Lecture 2: Evolution of Professions

ethics and professionalism

As future computer scientists and IT professionals, you won't just write programs or configure systems—you will make decisions that can impact individuals, organizations, and society.

That's why ____ and ____ are crucial in the computing field.

trustworthy experts

Professions exist because society needs

Early Professions

Guild System

Modern Professions

Evolution of Professions

Early Professions

Priests, healers, scribes → entrusted with special knowledge.

Guild System

Craftsmen and healers regulated themselves through rules.

Modern Professions

Medicine, law, engineering—and now computing is becoming one.

Specialized knowledge

Formal education and training

Licensing/certification (in some cases)

Service to society

Ethical codes of conduct

Characteristics of Professions

ethical

Being a competent professional is not enough—you must also be ____.

Education

• Universities teach technical skills (programming, networking, AI).

• But also integrate ethics courses (like this one) to prepare students for real-world dilemmas.

• Case studies: plagiarism in coding, misuse of personal data, security negligence.

Licensing and Certification

• In some countries, IT is not strictly licensed like medicine or law.

• But certifications and memberships serve as gatekeepers of ethics:

• IEEE and ACM Codes of Ethics

• Philippine Computer Society

• Vendor certifications (e.g., Cisco, AWS, Microsoft) often include ethical guidelines.

Deontological (Duty-based)

Utilitarian (Outcome-based)

Virtue Ethics (Character-based)

Approaches to Ethical Decision-Making

Deontological (Duty-based)

Follow rules regardless of outcome.

Ex: Refuse to install spyware even if ordered by a manager.

Utilitarian (Outcome-based)

Choose the action that benefits the majority.

Ex: Temporarily shut down servers to stop a cyberattack

Virtue Ethics (Character-based)

Act according to integrity and moral character.

Ex: Refuse to plagiarize code despite pressure to meet deadlines.

Data privacy

Intellectual property

Algorithmic bias

Cybersecurity

Common Computing Dilemmas

Data privacy

e.g., social media apps selling user data

Intellectual property

piracy, software plagiarism

Algorithmic bias

AI making unfair decisions

Cybersecurity

responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities

To Individuals (Users)

To Organizations (Employers/Clients)

To Society

Ethical Responsibilities of IT Professionals

To Individuals (Users)

Protect privacy, ensure security, avoid harm.

To Organizations (Employers/Clients)

Deliver honest, high-quality work; avoid conflicts of interest.

To Society

Ensure technologies promote fairness, inclusion, and safety.