Chapter 7-Minicase 1 (page 319)
Is Neural Computing Appropriate for Personnel Decisions?
- Is this another case where the needs of the society are in conflict with the rights of the individual? Why or why not?
Society likes to deal only with proper and upright people. Are persons just released from prison proper?
Government needs taxes to function yet individuals like to keep all their earnings. Tax fraud is not a crime in some countries!
Why or why not are these conflicts? Different or even opposed interests of society and individuals.
- Is using the program ethical? If you were an officer, would you object to such a program? Why?
The program is ethical. But a different view can be taken. Ethics in its over 2500 years of development has developed the: 1- utilitarian view [the greatest goods for the greatest number of people], 2- justice view [is it fair & impartial?], 3- moral-rights view [does it maintain the rights of all humans?], 4- individualism view [does it promote the long term self-interest?].
As a member of the interest group- officers- the defense of the group is closer to home than the broader social view.
- As a citizen, do you want your police department to use the program? Why or why not?
The social interest of all citizens is to have a perfect police force. But than we also know that humans are not perfect.
- How may a good officer at the police department feel about this issue?
The officers can form an interest group. The group view may prevail over the social view.
- Is it necessary to understand a technology in order to use it?
How many people really know how the internal combustion engine of the car works? Did you really cover the Carnot process in physics? But you have a driver’s license, don’t you? User does not need to know the technology to take advantage of what it can do.