Briefly list and explain the following:

a. Right, wrong, and okay. The categories of ethically right and ethically wrong at times incur dilemmas of deemed ethically acceptable. One could easily argue it would be best to view ethics as obligatory, prohibited, and acceptable thus right, wrong, and okay. This greatly defines reality since ethics or morals are not absolute for everyone.
b. Distinguish wrong and harm. Ethically distinguishing wrong or harm depends on intent and consequences. A company that creates a new product that leads to the closing of a rival’s business may have done so legally, with good intentions. In contrast an individual hacking into a system may do so to notify an establishment of security vulnerabilities but at the same time violate property right law.
c. Separating goals from constraints. The separations of goals from constraints are simple: whether a company’s goals are to maximize profits or minimize expenses, the actions to achieve these goals must be within the realm of ethical constraints. Illegal or unacceptable behavior breaks ethical constraints.
d. Personal preference and ethics when crossed have to be evaluated properly. Can one’s personal preferences and ethics at work for instance be balanced? As an Information Assurance Officer I have seen situations where another person’s privacy could be potentially invaded. Legally searching for a certain criteria was sound but I still didn’t feel comfortable performing the task. After it was explained more definitively by the Information Assurance Manager, I understood the purpose and was agreeable with doing my assignment.
e. Laws and ethics should be consistent although at time they are very complex. For instance, a law prohibiting marijuana use in the workplace is very specific as are laws that allow for medical use of marijuana in California. Laws cannot account or safeguard all ethical aspects of life. We can only attempt to have laws that best align with ethical standards. When laws go beyond the scope of ethically sound judgment, they appear to be weak and ineffective for the majority of society.


Baase, S. (2008). A gift of fire: Social, Legal, and ethical issues for computing and the internet 3rd Ed. Upper Saddle River. Pearson Prentice Hall.