Quiz 3 – CH3 summary – meera and the anonymous

Ethical theory: comprehensive perspective on morality that clarifies, organizes and guides
moral reflection / a way to identify and structure moral reasons.

Moral or ethical theories à influential movements : not always right to follow but it helps to
solve moral dilemmas
‫ﻧظرﯾﺎت طﻠﻌوا ﻓﯾﮭﺎ اﻟﻧﺎس ﻋﻠﻰ أﺳس اﺧﻼﻗﯾﮫ‬
Example – woman rights
We have 5 theories:
1. Utilitarianism: maximize the overall good for people / what is the maximum benefit I
can make for people?
• Complexity: hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public
o We need to follow the codes in order to maximize the good
o There are different forms
• Cost-benefit analysis
o Cost benefit / what you give and what you gain in dollars
o Risk-benefit / what you are risking and what you gain
§ If you benefit mora than you give or risk à go for it
§ Good > bad
• Utilitarianism VS. cost-benefit
o Cost-benefit: good against bad in money terms
o Utilitarianism: costs and benefit to everyone affected where the interest of a
person is weighed equally / long-term view

• Case study: ford pinto ,

 • Act Utilitarianism: maximize the overall good without caring about the action
ex.cheating - - - break the law

Rules of thumb
§
o Based on past experience and cannot always handle novel situations
o They are general and have to be broken sometimes
o Cause problem in delivering “not follow the law”
• Rule utilitarianism: live by a set of rules that maximize the overall good
o Depends on rules
o Not allow wrong doing / follow moral code
o Take rules more seriously than actions

• Case study : paying a bribe to win a contact for the company which will benefits all the
employee acceptable or not
o Act à yes
o Rule à no / unethical
• History : 20th century / rule utilitarianism was developed to correct problems in act
utilitarianism

i. act-utilitarianism allows some actions that we know are immoral.

ii. act-utilitarianism allows injustice to individuals as long as overall social good
is maximized.
iii. act-utilitarianism is unreasonably difficult to put into practice

• Problems with utilitarianism theory:

o Act-utilitarianism seems that it permit immoral action

o Injustice
o Requires too much / social good at the expense of individuals expense

• Theories of good:

o Intrinsic good is something good regardless of consequences

o instrumental (consequential) good is good judged by what it achieves.
o pleasure is intrinsically good.
o we can affirm after a full examination of all information about the world and our
own needs
o that is intrinsically good is simply what individual prefer, as manifested by their
choices

I. Rational desires: Rational desires this view argues that intrinsic goods are those that we
can affirm after a full examination of all information about the world and our own needs.
II. preference theory this view argues that what is intrinsically good is simply what
individual prefer, as manifested by their choices

