Franz Altner: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2023 |
| Name | Dr. Franz Altner |
| Department | Humanities, Social and Political Sciences |
| Relationship | Lecturer |
| Number | Title | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0045-00L | Data Science and Ethics  | 3 credits | 2S | F. Altner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | In this course, students will be introduced to the ethical aspects (From the Perspective of consequentialism (utilitarianism), non-consequentialism (Kantianism), contractualism and virtue ethics) of cryptography (the relationship between security and privacy), data markets ("Surveillance Capitalism"), and decisions based on algorithms. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | After successful completion of the course, students will be able to identify different ethical positions (From the perspective of consequentialism (utilitarianism), non-consequentialism (Kantianism), contractualism and virtue ethics) and areas of ethical tension in the context of algorithmic decision systems and data markets, and to reflect on their own role. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Technological optimists see the advancing digitalization and the corresponding availability of enormous amounts of data as an opportunity to achieve the promise of transparency, objectivity and efficiency in the public domain and the private sector with the help of algorithmic decision-making systems. To achieve the promise of transparency, objectivity and efficiency in administration and the private sector, algorithms are intended to function as ideology-free, fair instruments of order and control in a digital society. However, the decision-making processes behind them are always embedded in a sociocultural system - whose presuppositions and stereotypes factor into the construction of algorithms. The course examines the ethical, ideological, political, and social tensions that are reflected in supposedly neutral algorithms and may even reinforce them. It also addresses the ethical problems that can arise from the generation and trading of data. Particular attention is paid to the concept of privacy and the influence of market mechanisms on the goods being traded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Rogaway, Phillip. "The moral character of cryptographic work." Cryptology ePrint Archive (2015). Satz, Debra. Why some things should not be for sale: The moral limits of markets. Oxford University Press, 2010. Schoeman, Ferdinand David, ed. Philosophical dimensions of privacy: An anthology. Cambridge University Press, 1984. Warren, Samuel, and Louis Brandeis. "The right to privacy." Killing the Messenger. Columbia University Press, 1989. 1-21. Zuboff, Shoshana. "Big other: surveillance capitalism and the prospects of an information civilization." Journal of information technology 30.1 (2015): 75-89. Zuboff, Shoshana. The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power: Barack Obama's books of 2019. Profile books, 2019. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Competencies |
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| 851-0047-00L | Ethics, Science and Scientific Integrity | 1 credit | 1S | N. Mazouz, F. Altner, M. Hampe, T. Lobo, B. Wang | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | In this course, doctoral students are sensibilized to ethical issues in the sciences. After a general introduction to ethics as well as to ethics in the sciences, selected topics of scientific integrity will be dealt with in an exemplary way. Thirdly, discipline-specific problems of ethics are addressed in group work. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Doctoral students receive an overview of philosophical ethics as well as of ethics in the sciences and humanities. They are supported in identifying, analyzing and dealing with ethical problems in their own scientific research. Furthermore, they can reflect on their professional role as scientific researchers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | In this course, doctoral students are sensibilized to ethical issues in the sciences. First, a general introduction to ethics as well as to ethics in the sciences will be given in a lecture and discussion format. Second, selected topics of scientific integrity will be dealt with in an exemplary way in a mixed format, consisting of lectures and discussions as well as workshops. Thirdly, specific problems of ethics and scientific integrity in certain disciplines will be addresses in group work in a workshop format. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||