Predicting Future Behaviors and Mathematical Model in The Martian

Predicting Future Behaviors, 2.Lights! Camera! Action!
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor
Date
Predicting Future Behaviors, 2. Lights! Camera! Action!
Discussion Post
The predictive model in sentencing violates some of the principles of ethics. One of those violated is the principle of beneficence, which provides that everyone has a moral obligation to act for the benefit of others (Jahn, 2011). Judging someone based on the probability of them committing a specific crime may lead to a stronger conviction that may harm the individual. For example, using this approach to determine that an individual is likely to commit murder may lead society to develop an extremely negative attitude not only to the individual but also to his family members, who may be perceived to exhibit similar characteristics. Therefore, this approach violates this principle by failing to properly balance the benefits and risks/harms.
The technique also violates the principle of nonmaleficence, which states that one should not cause pain or suffering to others. Convicting someone based on their probability of committing specific crimes causes both the individual and their defendants both pain and suffering. For example, if the court passes such a judgment to a parent, their children will suffer for the wrongs that their parents never committed. Therefore, it would be better to treat people based on what they have actually done rather than what they may anticipate doing.
The benefit of using a mathematical model in such a case is to help the courts determine the actual probability of the individual engaging in such acts. A scale may be developed to ensure that judgment is passed only to individuals with the absolute certainty that they would commit the crime. On the contrary, the main issue that may arise is the wrongful conviction of the individual. Some people change their behavior, and thus using such probabilities to convict them may lead to a violation of their rights. The approach will overlook any behavioral changes that the individual may have made. Therefore, the approach is an abuse of mathematical modeling because it mainly judges people based on their past.
Mathematical Model in The Martian
People significantly rely on mathematics to solve their daily problems. The important role that the subject plays in society is depicted in films and movies, which apply various mathematical models to establish solutions to problems affecting the people. A notable example where the characters utilize mathematical modeling to solve daily problems is in the movie The Martian by Andy Weir. The mov...