ECS 188 – Fall 2011 – Phil Rogaway

Links to the readings can be found in our on-line reader.
Q1, Q2, Q3, ... are quizzes; #A, #B, #C, ... are written assignments.

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ECS 188 – Ethics in an Age of Technology – Fall 2011 – Phil Rogaway

Class How we spent the class: For today you need to: Comments:

#01 R 9/22 Overview. Watched Dekalog 1, by K. Kieslowski. Surprise! Nothing due on our first day of class. See Tuesday’s slot for assignments due Tuesday, etc.

#02 T 9/27 Q1. Discussed Dekalog and started the discussion of Barbour. Read the course information sheet. Read Views of Technology by I. Barbour.
#A: Write a 1-2 page analysis answering Why did Kieslowski kill Pavel? More by Kieslowski: Blue, Red, The Double Life of Veronique

#03 R 9/29 Q2. Continued our discussion of Barbour and then discussed Heilbroner. Read Do Machines Make History by R. Heilbroner. Not required: Marx and the Machine by D. MacKenzie.
NB: Smith, Ch.1 of Smith/Marx book.

#04 T 10/4 Q3. Discussed writing. Discussed Winner and Joerges articles. Read Do Artifacts Have Politics? by L. Winner. Wait a day or two and read Do Politics Have Artefacts? by B. Joerges. UC-Blackwelder Tomato Harvester

#05 R 10/6 Q4. Discussed the Layard reading. Read the transcript of the first two lectures (two pdf files) by R. Layard Layard’s well-known book.

#06 T 10/11 Q5. Discussed first two sections in Johnson: ethical relativism and utilitarianism. Read Philosophical Ethics by D. Johnson You might enjoy Scientist Finds the Beginnings of Morality in Primate Behavior by N. Wade (NY Times, 2007).

#07 R 10/13 Discussed rest of Johnson. Some discussion of Cohen. Sect 2: some ethical “puzzles”. Read Oldest Living Tree Tells All by M. Cohen.
#B: Write a brief analysis on the reading, asking yourself if/how it relates to conventional moral philosophy as summarized in your prior reading by Johnson Kant and animal torture: short or long

#08 T 10/18 Q6. Discussed the Cohen article and then the first half of the Jonas reading. #C: Milestone #1 due. Read The Altered Nature of Human Action by H. Jonas.
#D: Collect quotes from the Jonas reading. Helpful vocabulary for the Jonas reading.

#09 R 10/20 Q7. Finished Jonas discussion. Discussed Joy reading. Read Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us by B. Joy. R. Kurzweil response

#10 T 10/25 Watched An Inconvenient Truth (by Al Gore) Read This was a Crime by Mark Hersgaard. Perhaps next year: The Age of Stupid instead

#11 R 10/27 Q8. Saw J. Hansen interview. Discussed the essay question. Read Environmental Ethics by A. Brennan and Y. Lo.
#E: Write a short essay (click for topic). A really dystopian end: the Runaway Greenhouse Effect

#12 T 11/1 Q9. Discussed the McLuhan interview. Saw some short video(s). Read an interview of M. McLuhan
#F: Prepare questions on the reading Vocabulary for today’s reading

#13 R 11/3 Discussed the Friedman reading. Saw the first part of Why We Fight by E. Jarecki Read The Lexus and the Olive Tree by T. Friedman Video: Why We Fight (watched until 59:00)

#14 T 11/8 Q10. Saw the rest of Why We Fight. Discussed film and readings. Read The Lexus and the Olive Tree Revisited by H. Chang.
Read President Eisenhower’s Farewell Address. YouTube: Eisenhower Farewell Address (Full)

#15 R 11/10 Q11. Discussed the Schmidt reading. Read Disciplined Minds by J. Schmidt .

#16 T 11/15 Discussed the Mehta reading. Watched The Corporation, Chapts 1-10. #G: Milestone #2 due.
Read Bhopal Lives by S. Mehta. Bhopal update: 2004 and 2010

#17 R 11/17 Q12. I presented a talk about giving talks. Discussed The Corporation, and then the codes of ethics. Watched the rest of The Corporation (start: Ch. 11)
Read the ACM Code of Ethics.
Read the IEEE Code of Ethics.
Read Some Pledges for Scientists and Engineers. You might want to read The Fifty-Nine-Story Crisis (which I often assign) to see that not everyone behaves badly...

#18 T 11/22 We discussed the pepper-spray attack and the study questions related to it #H: Pepper-spray assignment.
#I: Each person (not each group) should email to the authors careful comments on the Milestone 2 you received, copying me.
Question H.12: why can this emerge from Physics, while the Comp Sci could not agree to use the word apologize, let alone assert that the chancellor is responsible?

#xx R 11/24 No class — it’s Thanksgiving No class No class

#19 T 11/29 Presentation Day #1 (four groups) Section 1 read: p101, p102, p103, p104
Section 2 read: p201, p202, p203, p204 .

#20 R 12/1 Presentation Day #2 (four groups) Section 1 read: p105, p106, p107, p108
Section 2 read: p205, p206, p207, p208
#J: complete the paper evaluation (print twice) (omit your own, if you’re presenting). .

#xx T 12/6 Final for Sect 1 (8-10 am)
Presentation Day #3 Read p109, p110, p111
#K: complete the paper evaluation (print twice) (omit your own, if you’re presenting). Bronowski video.

#xx W 12/7 Final for Sect 2 (6-8 pm)
Presentation Day #3 Read p209, p210, p211
#K: complete the paper evaluation (print twice) (omit your own, if you’re presenting). Bronowski video.