2. Right ethics: human rights are the ultimate

• Freedom of speech / expression / privacy
• When you have the right to do or have something
• valid moral claims that impose duties on other people
§ Engineering – Health welfare and safety
i. Right to life / not killed by engineering work
ii. Right to privacy / not to have personal matters exposed by systems
iii. Right to safety / not to be injured by products
iv. Right to liberty ‫ اﻟﻌﻘد ﻓﯾﮫ اﻟﻣﺧﺎطر ﻓﻲ اﻟﻣﺷروع ﻟك اﻟﺣق اﻧك ﺗﻛﻣل ﻓﯾﮫ او‬/ ‫ﺣرﯾﮫ اﻻﺧﺗﯾﺎر‬
‫ﺗرﻓض اﻟﻌﻣل ﻓﻲ اﻟﻣﺷروع‬
§ Human rights as absolute ‫ﺣﻘوق اﻻﻧﺳﺎن ﻣطﻠﻘﮫ‬
i. Your rights must be fully guaranteed at all times
ii. You have the right to ask people to respect your rights as long as you
respect their rights ‫ﺗﺑﺎدل اﻻﺣﺗرام‬
§ Influence of right ethics
i. Politics
ii. Woman’s liberation movements
iii. Civil rights movements ‫اﻟﺣﻘوق اﻟﻣدﻧﯾﮫ ﻣﺛل اﻟﺟواز واﻟﮭوﯾﮫ‬
iv. Farm workers – laborers movement
v. Cross cultural ethics
§ Legal rights: an interest accepted and protected by law / moral imperatives
are not always identical to legal imperatives
§ Right ethics no.1 / Liberty rights: negative rights || the right to exercise ones
liberty and the duty of others not to interfere
o ‫اﻟﺣرﯾﮫ اﻟﻣطﻠﻘﮫ ﺳﻠﺑﯾﺔ اذا ﻛﺎﻧت ﺗﻌﺗد ﻋﻠﻰ إﯾذاء اﻻﺧرﯾن‬
o ‫ ﻣﺎﯾﺳﺗوي ﺗطﻠﻌﮫ ﺗﻣﺷﯾﮫ ﻋﻧد اﻟﻧﺎس وﺗﻌﺗﺑرھﺎ ﺣرﯾﮫ‬،‫ ﻋﻧدك ﻛﻠب ﻣؤذي‬/ ‫ﻣﺛﺎل‬
§ Right ethics no.2 / welfare rights ‫ﺣﻘوق اﻟرﻓﺎھﯾﮫ‬: positive rights || the right to those
benefits needed for a decent human life
o ‫ﻣﺛل ﺣق اﻟﺗﻌﻠﯾم واﻟﺻﺣﮫ‬
o ‫ﺑﻌض اﻟﺣﻘوق ﻣﺎﺗﻧطﺑق ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺟﻣﯾﻊ ﻣﺛل ﺣﻘوق ذوي اﻻﺣﺗﯾﺎﺟﺎت اﻟﺧﺎﺻﮫ‬
§ Version 1 of right ethics : Special moral rights / rights that not all people have / they
have a highly specific character / normally given by legislation but some are conferred
by promises and contracts
o ‫ﻣﺛﺎل اﺟﺎزه اﻻم ﯾوم ﺗﯾب ﻣوﻟود ﯾدﯾد ﻣن ﺣق اﻻم وﻣب ﻣن ﺣق اﻻب ﻟﻛن ﻓﻲ ﺑﻌض اﻟﺷرﻛﺎت ﺗﻌطﻲ اﻻب‬
‫ﺛﻼث أﯾﺎم او اﻛﺛر ﻋﻠﻰ ﺣﺳب اﻟﺷرﻛﮫ‬
§ Version 2 of right ethics: limitation of rights / restrictions that are necessary to balance
conflicting rights / no exceptions
o Example: police duty is to protect the public but they can not arrest someone
until there is a evidence which can be used in court
o The right to free choices does not give engineers the freedom to design
dangerous products
 ‫اﻟﺣرﻣﺎن‬

‫اﻟﺧداع‬

balance
3. Duty ethics: rational autonomy / what should we do as an individual / ‫واﺟﺑﺎت ﺗﺳوﯾﮭﺎ ﻋﺷﺎن‬
‫ ﺗﺿﻣن ﺣﻘوﻗك‬/ how you should act regardless of the consequences produced ::: duties of
respect for individuals autonomy as fundamental

