reading response

CSC 208 Lab 1 Page 3 of 3

CSC 208 Lab Assignment 1

Due date: submit to D2L folder by April 20, Monday 11:30 pm

In your lab assignment submission, DO NOT include any instructions that are NOT part of the lab response itself.

TITLE: Mill, Feinberg, Free Speech, and Fake News

Instructions

1. Download and save this Word document.

2. After reading, delete the Objectives and Part 1.

3. Keep Part 2.

4. Enter your answers or comments under each question.

5. Delete the instructions and the rubric.

6. Save and submit the document to D2L before deadline.

Objectives

Free speech and fake news are important issues in today’s political climate. While both have been issues in the past, the use of computing technology, and the Internet has made the issue more prominent. However, the ever-changing definition of fake news has caused confusion.

1. Examine free speech from different ethical perspectives.

2. Examine fake news from different ethical perspectives.

3. Practice Moral Rights, social contract, and Rawls procedures.

Rubric for application of the procedures:

1) Correct methodology C range

2) Good argument B range

3) Excellent argument A range

Part 1 Reading 1. Freedom of Speech

(a) Section 2.1 John Stuart Mill's Harm Principle ( https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freedom speech/#JohStuMilHarPri )

(b) Section 3.1 Joel Feinberg's Offense Principle ( https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freedom speech/#JoeFeiOffPri )

Part 2 Writing [with help of computer] Submit as MS Word or PDF only; no other format will be accepted

1. van Mill applies Mill and Feinberg to free speech. PolitiFac’s definition of fake news: "Fake news is made-up stuff, masterfully manipulated to look like credible journalistic reports that are easily spread online to large audiences willing to believe the fictions and spread the word” (Kertscher, 2016).

Using PolitiFac’s definition of fake news, write a few sentences comparing how Mill and Feinberg would address the ethical issue presented in Pizza Gate fake news article.

2. Using the template below, apply the moral rights procedure to the ethical issue:

Was it ethical for Alex Jones, a prominent conspiracy theorist and the host of a popular right-wing radio show, to spread Pizzagate information on his show without verifying the story with facts first?

· Identify the action under consideration

· Determine if there is a relevant moral claim, or claims, and a correlated duty, or duties. Use:

X’s having a claim is equivalent to Y’s being under a duty

· Determine if the person or persons involved have fulfilled their relevant duty, or duties, and whether rights were violated

· Determine the moral conclusion

3. Apply social contract to the same issue: Was it ethical for Alex Jones, a prominent conspiracy theorist and the host of a popular right-wing radio show, to spread Pizzagate information on his show without verifying the story with facts first?

4. Two stakeholders are Alex Jones and James Alefantis (owner of Comet Ping Pong).

Can you think of anyone else?

5. Identify the rights of all stakeholders and determine if rights were violated.

6. Also, discuss common problems applying the social contract procedure in general

After applying the social contract theory, you must address all the potential problems with the application (Quinn, 2012, Ch. 2 PowerPoint):

a) No one signed contract.

b) Some actions have multiple characterizations.

c) Conflicting rights problem.

c) May unjustly treat people who cannot uphold contract.

Include any references in your lab such as the ones listed below (only if you actually referenced them). You may include others of your choice. Be sure to cite properly.

References (examples, include only what you use in your lab work)

Dalton, Harlon L., "Offense to Others: The Moral Limits of the Criminal" (1987). Faculty Scholarship Series. Paper 2047. http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/fss_papers/2047

Kertscher, Tom "PolitiFact's Lie of the Year 2016: Fake news", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, (December 2016) http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/politifactwisconsin/2016/12/13/politifacts-lie-year-2016-fake-news/95395008/

Lehmann-Haupt., “Joel Feinberg, 77, Influential Philosopher” (2004) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/05/us/joel-feinberg-77-influential-philosopher.html?_r=1

Trepper, Steven J., “The Social Nature of Offense and Public Protest over Art and Culture”, Gia Reader, Vol 23, No 3 (Fall 2012). http://www.giarts.org/article/social-nature-offense-and-public-protest-over-art-and-culture

van Mill, David, "Freedom of Speech", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2016 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2016/entries/freedom-speech/

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