ECS 188 – Ethics in an Age of Technology – Fall 2011 – Phil Rogaway
Class	How we spent the class:	For today you need to:	Comments:
#01 R 9/22	Overview. Watched Dekalog 1, by K. Kieslowski.	Surprise! Nothing due on our first day of class.	See Tuesday’s slot for assignments due Tuesday, etc.
#02 T 9/27	Q1. Discussed Dekalog and started the discussion of Barbour.	Read the course information sheet. Read Views of Technology by I. Barbour. #A: Write a 1-2 page analysis answering Why did Kieslowski kill Pavel?	More by Kieslowski: Blue, Red, The Double Life of Veronique
#03 R 9/29	Q2. Continued our discussion of Barbour and then discussed Heilbroner.	Read Do Machines Make History by R. Heilbroner.	Not required: Marx and the Machine by D. MacKenzie. NB: Smith, Ch.1 of Smith/Marx book.
#04 T 10/4	Q3. Discussed writing. Discussed Winner and Joerges articles.	Read Do Artifacts Have Politics? by L. Winner. Wait a day or two and read Do Politics Have Artefacts? by B. Joerges.	UC-Blackwelder Tomato Harvester
#05 R 10/6	Q4. Discussed the Layard reading.	Read the transcript of the first two lectures (two pdf files) by R. Layard	Layard’s well-known book.
#06 T 10/11	Q5. Discussed first two sections in Johnson: ethical relativism and utilitarianism.	Read Philosophical Ethics by D. Johnson	You might enjoy Scientist Finds the Beginnings of Morality in Primate Behavior by N. Wade (NY Times, 2007).
#07 R 10/13	Discussed rest of Johnson. Some discussion of Cohen. Sect 2: some ethical “puzzles”.	Read Oldest Living Tree Tells All by M. Cohen. #B: Write a brief analysis on the reading, asking yourself if/how it relates to conventional moral philosophy as summarized in your prior reading by Johnson	Kant and animal torture: short or long
#08 T 10/18	Q6. Discussed the Cohen article and then the first half of the Jonas reading.	#C: Milestone #1 due. Read The Altered Nature of Human Action by H. Jonas. #D: Collect quotes from the Jonas reading.	Helpful vocabulary for the Jonas reading.
#09 R 10/20	Q7. Finished Jonas discussion. Discussed Joy reading.	Read Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us by B. Joy.	R. Kurzweil response
#10 T 10/25	Watched An Inconvenient Truth (by Al Gore)	Read This was a Crime by Mark Hersgaard.	Perhaps next year: The Age of Stupid instead
#11 R 10/27	Q8. Saw J. Hansen interview. Discussed the essay question.	Read Environmental Ethics by A. Brennan and Y. Lo. #E: Write a short essay (click for topic).	A really dystopian end: the Runaway Greenhouse Effect
#12 T 11/1	Q9. Discussed the McLuhan interview. Saw some short video(s).	Read an interview of M. McLuhan #F: Prepare questions on the reading	Vocabulary for today’s reading
#13 R 11/3	Discussed the Friedman reading. Saw the first part of Why We Fight by E. Jarecki	Read The Lexus and the Olive Tree by T. Friedman	Video: Why We Fight (watched until 59:00)
#14 T 11/8	Q10. Saw the rest of Why We Fight. Discussed film and readings.	Read The Lexus and the Olive Tree Revisited by H. Chang. Read President Eisenhower’s Farewell Address.	YouTube: Eisenhower Farewell Address (Full)
#15 R 11/10	Q11. Discussed the Schmidt reading.	Read Disciplined Minds by J. Schmidt	.
#16 T 11/15	Discussed the Mehta reading. Watched The Corporation, Chapts 1-10.	#G: Milestone #2 due. Read Bhopal Lives by S. Mehta.	Bhopal update: 2004 and 2010
#17 R 11/17	Q12. I presented a talk about giving talks. Discussed The Corporation, and then the codes of ethics.	Watched the rest of The Corporation (start: Ch. 11) Read the ACM Code of Ethics. Read the IEEE Code of Ethics. Read Some Pledges for Scientists and Engineers.	You might want to read The Fifty-Nine-Story Crisis (which I often assign) to see that not everyone behaves badly...
#18 T 11/22	We discussed the pepper-spray attack and the study questions related to it	#H: Pepper-spray assignment. #I: Each person (not each group) should email to the authors careful comments on the Milestone 2 you received, copying me.	Question H.12: why can this emerge from Physics, while the Comp Sci could not agree to use the word apologize, let alone assert that the chancellor is responsible?
#xx R 11/24	No class — it’s Thanksgiving	No class	No class
#19 T 11/29	Presentation Day #1 (four groups)	Section 1 read: p101, p102, p103, p104 Section 2 read: p201, p202, p203, p204	.
#20 R 12/1	Presentation Day #2 (four groups)	Section 1 read: p105, p106, p107, p108 Section 2 read: p205, p206, p207, p208 #J: complete the paper evaluation (print twice) (omit your own, if you’re presenting).	.
#xx T 12/6	Final for Sect 1 (8-10 am) Presentation Day #3	Read p109, p110, p111 #K: complete the paper evaluation (print twice) (omit your own, if you’re presenting).	Bronowski video.
#xx W 12/7	Final for Sect 2 (6-8 pm) Presentation Day #3	Read p209, p210, p211 #K: complete the paper evaluation (print twice) (omit your own, if you’re presenting).	Bronowski video.