How do we know our duties ? Immanual kant (‫اﺧﺗﺻر اﻟواﺟﺑﺎت ﻓﻲ ﺳت ﻧﻘﺎط )ﻛل ﺷﺧص ﯾﺳﺗﺣق اﻻﺣﺗرام‬
A. Autonomy: all duties derive from the duty of respecting others / people deserve respect
because they are moral agents ‫ﻛل ﺷﺧص ﯾﻌرف اﺧﻼﻗﮫ‬
B. Mere means and ends: we are immoral if we treat others as objects rather than subjects
C. Self and other: respect others and respect yourself
D. Universality: moral principles apply to all humans without exxceptions
E. Categorical imperative: we are required to do what is right because it is right with no
special incentives ‫ﻻزم ﺗﺳوي اﻟﺻﺢ ﺑدون ﻣﺎ ﺗﺣﺗﺎج ﺣواﻓز‬
F. Absolutism: moral rules and duties are absolute and there are no exceptions justified
‫ﻻزم ﺗﺳوي اﻟﺻﺢ ﺑدون ﻧﻘﺎش وﻻ ﯾوﺟد اﻋذار وﻻ اﺳﺗﺛﻧﺎء‬
• Prima facie duties: everyday principles are absolute in the sense of never having
justifiable exceptions /// example : do not lie
i. Universality moral rules apply to all rational agents Categorical imperatives
command what is right because it is right : absolute, unconditional requirement
that must be obeyed in all circumstances and is justified as an end in itself.
example to pass exam you must study
ii. Absolutism moral rules have no exceptions
o Exceptions: most duties have reasonable permissible or obligatory exceptions ///
‫ إذا وﻋدت ﺷﺧص أﻧك ﺗﻼﻗﯾﮫ اﻟﺳﺎﻋﺔ ﺧﻣس ﻟﻛن ﺳوﯾت ﺣﺎدث ف ﻣﺎ ﻗدرت ﺗﻠﺗزم ب وﻋدك ھﻧﯾﮫ‬:‫ﻣﺛﺎل‬
‫ﻋﻧدك اﺳﺗﺛﻧﺎء ل واﺟﺑك ب أﻧك ﺗﻠﺗزم ب وﻋدك‬
o Balance: it is not always obvious how to balance our duties / which duties are
more pressing than others? Example : don’t kill > don’t lie
 o Contextualism: whenever you need to make a decision you must study your
options ‫اﻟﺳﯾﺎﻗﯾﺔ‬
Relation between rights and duties: mirror images of each other / you have the right to live but
the duty not kill other

