Ethical Theories

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses three ethical theories as they apply to technology, utilizing Vincent Ruggiero's application of reasoning in ethics. The technological area that the paper focuses on is the use of educational materials that are freely accessible online. The paper describes a case where a teacher uses an article that was freely available online for classroom purposes and explains that an ethical issues arises when the teacher distributes the article to the class. The paper then analyzes whether the teacher's actions are ethical or unethical using Vincent Ruggiero's criteria as well as several other different ethical theories, including Utilitarian theory, Kantian ethics, and Aristotle's moral theory. The paper concludes that the teacher's actions can be described as either ethical or unethical, depending on which particular theory is applied but that Ruggiero's criteria in evaluating these types of situations assists us in looking at the entire picture. Only by examining all of the potential effects and consequences of our actions are we able to make the correct moral decisions.

Outline:
Introduction
Analysis
Theories Applying to the Issue
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Several different ethical theories can be applied to the issue of using copyrighted materials found on the Internet for educational use. Three ethical theories to examine under the case are Utilitarian theory, Kantian ethics, and Aristotle's moral theory. According to Utilitarian theories, an action is right if it promotes the best consequences. Under these theories, the best consequences are those in which happiness is maximized. According to Utilitarian theories, the teacher's use is acceptable because the best consequence to be promoted through the use of the material sis the furtherance of education."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bottorff, D. (2004). Culture Management Essentials. Retrieved August 14, 2007, from http://www.ethicsquality.com/about.htm.
• Newsome, C. (1997). A Teachers Guide to Fair Use and Copyright. Retrieved August 13, 2007, from http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm#Washington%20State%20University.
• Ruggiero, V. (1997). Thinking Critically about Ethical Issues. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing.

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