We now move beyond the issue of description to explore the topic of explanation. For social scientists, this means focusing on causation. For example, if we pose the following question, “How do we account for the fact that ‘Hell happens…?” we are automatically compelled to consider a variety of possible causes. Since there are always other options, we must make a choice among better or worse explanations.
This bring up a second issue:
How do issues of cause and effect become muddied as a result of different understandings of the idea of Hell? If I believe that Hell is caused by one thing and you believe it is caused by something quite different, we differ over how we explain Hell. As we move along in this seminar, we will see how the choice of one explanation over another can have significant implications for deciding how we should act.
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TORTURE: “THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!”
11. Thursday, September 26
In this and our following meeting, we will use the example of torture to explore an old question: “Why do (presumably) good people do (clearly) bad things?” Answering this question is an issue of explanation. It also raises the troubling question of whether all people are good. Think back to what the Catholic catechism says about this subject.
Today, we revisit the horrors of the 2004 Abu Ghraib torture and abuse scandal by watching the acclaimed HBO documentary: “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib” HERE (We will watch this film in class; you do not need to watch it beforehand)
Review this timeline in preparation for the film: READ
12. Tuesday, October 1`
Discussion:
What are the vying interpretations of the massive human rights violations at Abu Ghraib. In addition to discussing “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,” we will also consider the implicit arguments in the following pieces:
The DOD Schlesinger Report, only the “Executive Summary,” pp. 5-6: PRINT AND READ
Go back to this site to see who was punished for their human rights crimes, what the sentences were, and what levels of the chain of command were affected: READ
UN Convention against Torture (ratified by the US in 1988), Articles 1-4 READ AND PRINT
Geneva Convention, Part I: General Provisions, Articles 1-10: READ and PRINT
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TECHNODYSTOPIA: “A HELL WE CHOOSE OR ONE THAT CHOOSES US?”
13. Thursday, October 3
Discussion:
Politics is about power, how people get it and how they use it. Do governments and international organizations have the power to control the spread of digital information? Or have the masters of the digital world replaced the politicians and bureaucrats of the distant twentieth century?
Yet another way of thinking about power is to ask whether human beings have inadvertently created new forms of power–digital communications technology–that will eventually control the choices we make and the lives we lead. Are we now “tools of the machine” rather than tools of the powerful?
Here is what the masters of digital communications technology promise (along with some notable changes in policy). Be sure to bring all of these statements with you to class.
Google “R” Us: “Mission Statement” PRINT AND READ (Google’s slogan used to be ‘Don’t be Evil.’ Now, it is something different. Try to figure out what it is and/or could become.
Facebook “R” Us: THE FIVE CORE VALUES (2012) READ AND PRINT
Facebook “R” Us: Wait a minute! Now there are SIX CORE VALUES! What has changed? READ AND PRINT
Meta “R” US: LISTEN to as many of the videos under “The metaverse will be social” as possible. Fascinating stuff! Disturbing, too.
X “R” US: PRINT AND READ
Here is the X Policy Statement, August 2023
“You may not use X’s services for the purpose of manipulating or interfering in elections or other civic processes, such as posting or sharing content that may suppress participation, mislead people about when, where, or how to participate in a civic process, or lead to offline violence during an election. Any attempt to undermine the integrity of civic participation undermines our core tenets of freedom of expression and as a result, we will apply labels to violative posts informing users that the content is misleading.”
Musk “R” US? Compare X’s Policy Statement with this account of Elon Musk’s use of the platform: READ
ChatGPT “R” US? OpenAI Charter READ AND PRINT
What do these statements tell us about the possibility of writing a meaningful mission statement? What would be the implications of determining this is impossible? What kind of world would this realization offer us?
Here is Notre Dame’s mission statement: PRINT AND READ Is this statement somehow meaningful in ways that other statements are not? Or is it just a bunch of empty words?
Two Assignments:
Assignment #1`
Please write a paragraph in which you take a firm stand–yes or no–on the following proposition. In writing your statement, choose one of the above social media mission statements to make your case:
“It is an illusion to believe that mission statements will ever be meaningful controls over what appears on social media.”
Assignment #2
In the spirit of Google’s original “Don’t be evil,” use ChatGPT or any of its kin to write an iron-clad mission statement to guarantee that the leaders of a given corporation (choose a vital one) never abuse their power over their users.
Bring 16 copies of your statement to class and post it in your folder as well.
This is the only time I will allow you to use ChatGPT in our class. If you don’t subscribe, I’m sure you can find someone who does.
14. Tuesday, October 8
How Wise is it to put our Trust in Digital Service Providers? Do we have a choice?
Discussion: What are the risks of entrusting our private data to those who control the internet?
Assignment: I don’t use Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, ChatGPT or other forms of social media. But many of you do. Choose a single site from the many that are available to you–or simply choose Google–and track down the personal information that the site collects about you. Print it, review the privacy guarantees of the site, and bring both it and the privacy rules to class. We will then discuss each of your findings.
To provoke you, let’s identify the most invasive apps. Instagram and Facebook lead the way, but weather channels are not far behind: READ
Also READ these two short articles to get an idea about how the surveillance state that is run by corporations can be transferred to universities.
Chris Stokel-Walker, “Universities are using surveillance software to spy on students” What are your rights according to Notre Dame? What does Notre Dame do with its access to your electronic media?
Colleen Flaherty, “Lights, Camera, Teach?” What is the impact on learning of monitoring your professor’s behavior? How should professors respond? See HERE
Which professors at Notre Dame are on Charlie Kirk’s Watch List and what kind of evidence is cited to justify “watching” them? See here
Paragraph Assignment:
Can democratic politicians maintain control over the lords of digital media? Or are they destined to go the way of the dinosaurs and be replaced by those who control the means of communication?
15. Thursday, October 10
NO CLASS
I will be in Chicago, celebrating the inauguration of my daughter, Erin McAdams Franzblau (ND ’08), as President of the Federal Bar Association of Chicago.
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OMG: Please leave your technology at home. This includes electronic devices of any kind, such as laptops, i-Pads, i-Pads2, I-Phones 16, FBI trap-and-trace tools, Kindles, video cameras, or other personal digital devices.