Virtue ethics / good or ideal character ‫ اﻟﻣﺛﺎﻟﯾﺔ‬requires morally good judgment||| ‫ﻣﺛﺎل‬when you
face lion in jungle you should think how to avoid not how to fight
o Virtues: morally desirable features à honest
o Vices: morally undesirable features à dishonest
§ Virtues in engineering: professional responsibility before personal responsibility (people
needs before your needs)
i. Vocation / occupation ‫اﻟﻣﮭﻧﺔ‬
ii. Expertise ‫ﺧﺑره‬
iii. Self governance – having control over yourself “autonomous” ‫اﻟﺣﻛم اﻟذاﺗﻲ‬
iv. Public duty ‫واﺟب ﻋﺎم‬
Types of virtue ethics:
a) Public wellbeing: focused on the good of clients and the wider public
o Generally: not harming others
o Professionally: preventing and removing harm
o Community: volunteering and helping others
o Social: promoting justice
b) Professional competence: virtues involved in the mastery of the technical skills that
characterize good engineering
o Competence ‫اﻟﻛﻔﺎءة‬
o Preparation ‫اﻟﺗﺣﺿﯾر‬
o Diligence ‫اﻻﺟﺗﮭﺎد‬
o Creativity ‫اﻻﺑداع‬
c) Cooperative practice: work successfully with other people / good communication skills
d) Personal integrity: exercise moral responsibility
o Self understanding
o Good judgment
o Commitment
o Application
o Self-discipline
o Integrity
o Honesty
o Truthfulness
o Trustworthiness
• Florman: the quality of an engineer is in loyalty to employers ( priority to employer ) and
being conscientious ‫ اﻟﺿﻣﯾر‬/
• Conscientious: engineers who do their jobs well are morally good engineers
o Virtues = competence + loyalty ‫اﻟﻛﻔﺎءة واﻟوﻻء‬
 ¨ Competence: skill and experience / the ability to solve any problem ||| 98%
of engineering failures are caused by incompetence ; 2% are caused by
‘everyday’ wrong doing
¨ Loyalty: working in the best interests of the employer
• Problems: duty to employers comes before everything holding paramount safety health
and welfare
• Aristotle: loyalty to community : moral virtues are habits of reaching a proper balance
\\\ ‫اﻟﻣﺛﺎﻟﯾﺔ ﺗﻲ ﻣن اﻟﻣﻣﺎرﺳﺔ‬
a) Golden mean: the middle | balance between too much and too little ||| ‫ إذا‬:‫ﻣﺛﺎل‬
‫ﻛﻧت واﯾد ﺷﺟﺎع ف اﻧﺗﮫ ﻣﺗﮭور وإذا ﻛﻧت ﻣب ﺷﺟﺎع ف اﻧﺗﮫ ﺟﺑﺎن \ ﺧﻠك ﻓﻲ اﻟﻧص‬
b) Practical wisdom ‫ اﻟﺣﻛﻣﺔ اﻟﻌﻣﻠﯾﺔ‬:: knowing what is good, right or best for humanity
// Morally good judgment which lets you determine the golden mean for all
other virtues
o Development of good habits as achieved through proper training within families
and communities
o Example : when we visit the site we wear a helmet / first couple of times its
annoying then it becomes normal
c) Community and self: we can help the community achieve the public good it
needs + fulfil our personal needs
d) Social practices / cooperative human practices about normal life “by practice it
will follow”
o Alasdair Macintyre applied Aristotle ideas stating that: valuable social
activities engaged in social practices
o Example: dealing with different personalities
à Internal goods: ‫ أي ﺷﻲ ﯾﻔﯾد اﻟﻣﺟﺗﻣﻊ‬/ good things that are so essential
to a social activity that they basically define it
à External goods: goods that can be earned through engaging in
social practices like money / example – tutorial center
à Standard of excellence: enable internal goods to be achieved
without compromising internal goods
à Progress: human progress is made through social practices which
expand our understanding and let us achieve public and private
goods
‫ وإذا ﻛﺎن ﯾدرس‬internal ‫ ﻣﺛﻼ إذا ﺣد ﻛﺎن ﯾدرس ﻣﺟﻣوﻋﮫ ﺑدون ﻓﻠوس ھذا اﺳﻣﮫ‬à
‫ اﻧﮫ ﺗﺳوي ﺷﻲء ﯾﻔﯾد‬internal ‫ ال‬:: external ‫ﻣﺟﻣوﻋﮫ وﯾطﻠب اﻧﮫ ﯾدﻓﻌوا ﻓﻠوس ھذا‬
‫ﻣﺛﺎل ﺛﺎﻧﻲ اﻟﻔﻌﺎﻟﯾﺎت اﻟﻲ ﺗﺳﺗوي‬ll ‫ ﯾﻛون ﻋﻛﺳﮫ‬external ‫اﻟﻣﺟﺗﻣﻊ ﺑدون ﻣﻘﺎﺑل اﻣﺎ ال‬
‫ وإذا ﻓﻠوس ھذا ﯾﻌﺗﺑر‬internal ‫ﻧﻔس اﻟﻌﯾد اﻟوطﻧﻲ إذا ﻛﺎن اﻻﻛل ﺑدون ﻓﻠوس ھذا‬
‫ ﺷﻲء‬external ‫ ﺷﻲء ﺗﺳﺗﻔﯾد ﻣﻧﮫ ﺑﺷﻛل ﻣﻌﻧوي و‬internal ‫ﺑﺎﺧﺗﺻﺎر اﻧﮫ‬l external
‫ﻣﻠﻣوس اﻟﻲ ھو اﻟﻔﻠوس او اي ﺷﻲء ﺛﺎﻧﻲ‬
o
•
• Problems:
 o dis-unity of virtues / virtues can come into conflict ( strength in certain virtues
and weakness in others) || example: ‫اﻟﺻدق واﻟﺣﺳﺎﺳﯾﺔ – أﻧك ﺗﻛون ﺻﺎدق ﺑطرﯾﻘﮫ وﻗﺣﮫ ﻣﻊ‬
‫ وﻟﻛن ﻣﺎ ﻋﻧدك ﺿﻣﯾر‬،‫ ﻣﺛﺎل ﺛﺎﻧﻲ أﻧك ﺗﻛون ﺻﺎدق‬// ‫ﺷﺧص ﺣﺳﺎس‬
o incompleteness: virtue ethics is too vague if used by itself ; you need a guidline

