{"id":9,"date":"2024-08-07T14:25:18","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T18:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/ten-images-fall-2024\/?page_id=9"},"modified":"2024-10-07T17:40:26","modified_gmt":"2024-10-07T21:40:26","slug":"explanation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/ten-images-fall-2024\/explanation\/","title":{"rendered":"Explanation"},"content":{"rendered":"

We now move beyond the issue of description to explore the topic of\u00a0explanation<\/em>. For social scientists, this means focusing on\u00a0causation<\/strong>. For example, if we pose the following question, \u201cHow do we account for the fact that \u2018Hell happens\u2026?\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

This bring up a second issue:<\/p>\n

How do issues of cause and effect become muddied as a result of\u00a0different understandings<\/strong>\u00a0of the idea of Hell?\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

IMAGE THREE<\/strong><\/h5>\n

TORTURE:\u00a0 \u201cTHE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

11. Thursday, September 26<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

In this and our following meeting, we will use the example of\u00a0torture<\/em>\u00a0to explore an old question:\u00a0 \u201cWhy do (presumably) good people do (clearly) bad things?\u201d\u00a0 Answering this question is an issue of\u00a0explanation<\/em>.\u00a0 It also raises the troubling question of whether all people are good. Think back to what the Catholic catechism says about this subject.<\/p>\n

Today, we revisit the horrors of the 2004 Abu Ghraib torture and abuse scandal by watching the acclaimed HBO documentary:\u00a0 \u201cGhosts of Abu Ghraib\u201d\u00a0\u00a0HERE<\/a>\u00a0 (We will watch this film in class; you do not need to watch it beforehand)<\/p>\n

Review this timeline in preparation for the film:\u00a0\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

12. <\/strong>Tuesday, October 1`<\/strong><\/p>\n

Discussion:<\/em><\/p>\n

What are the vying interpretations of the massive human rights violations at Abu Ghraib.\u00a0 In addition to discussing \u201cGhosts of Abu Ghraib,\u201d we will also consider the implicit arguments in the\u00a0 following pieces:<\/p>\n

The DOD Schlesinger Report, only the \u201cExecutive Summary,\u201d pp. 5-6:\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

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:\u00a0\u00a0READ<\/a><\/p>\n

UN Convention against Torture (ratified by the US in 1988), Articles 1-4\u00a0READ AND PRINT<\/a><\/p>\n

Geneva Convention, Part I: General Provisions, Articles 1-10:\u00a0READ and PRINT<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE Four<\/strong><\/h5>\n

TECHNODYSTOPIA:\u00a0\u00a0\u201cA HELL WE CHOOSE OR ONE THAT CHOOSES US?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

13. Thursday, October 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

Discussion:<\/em><\/p>\n

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?\u00a0 Or have the masters of the digital world replaced the politicians and bureaucrats of the distant twentieth century?<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 Are we now “tools of the\u00a0 machine” rather than tools of the powerful?<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Google \u201cR\u201d Us:\u00a0 \u201cMission Statement\u201d\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a>\u00a0 (Google\u2019s slogan used to be \u2018Don\u2019t be Evil.\u2019 Now, it is something different.\u00a0 Try to figure out what it is and\/or could become.<\/p>\n

Facebook \u201cR\u201d Us:\u00a0THE FIVE CORE VALUES<\/a>\u00a0(2012) READ AND PRINT<\/p>\n

Facebook \u201cR\u201d Us: Wait a minute!\u00a0 Now there are\u00a0SIX CORE VALUES<\/a>!\u00a0 What has changed? READ AND PRINT<\/p>\n

Meta \u201cR\u201d US: LISTEN to as many of the videos under \u201cThe metaverse will be social<\/a>\u201d as possible.\u00a0 Fascinating stuff!\u00a0 Disturbing, too.<\/p>\n

X \u201cR\u201d US:\u00a0\u00a0PRINT AND READ<\/a><\/p>\n

Here is the X Policy Statement, August 2023<\/p>\n

“You may not use X\u2019s 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.”<\/p>\n

Musk “R” US? Compare X’s Policy Statement with this account of Elon Musk\u2019s use of the platform:\u00a0 READ<\/a><\/p>\n

ChatGPT “R” US?\u00a0 OpenAI Charter\u00a0 READ AND PRINT<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u00a0 offer us?<\/p>\n

Here is Notre Dame’s mission statement: PRINT AND READ<\/a>\u00a0 Is this statement somehow meaningful in ways that other statements are not? Or is it just a bunch of empty words?<\/p>\n

Two Assignments:<\/em><\/p>\n

Assignment #1`<\/p>\n

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:<\/p>\n

“It is an illusion to believe that mission statements will ever be meaningful controls over what appears on social media.”<\/p>\n

Assignment #2<\/p>\n

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<\/em> one) never abuse their power over their users.<\/p>\n

Bring 16 copies of your statement to class and post it in your folder as well.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

14. Tuesday, October 8<\/strong><\/p>\n

How Wise is it to put our Trust in Digital Service Providers? Do we have a choice?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Discussion<\/em>:\u00a0 What are the risks of entrusting our private data to those who control the internet?<\/p>\n

Assignment: I don\u2019t use Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, ChatGPT or other forms of social media. But many of you do.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 \u00a0Print it, review the privacy guarantees of the site, and bring both it and the privacy rules to class.\u00a0 We will then discuss each of your findings.<\/p>\n

To provoke you, let\u2019s identify the most invasive apps. Instagram and Facebook lead the way, but weather channels are not far behind:\u00a0 READ<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Chris Stokel-Walker<\/a>, “Universities are using surveillance software to spy on students<\/a>”\u00a0 What are your rights according to Notre Dame? What does Notre Dame do with its access to your electronic media?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Colleen Flaherty, “Lights, Camera, Teach?”<\/a> What is the impact on learning of monitoring your professor’s behavior? How should professors respond? See HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Which professors at Notre Dame are on Charlie Kirk’s Watch List and what kind of evidence is cited to justify “watching” them?\u00a0 See here<\/a><\/p>\n

Paragraph Assignment<\/em>:<\/p>\n

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?<\/p>\n

15. Thursday, October 10<\/strong><\/p>\n

NO CLASS<\/strong><\/p>\n

I will be in Chicago, celebrating the inauguration of my daughter, Erin McAdams Franzblau<\/a> (ND \u201908), as President of the Federal Bar Association of Chicago.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

OMG:\u00a0\u00a0Please leave your technology at home.\u00a0 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.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We now move beyond the issue of description to explore the topic of\u00a0explanation. For social scientists, this means focusing on\u00a0causation. For example, if we pose the following question, \u201cHow do we account for the fact that \u2018Hell happens\u2026?\u201d we are automatically compelled to consider a variety of possible causes. Since there are always other options, … Continue reading Explanation<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/ten-images-fall-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/ten-images-fall-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/ten-images-fall-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/ten-images-fall-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/ten-images-fall-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/ten-images-fall-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":501,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/ten-images-fall-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9\/revisions\/501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/ten-images-fall-2024\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}