Unit 6: Professionalism Flashcards
Meaning of integrity
People of integrity are expected to be
resilient to pressures and temptations, and true to themselves in the face of adversity.
5 Theories of what integrity consists of
- Integrated self view
- Identity view
- Clean hands view
- Objective view
- Reasonable range view
What integrity consists of
Integrated self view
Integrity (being self-integrated) is viewed as “wholeness” or consistency.
People of integrity know what they stand for and remain true to their principles and values in the face of pressure from others or changing fashion in ethics.
What integrity consists of
Identity view
Like the integrated self view, people are consistent and stay true to their principles.
But the identity view adds that your principles and values form part of your identity.
They define who you are, and if you betray them, you lose a part of yourself, eventually becoming a different person.
What integrity consists of
Clean hands view
A person has integrity when there are some things she will not do regardless of the consequences of refusal.
What integrity consists of
Objective view
It is not enough to merely be consistent with one’s own principles because those principles could be awful.
To have integrity, one must act and speak consistently with the objectively correct ethical principles.
What integrity consists of
Reasonable range view
Like the objective view, there are some moral constraints on the principles a person of integrity can hold, but here there is room for disagreement.
It can make sense to say of a political opponent that, despite being mistaken, they’re nonetheless a person of integrity.
3 Necessary condiditons for the possibility of trust
- We (the trustors) are vulnerable to those we trust (the trustees).
- The trustor is willing and able to think well of people.
- The trustor is optimistic about the competence of the trustee.
Codes of ethics
A set of principles which lay out some of the key ethical behaviours expected of a particular profession.
5 Purposes of codes of ethics
- They provide some guidance for how to act ethically.
- Allow the public and others to hold professionals accountable and thereby build trust.
- Help to unify a profession by providing a sort of shared commitement.
- Ensure that each professional will act about the same way in similar contexts.
- Give some ammunition for professionals who are pressed to do something unethical.
Characteristic features of a profession
- Deep & thorough knowledge that the professionals must have.
- A long period of study, and an expectation of “continuing professional development” (CPD) throughout their careers.
- Credentials to prove that they are qualified. They may have chartered status.
- They regulate themselves via professional bodies.
- Professionals serve the public interest.
Codes of professional ethics generally deal with 2 matters
- Behaviour of professionals
- The impact of their products or services on clients and the wider public
Codes of professional ethics in AI should deal with 2+1 matters
- Behaviour of professionals
- The impact of their products or services on clients and the wider public
An additional layer of complexity:
- The behaviour of machines
Issues in relation to an AI professional code of conduct
- Workers outside professional bodies
- Independent and perhaps isolated work is possible
- Concentration of both finances and resource-share into a few hands
- mixed motivations and attitudes may enter into play
- wide remit of developments and applications
What features of professional practice lead to the necessity for codes of professional ethics?
Members of a profession possess certain skills, knowledge and capacities that their clients and the general public typically lack.
This creates a gradient of power and relative vulnerability between the professional and others.
Codes of ethics mitigate the potentially deleterious effects, or the misuse, of such professional power.
