Naturalism and Computer Viruses (Virii)

Still not sure what the plural is....

Anyway I had a presentation tonight in my Computer Ethics course where I had to choose from a list of cases and analyze it using specific criteria from the class. Long story short I chose a situation where a University was teaching about computer viruses in an attempt to educate people so they can combat them. The counter argument was that now more people can make them.

I don't buy that btw, if someone is going to make a malicious computer program, going to school is not how they're going to learn how to do it. But anyway I was comparing the situation to different schools of thought and the one that I'm the most proud of is the Naturalistic one.

Just for reference:


3.2. Naturalistic Ethics:

For the Naturalist, the baseline of value is that which is natural - that is, that which is in conformity with nature. Nature is good. One need not look beyond nature to some immaterial ideal for a standard of right and wrong. Rather, goodness will be found by living in harmony with nature. Evil, for the Naturalist, is a departure from this natural norm either in the direction of excess or defect (i.e., having, or doing, too much or too little of something which is naturally good). It is a breaking of the natural law.


My solution to the dilemma was to teach the course but have regulations guiding what is to be taught and how things are run. Here is the part I'm the most proud of:

5. Is this solution in accord with what is natural (not excessive or deficient) [Naturalism/Realism]? Explain.

This solution can be in accord with what is natural to a point if you consider the concept of survival of the fittest. In nature the strong survive, the weak culled. Computer viruses can eliminate those who are 'weak', those who do not protect themselves or can not overcome the attack. However with the regulations some of this is circumvented and some of the weaker or more foolish are able to survive.
 

I now have to take this, and the rest of the outline, and write a paper. I'm definitely going to expound on that point as it was a big hit in class.

If I can rock the midterm this weekend I'm pretty confident in an 'A' which will (hopefully) bring me back up to a solid 3.3 and give me a good jumping off point for the last part of this program.