neighbors as you love yourself that is the right thing to do.

In our present day relating to technology, God said in matthew 5:22 of the bible, "But I tell you
that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who
says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’
will be in danger of the fire of hell." and we can commit these actiions using technology
 Agent centered Theories
 Agent-centered theories in information technology are a type of ethical theory that
focuses on the rights and responsibilities of individuals and organizations when using
technology. These theories argue that the morality of an action is determined by its impact
on the agents involved, rather than by its consequences.
Virtue Approach
 This character-based approach to morality assumes that we
acquire virtue through practice. By practicing being honest,
brave, just, generous, and so on, a person develops an
honorable and moral character. According to Aristotle, by
honing virtuous habits, people will likely make the right choice
when faced with ethical challenges.
Agent centered Theories

In data technology, this can mean prioritizing actions that align with virtues such
as honesty, fairness, and respect for others. For example, a company may decide to
be transparent about collecting and using personal data to build trust with its
customers and demonstrate a commitment to fairness.

 Being honest about the collection and use of personal data.

 Protecting the privacy of individuals.
 Being responsible stewards of sensitive information.
Agent centered Theories

Feminist Approach

 Feminist theory aims to highlight the social problems and issues that are
experienced by women. Some of the key areas of focus include
discrimination on the basis of sex and gender, objectification, economic
inequality, power, gender role, and stereotypes.

 It emphasize the importance of the experiences of women and other

marginalized groups to ethical deliberation.

Feminist theories of technology expose the sexism and androcentrism that

pervade technological production and consumption, and challenge
ethnocentric, Westernised, and universalising perspectives of technologies.
 Applied Ethics

⮚ Applied ethics is a branch of ethics; it can also be called practical ethics and looks at
real-world ethical problems in the hopes of resolving them using philosophical methods.
Such problems arise not only in academic settings but in many areas of public or private
life. Practical ethics attempts to answer the question of how people should act in
specific situations.
Type of Applied ethics

Cyberethics

-Cyberethics, also referred to as internet ethics, is a branch of applied ethics that studies
ethical questions and moral dilemmas brought on by the emergence of digital technologies and
global virtual environments. With the advent of the internet, conflicts over privacy, property,
security, accuracy, accessibility, censorship, filtering, and others have arose.

-For example, companies that collect personal data must ensure that they are not violating
people’s privacy rights. Similarly, companies must ensure that their systems are secure and that
they are not vulnerable to cyber attacks
References:
A framework for making ethical decisions | Science and Technology Studies. (n.d.).
https://www.brown.edu/academics/science-and-technology-studies/framework-making-ethical-
decisions#:~:text=Ethics%20provides%20a%20set%20of,we%20should%20make%20these%20choices

Ethical Theory: Overview. (2022, August 8). The Concise Encyclopedia of Business Ethics.
https://conciseencyclopedia.org/entries/ethical-theory/

Drew, V. S. a. P. R. B. C. (2023, August 3). Ethical Egoism: Examples & Definition (2023). Helpful
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%20moral%20theory%20that%20states,of%20the%20effects%20this%20may%20have%20on
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https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/ama-computer-university/social-and-professional-issues/social-
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https://simplysociology.com/feminist-theory-sociology.html