wk2: Vredenburgh's Argument

What is the story of ‘The Trial, by Franz Kafka’

The story is about someone who is arrested but still never gets told what crime they committed, going through the process of criminal proceedings, leading to their executions.

Why is ‘The Trial’ story seen as unfair?

• They operate without our knowledge or understanding

• They use data that they shouldn’t

What is the right to explanation?

The right to explanation is the right to have certain kinds of explanations of important decisions that affect our lives.

The right to explanation is something that only applies in cases where decisions have been made using algorithms. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

We have a right to explanation according to Vredenburgh, because ultimately we need to…

Be able to advocate for ourselves

For Vredenburgh I have a right when…

I have an interest that is morally weighty.

What are Normative and Causal explanations?

• Normative explanation: Explanations of the rules that are in play in a given context and what the reasons for those rules are

• Causal explanation of how to conform/follow the rules

If have a ‘claim right’ it means I have the liberty to do something, such as protest. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE

Algorithms can undermine our right to explanation because:…

• People often lack the technical expertise to understand the way in which algorithm has arrived at its output

• the working of algorithms are often kept confidential as a form of trade secret

• Often not even the people who engineer them know how they arrived

What are the two kinds of self advocacy?

Forward looking and backward looking

What is forward looking self advocacy?

The ability to act in a way that is informed by your understanding of whatever rules, regulation, and polices apply in a given context.

What is backward-looking self advocacy?

The ability to appeal/contest any decision/rulings that have been made concerning you in the past

What are rights?

A right is something that limits/constrains a persons or institutions ability to do something to you.

What are some examples of many different accounts of rights?

civil rights, legal rights, and human rights

What are liberties?

When you have a right that is a liberty, it means you’re free to do certain things

What are claim rights?

When you have a claim right, you have a right that someone must do something.

What requires for an interest to be protected by a right?

It has to be ‘morally weighty‘

What are two features of social hierarchies Vredenburgh highlights that explain why we have a right to explanation?

Unequal Distribution of Authority

Unequal Distribution of knowledge

What is Unequal Distribution of Authority?

People in positions of authority can place obligations on other and back those obligations with sanctions

What is Unequal Distribution of Knowledge?

Hierarchies coordinate divided labor to produce goods or offer services at scale, but a by-product of this coordination is that knowledge of institutional rules and relevant facts is distributed throughout the hierarchy

Why are relations of authority asymmetric?

Relations of authority are asymmetric because those in authority could control the conduct of people who have less authority and people with knowledge also have that potential advantage over those who don't

What is Vredenburgh’s argument?

1. We all have to participate in social hierarchies

2. We have a morally weighty interest in protecting ourselves from the potential bad effects of social hierarchies.

3. To protect ourselves, we need to be able to advocate ourselves.

4. To advocate for ourselves effectively, we require certain kinds of explanations.

5. Therefore, we have a right to explanation.