Name - MSSV 6. Improper use or disposal of the product. 2. Perform services only in areas of their competence. 8.

2. Perform services only in areas of their competence. 8. To treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as
7. Dishonesty/ pressure by management – take shortcuts 3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin.
Profession &Ethics 8. Inattention manner. Note: There are certainly still problems in industry with
Profession: A calling requiring specialized knowledge and Social justice: can be defined as standards for, and a view 4.Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or these issues. We will discuss this more later.
often long and iniensive reparation including instruction in on how to promote via human interactions, human dignity trustees. 9. To avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or
skills and methods as well as in the scientific, historical, or and human fulfillment for all of humanity 5.Avoid deceptive acts. employment by false or malicious action. Example:
scholarly principles underlying such skills and methods,  Human rights 6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, Speaking poorly of someone's project results when they
maintaining by force of organization or concerted opinion  Fair treatment at work and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and do not deserve it
high standards of achievement and conduct, and
 Fair treatment in economics and politics usefulness of the profession. 10. To assist colleagues and co-workers in their
committing its members to continued study and to a kind
 Environment and peace Hold Paramount The Safety, Health, And Welfare Of The professional development and to support them in
of work which has for its prime purpose the rendering of a Public following this code of ethics.Example: If you are a
 Religious and secular perspectives
public service. How to assess impact on human safety, health, and manager, giving them opportunities for professional
Ethics:The study of the characteristics of morals. Ethics Ethical Dilemmas, Choices, Codes Of Ethics
Moral Dilemmas “welfare”? development (e.g., taking courses or attending a
also deals with the moral choices that are made by each Amartya Sen uses a “capabilities approach:” conference)
person in his or her relationships with other persons. 1.Moral clarity
 Need to know something is wrong! Do not ignore  Being able to live a long life in health Moral Frameworks For Engineering Ethics
Engineering ethics: The study of the decisions, policies,  Being able to get an education, being able to work
problems! Ethical Theories
and values that are morally desirable in engineering
 Loyalty to employer, responsibilities to public and  Being able to have freedom of expression and  Rights ethics: human rights
practice and research
environment(and complex relations between these) association  Duty ethics: individual’s rational autonomy
Engineering ethics consists of the responsibilities and
rights that ought to be endorsed by those engaged in 2. Know the facts Lack of welfare = capability deprivation  Utilitarianism: maximize the overall good, taking into
 Get hard, documented facts, discuss with others right Note: It does not say the engineer should be encouraged equal account all those affected by our actions
engineering, and also of desirable ideals and personal
commitments in engineering. wrong to focus on (even extreme) capability deprivation. Should  Virtue ethics: good character is central to morality
it? 
Moral Autonomy  Competence matters in gathering technical facts Self-realization ethics: the moral significance of self-
Moral awareness: recognizing moral problems 3. Consider options IEEE Code Of Ethics (10 Rules) fulfillment
Cogent moral reasoning: arguments on opposing sides  Diversity of actions to take? Evaluate/discuss. 1. To accept responsibility in making engineering decisions Rights ethics: Human rights is the moral “bottomline” (and
Moral coherence: consistent and comprehensive  Long-term, short-term perspectives, repercussions? consistent with the safety, health, and welfare of the human dignity andrespect are fundamental)
viewpoints based on consideration of relevant facts  "Creative middle solution"? public, and to disclose promptly factors that might  Liberty rights: Rights to exercise one’s liberty that
Moral imagination: finding creative solutions 4. Make a reasonable decision endanger the public or the environment.Concern: leads to duties of othersnot to interfere with one’s
“Disclose" phrase nice, but “consistent" vs. ABET (NSPE), freedoms
Moral communication: common ethical language, a skill  Weigh all factors, recognize "gray areas",
needed to express and support one’s moral views compromises
“engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and  Welfare rights: Rights to benefits needed for decent
welfare"... is a weaker statement? What does "consistent" human life
adequately to others  An engineering design problem?
Moral reasonableness:The willingness and ability to be even mean? → Codes?“Engineers shall hold paramount the safety,
Codes of Ethics 2. To avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever
morally reasonable health, and welfare of thepublic in the performance of
Why important? possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when
Respect for persons their professional duties.” (refers to each individual)
 Serve and protect the public they do exist. Example: Ownership in a supplier' s
Tolerance of diversity Duty ethics: Right actions are those required by duties to
 Guidance/support for engineers company
Moral hope: Enriched appreciation of the possibilities of respect the liberty orautonomy of individuals.
 Inspiration, deterrence, discipline 3. To be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates Autonomy - moral self-determination or self-governance
using rational dialogue in resolving moral conflicts
 Shared standards, education, mutual understanding based on available data. Examples: When dishonest claims means having thecapacity to govern one’s life in
Integrity: Maintaining moral integrity and integrating one’s
 Profession’s image give you an advantage over a competitor, or when accordance with moral duties. Hence, respect for
professional life and personal convictions
Limitations of codes unrealistic claims endanger individuals persons amounts to respect for their moral autonomy.
