,SUS1501 ASSIGNMENT 8 PORTFOLIO SEMESTER 2
DUE DATE: OCTOBER 2026
Introduction
My objective in compiling this portfolio is to reflect on the key concepts and ethical
perspectives that resonated with me throughout this module. To begin, I revisited my initial
responses to the multiple-choice questions from the Crossroads assignment. Below, I
present my updated choices alongside my original selections, accompanied by explanatory
notes under the section titled “Back at the Crossroads!” Following this section, I summarize
my overall learning journey and highlight the key ethical insights gained from the course.
Back at the Crossroads!
1. (YOU MUST WRITE NOTES ON THIS QUESTION) “ProPublica leaked IRS documents
showing that in 2011, Jeff Bezos did not pay any tax.”
a. Good for him. He worked hard for his money and owes nobody anything.
b. Taxes are a legal obligation, not a moral one. If he stayed within the law, it’s fine.
c. It’s unfair, but that’s just how the system works.
d. This shows that tax laws need to be reformed so the super-rich pay their fair share.
e. This is a fundamental moral failure of the system and a sign of deep structural injustice.
Choice now: e
Choice in assignment 1: b
Notes:
, In Assignment 1, I selected option (b) under the belief that as long as an individual operates
strictly within legal boundaries, their financial conduct is ethically fine. However, after
studying core ethical frameworks and participating in myUnisa forum discussions, my
position shifted to option (e). When evaluated through John Rawls’s principle of distributive
justice, tax avoidance by ultra-wealthy individuals reflects a profound structural flaw.
Distributive justice holds that socio-economic arrangements are only fair if they benefit the
least privileged. Wealthy citizens benefit heavily from publicly funded infrastructure,
security, and educated labor pools; avoiding tax contributions shifts the financial burden
onto lower- and middle-income groups, exacerbating systemic inequality.
2. (YOU MUST WRITE NOTES ON THIS QUESTION) “The water used by artificial intelligence
is expected to equal the needs of 1.3 billion people by 2030” (Shah, 2026).
a. Progress requires resources; AI is worth the environmental cost.
b. Tech companies will innovate cleaner methods before this becomes a crisis.
c. It’s concerning, but technological advancement should remain the priority.
d. We need strict regulations to limit the water usage of AI systems.
e. Consuming vital natural resources at this scale for tech is ethically unacceptable.
Choice now: e
Choice in assignment 1: b
Notes:
My initial pick was option (b), assuming technological innovation would easily solve any
resource constraints. Re-evaluating this statement led me to option (e) through the lens of
environmental ethics. Water is a shared ecological resource essential for all life, not merely
an industrial input for computational cooling. Relying heavily on resource-intensive
DUE DATE: OCTOBER 2026
Introduction
My objective in compiling this portfolio is to reflect on the key concepts and ethical
perspectives that resonated with me throughout this module. To begin, I revisited my initial
responses to the multiple-choice questions from the Crossroads assignment. Below, I
present my updated choices alongside my original selections, accompanied by explanatory
notes under the section titled “Back at the Crossroads!” Following this section, I summarize
my overall learning journey and highlight the key ethical insights gained from the course.
Back at the Crossroads!
1. (YOU MUST WRITE NOTES ON THIS QUESTION) “ProPublica leaked IRS documents
showing that in 2011, Jeff Bezos did not pay any tax.”
a. Good for him. He worked hard for his money and owes nobody anything.
b. Taxes are a legal obligation, not a moral one. If he stayed within the law, it’s fine.
c. It’s unfair, but that’s just how the system works.
d. This shows that tax laws need to be reformed so the super-rich pay their fair share.
e. This is a fundamental moral failure of the system and a sign of deep structural injustice.
Choice now: e
Choice in assignment 1: b
Notes:
, In Assignment 1, I selected option (b) under the belief that as long as an individual operates
strictly within legal boundaries, their financial conduct is ethically fine. However, after
studying core ethical frameworks and participating in myUnisa forum discussions, my
position shifted to option (e). When evaluated through John Rawls’s principle of distributive
justice, tax avoidance by ultra-wealthy individuals reflects a profound structural flaw.
Distributive justice holds that socio-economic arrangements are only fair if they benefit the
least privileged. Wealthy citizens benefit heavily from publicly funded infrastructure,
security, and educated labor pools; avoiding tax contributions shifts the financial burden
onto lower- and middle-income groups, exacerbating systemic inequality.
2. (YOU MUST WRITE NOTES ON THIS QUESTION) “The water used by artificial intelligence
is expected to equal the needs of 1.3 billion people by 2030” (Shah, 2026).
a. Progress requires resources; AI is worth the environmental cost.
b. Tech companies will innovate cleaner methods before this becomes a crisis.
c. It’s concerning, but technological advancement should remain the priority.
d. We need strict regulations to limit the water usage of AI systems.
e. Consuming vital natural resources at this scale for tech is ethically unacceptable.
Choice now: e
Choice in assignment 1: b
Notes:
My initial pick was option (b), assuming technological innovation would easily solve any
resource constraints. Re-evaluating this statement led me to option (e) through the lens of
environmental ethics. Water is a shared ecological resource essential for all life, not merely
an industrial input for computational cooling. Relying heavily on resource-intensive
