COMPUTING AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Abstract

Newly emerging professions dealing with computing attempt at formulating their own codes of ethics and professional conduct. However, there are widely-known problems with professional ethics – many authors argue that formulating codes of professional ethics causes moral confusion. In this paper, the author examines some main arguments against professional ethics and argues that there are good reasons for developing it. Then he tries to extract those features of professions dealing with computing that may justify a formulation of special codes of professional conduct. He criticises the widely-used concept of the ‘computer professional’ and argues for limiting it to such professions as programmers or operators of computer systems.