Responsibility
 Too vague to be useful in every day ethical decision 4. To reject bribery in all its forms. Example: Supplier gifts, Utilitarianism says the sole standard of right action is
Obligations: Responsibilities are obligations - types of
making? when are they big enough to constitute a bribe? goodconsequences. There is only one general moral
actions that are morally mandatory.
Accountable: Being responsible means being morally  Impossible to cover all eventualities 5. To improve the understanding of technology, its requirement: “Producethe most good for the most people,
accountable (responsible for doing so). Code of Ethics for Engineers appropriate application, and potential consequences. giving equal consideration toeveryone affected”.
Conscientious, integrity: try to do the right thing, and they Preamble: Engineering is an important and learned Examples: Importance of teaching youth about “Welfare” is a type of “utility” (so are safety, health)
largely succeed in doing so, even under difficult profession. As members of this profession, engineers are engineering, importance of publishing engineering results Virtue ethics emphasizes character (virtues/vices) more
circumstances. expected to exhibit the highest standards of honesty and in IEEE publications than rights and rules.
Blameworthy/Praiseworthy: “Who is responsible for integrity. Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the 6. To maintain and improve our technical competence and Virtues: competence, honesty, courage, fairness, loyalty,
designing the antenna tower?” might be used to ask who is quality of life for all people. Accordingly, the services to undertake technological tasks for others only if and humility (vices opposites)
blameworthy for its collapse or who deserves credit for its provided by engineers require honesty, impartiality, qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure Proficiency virtues are the virtues of mastery of one’s
success in withstanding a severe storm. fairness, and equity and must be dedicated to the of pertinent limitations. Example: A coop student who profession, in particular mastery of the technical skills that
protection of the public health, safety, and welfare. took on task that affected safety on a manufacturing characterize good engineering practice
Potential Moral Problems
Engineers must perform under a standard of professional 7. To seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical Teamwork virtues are those that are especially important
1. Lack of vision.
behavior that requires adherence to the highest principles work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit in enabling professionals to work successfully with other
2. Incompetence.
of ethical conduct. properly the contributions of others. Note: Important to people
3. Lack of time/ lack of proper materials.
Fundamental Cannons keep an emotional separation to your work so that when Self-governance virtues are those necessary in exercising
4. A silo (separate) mentality.
1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the it is criticized you do not take it personally moral responsibility
5. “There are safety engineers somewhere down theline to
catch potential problems.” public. Virtues In Engineering
Public-spirited virtues: Argument 1. We always act on our own desires; therefore,  Provide motive to comply withstandards o Litigation
 Focus on good of clients (“client-focused”) we always and only seek something for ourselves, namely  Provide support and defense for peoplewho wish to o Business failure? Loss of your
 Focus on good of public the satisfaction of our desires. act ethically professionalemployees? Bad climate/hiring
 Generosity - going beyond minimum requirements in Argument 2. People always seek pleasures; therefore they Rules Of Experimentation potential?
helping: “engineers who voluntarily give their time, always and only seek something for themselves, namely  Not covering engineering law here Uncertainties In Design
talent, and money to their professional societies and their pleasures.  You may learn some on-the-job Examples:
local communities” Argument 3. We can always imagine there is an ulterior,  Likely to learn some “industrial standards,” some of Uncertainties in materials (e.g., whatdoes the silver or gold
Proficiency virtues: exclusively self-seeking motive present whenever a person which directlypertain to safety band on a resistormean?). Supplier’s data based
 Mastery/competence helps someone else; therefore people always and only  Tendency toward more detail... onstatistical averages?What is the underlying probability
 Diligence (e.g., software engineering case study seek goods for themselves.  “Minimal compliance” Is it enough? densityfunction?
example) Argument 4. When we look closely, we invariably discover o Morally acceptable? Designs that do well under static loadsoften do not do well
 Creativity (to keep up with technology) an element of self-interest in any given action; therefore o What about push of new technologies? Areas under dynamic loads
Teamwork virtues: people are solely motivated by self interest. where there isno law? Risk-Benefit Analysis
 Working together effectively (not a loner) Engineering As Social Experimentation  Government/law can be too detailed - can Is a product worth the risks connected with its use?
 Collegiality, cooperation, loyalty, respect for Similarities to standard experiments squashmoral autonomy of engineers - good balance? What are the benefits? To whom?
authority 1. Uncertainties in the model used for designcalculation, Do they outweigh the risks? To whom? Environmental
Safety And Risk
Self-realization ethics, however, gives greater prominence materials purchased, precision of materialsprocessing and impact?
