What Is Johnson's Utilitarianism?

Johnson (2009a) has described utilitarianism as an ethical theory used to analyze ethical issues, which itself is based on observing the consequences of an action. For a computer scientist, when making an ethical decision on what to do with a certain piece of technology, utilitarianism is the best tool to help make that decision. Utilitarianism can help all computer scientists decide whether it’s right or wrong to use their technology that has been designed to benefit society. Technology has one primary purpose, and that is to help benefit society. It is designed to make all of our lives less stressful, such as making certain tasks easier to accomplish. However, not all technology turns out to be beneficial. Some technology can be defective or poorly designed, and

Department of Defense to detect radar signals and launch missiles towards these signals. However, when this system needed to be given out, Carl wasn’t convinced that it was ready, and that it may respond to nonthreatening signals, making the system a deadly piece of technology towards society. Carl didn’t know if he should abort the project, risking his job, or let it go.

Here, the utilitarianism theory can be used to help Carl make a decision. If Carl were to let it go, then the system would protect society against attacks, but it can also shoot down airplanes that the society use on a daily basis. There’s a very high chance that it can do more harm than good. Therefore, the right choice would be to abort the project, even if it means sacrificing his own job. Whether this is based on a true story or not, it still represents a perfect example to show how utilitarianism can help make ethical decisions related to technology. Computer scientists will face situations similar to the one told, and will then need to make the right