Discussion paper | Quick Homework Help
Can you help me understand this Sociology question?
Requirements: The discussion paper must be at least two pages in length (double-spaced, 12-inch Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins).
I also want to emphasize that this is NOT a research paper. You should not use outside sources or attempt to do research to write this paper. Simply refer to the case below, the ACM code of ethics (link included)
Consider the following scenario:
You have been working for the for XYZ Corporation as a entry-level software engineer since you graduated from college last May. You have done very well so far; you are respected by the management team, and well liked by your fellow engineers. You were just assigned to a team of engineers that has consistently worked on the most critical and valued projects and contracts for XYZ Corp. XYZ Corps most recent contract involves a missile system for U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and again you are assigned to the team that will develop the software for this project. However, you are strongly opposed to being a part of this project, because you have serious moral objections to the way the U.S. military has been killing civilians, through strikes in conflict zones, using this type of weapons system. Given recent statements from the DOD, you have no reason to believe the military will change the practices that cause these civilian deaths.
Your supervisor and coworkers, as well as upper management, are disappointed to learn of your strong feelings about the project. You are asked to reconsider your views, and are promised a bonus and substantial pay increase if you agree to work on this project during the next year. You also discover from a colleague that refusing to work on this project will greatly diminish your career advancement at XYZ Corp. and may make you vulnerable in the event of future layoffs. To compound matters, you and your spouse are expecting your first child in about 6 months, and you recently purchased a home.
What should you do in this case?
We have discussed professional codes of ethics, including the various functions these codes are intended to play. Codes of ethics provide members of a certain profession with guidelines for appropriate conduct and behavior within that profession. Perhaps a code of ethics for IT professionals can offer guidance about the ethically correct thing to do in this case above.
Provide a response to the following questions:
1) Review the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct: https://www.acm.org/code-of-ethics
Are there any elements of the Code that offer guidance as to whether you, as a software engineer, should or should not agree to work on the project? Explain.
2) Are there other parts of the Code that suggest the opposite answer? If so, how do you resolve this apparent conflict between different parts of the Code and what they tell you to do? Does the conflict render the Code useless (for purposes of making this decision), or is the Code still useful despite the conflicting guidance?
3) Utilitarianism and Deontology are more abstract ethical theories, while the Code offers more specific ethical guidelines that are supposed to be tailored to IT professionals in particular. However, does Utilitarianism or Deontology give you guidance about what to do in this case? Which of these theories better guides your decision? Do you find these more abstract ethical theories more or less helpful than ACM Code when making this decision? Why?