Engineer’s Concern For Safety
to self-interestand to personal commitments that fabrication … “Under what conditions, if any, is someone in society
Absolute safety in the senses of (a) entirelyrisk-free
individuals develop in pursuing selffulfillment.As with the 2. Uncertainties in the final outcomes of entitled to impose a riskon someone else on behalf of a
activities and products, or (b) a degreeof safety that
other ethical theories, we will consider twoversions: engineeringprojects. supposed benefit to yet others?”
satisfies all individuals or groupsunder all conditions, is
 A community-oriented version, the self to be realized 3. Effective engineering relies on knowledge gainedabout How do you place value in $$ on a human life?? Recall
neither attainable noraffordable
is understood interms of caring relationships and products both before and after they leave thefactory → cost-benefit analysis.
Safety
communities. ongoing success in engineering depends ongaining new Human rights/dignity/respect?
“A thing is safe if, were its risks fully known, those
knowledge as does ongoing success inexperimentation. Safe-Exit
 Ethical egoism, the self is conceived in a highly riskswould be judged acceptable by reasonable persons in
Contrasts With Standard Experiments When a product fails, (1) it will fail safely, (2) the product
individualistic manner.The community-oriented light oftheir settled value principles.”
1. Medical experiments→control group/ can be abandoned safely,orat least(3) the user can safely
version of self-realization “A thing is safe (to a certain degree) with respect to a
comparisongroups. escape the product.
Proficiency motives: Challenge self, serve public givenperson or group at a given time if they are fully aware
2. Informed consent (agreement). Connecting Design To Professionalism
Compensation motives: Make money for self/family, but of itsrisks and they judge those risks to be acceptable (to a
3.Conscientiousness→primary obligations to →It takes significantcompetence,experience, and abroad
helpscommunity certaindegree).” What is “degree”?
one’semployer. perspectiveto incorporatesafety and environmentalimpact
Moral motives: Desire to do right (“give back”), integrity, Example:Safety for an engineering prototype vs. a
4. Comprehensive perspective (relevant factual intodesign.
feels goodand positively impacts community releasedproduct
The community-oriented version of self-realization ethics information → conscientiousness Risks
says that eachindividual ought to pursue self-realization, 5. Moral autonomy (self-determination) “A risk is the potential thatsomething unwanted and
but it emphasizes theimportance of caring relationships 6. Accountability. harmful may occur.”
and communities in understandingselfrealization. It 7. Industrial standard/ a balanced outlook on law. “Experimental” risks associated withintroducing new
emphasizes that we are social beings whose identitiesand Using The Public To Perform Tests technology (“socialexperimentation”)
meaning are linked to the communities in which we Special care is obviously needed for safety, avoiding loss of Acceptability Of Risk
participate. customers. Example: Software test for popular software  Willingness to be subjected to risk:
(e.g., word processing programs, spreadsheets, etc.),
“The ‘individual’ apart from the community is an  People don’t have as much of a problem
abstraction. It is not anythingreal, and hence not anything computer hardware
withsubjecting themselves to risks
that we can realize. . . . I am myself by sharingwith others.” Responsible Experimentalists
 Are risks on-the-job voluntary? Could quit!
Ethical egoism is a more individualistic version of self- Engineers are not the sole experimenters→ Managers,
 But is this always possible?If piece-work-based, will
realization ethics that sayseach of us ought always and Marketing people, Public
workers behave lesssafely?
only to promote our self-interest. →“With knowledge comes responsibility→An engineering
 Safety complaints from on-the-job shouldalways be
Ethical egoism sounds like an endorsement of selfishness. professional will take on the responsibility!
listened to.
It implies thatengineers should think first and last about 1.Conscientiousness: Protect safety knowledge, respect
Magnitude And Proximity Of Risk
what is beneficial to themselves, animplication at odds right of consent of public
2. Comprehensive perspective: Awareness of  What if personal connections with victims?
with the injunction to keep paramount the public health,  What creates such changed perceptions?
safety, and welfare experimental nature of projects,forecasting, monitoring
3. Moral autonomy: Personally engaged, thoughtful, → Proximity/magnitude - direct impact on you!
→Psychological egoism: All people are always and only Example: airplane crash vs. car accident!
motivated by what theybelieve is good for them in some involvement in project
4. Accountability: Accept responsibility for results of a Design Considerations, Risk
respect. Psychological egoism is a theoryabout psychology, Principles:
about what actually motivates human beings, whereas project (avoid fragmentation,diffusion, time pressures)
Role Of Laws In Engineering  Absolute safety is not attainable
ethicalegoism is a statement about how they ought to act.
“Rules of responsible experimentation:”  Improvements in safety often cost $$
→Four arguments for psychological egoism:
 Laws can produce many benefits  Products that are not safe incur secondarycosts:
 Produce minimal standards ofprofessional conduct o Loss of customer goodwill and/or customers
o Warranty expenses