4. Self-realization ethics: right ethics=self-fulfillment / ‫ﺷو اﻟﺣﻘوق واﻟواﺟﺑﺎت اﻟﻲ ﺗﺣﻘق ذاﺗك اﻟﺷﺧﺻﻲ‬

• Ethical egoism -> ‫اﻧﺎﻧﯾﺔ أﺧﻼﻗﯾﺔ‬: “individualistic”à Moral decision guided entirely by self-
interest / ‫ﻛل واﺣد ﻣﻧﺎ ﻻزم ﯾﻔﻛر ﻓﻲ ﻣﺻﻠﺣﺗﮫ ﺑطرﯾﻘﺔ أﺧﻼﻗﯾﺔ‬

• Community oriented: Building authentic relationships with a community who can be

beneficial / ‫ ﺑﻧﺎء ﻋﻼﻗﺎت وﯾﺎ ﻣﺟﺗﻣﻊ ﯾﻛون ﻣﻔﯾد ﻣﺳﺗﻘﺑﻼ‬: actively seek like minded people to build
a network of mutually beneficial realtionships

® Self-interest:
- Long term: Long term thinking about our self-interest / ‫اﻟﺗﻔﻛﯾر ﻓﻲ اﻟﻧﺗﺎﺋﺞ اﻟﻲ ﺑﺗﻔﯾﯾد اﻟﻣﺻﻠﺣﺔ‬
‫اﻟﺷﺧﺻﯾﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻣدى اﻟﺑﻌﯾد ﻣﺛل ﺷراء اﻟذھب‬
- Short term: Short term thinking about our self-interest / ‫ﺗروح ﻋرس وﺗﻔﻛر ﻓﺎﻷﻛل‬

® Conflict with engineering: its about only thinking about oneself is impractical ethical
theory/ / ‫اﻟﻣﮭﻧدس ﯾﺣط ﻣﺻﻠﺣﺔ ﻧﻔﺳﮫ ﻛﺄوﻟوﯾﺔ ﻗﺑل ﺧدﻣﺔ اﻟﻣﺟﺗﻣﻊ‬

® Three Arguments That Support Ethical Egoism:

§ Argument (1): caring about other people as well as ourselves

§ Argument (2) : individuals who by pursuing their self-interest indirectly contribute to the
good of others || example: going to college then using your gained knowledge to serve
the community \\\ ultimate goal is the good of others
§ Argument (3): people are always and only motivated by what they believe is good for
them in some respect // many actions have multiple motives
• Motives of engineers
o Predominant egoism: always consider your self interest before others / ‫ﻓﺎﻟطﯾﺎرة‬
‫ﯾذﻛرون اﺧدم ﻧﻔﺳك ﻗﺑل اﻻﺧرﯾن ﻋﻧد ﻟﺑس ﻗﻧﺎع اﻟﺗﻧﻔس‬
o Mixed motives: combination of self concern and concern for others
i. Proficiency motives à excellence or skill set to complete tasks //
example: if a Dr sees a patient with a burnt face he will be motivated to
see the result of repairing the patient face
ii. Compensation motives à for social rewards// example: ‫ﺗرﻗﯾﮫ‬
iii. Moral motives à desire to meet responsibility by doing right to others //
example: child in a room on fire ; you will be motivated by the fact that
 you know you can save him || can come into conflict ( die or save
others?)
Jack Kilby Case : people used his idea but he had no problem with it ( no egoism ),
‫واﺣد ﻋدل ﻋﻠﻰ اﺧﺗراع ﻛﮭرﺑﺎﺋﻲ )ﺟﻣﻊ أﻛﺛر ﻣن ﺷﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺳﯾرﻛت واﺣد( اﻟﻣﮭم وﻋطوه ﺟﺎﺋزة ﻧوﺑل وﻗﺎﻟو ﻟﮫ اﻧﮫ اﻟﺗﻌدﯾل اﻟﻲ ﻋدل‬
‫ﻋﻠﯾﮫ طور واﯾد اﺷﯾﺎء ﻣﺛﻼ اﻷﻟﺔ اﻟﺣﺎﺳﺑﺔ و ﻛﺎن رده ﻣﺳﺗﻠﮭم ﻣن رﺳوم اﻟﻘﻧدس واﻻرﻧب ﯾوم ﻗﺎل اﻟﻘﻧدس ﺣق اﻻرﻧب “ ﻻ ﻟم اﺑﯾﻧﮭﺎ‬
”pr q ‫ ﻻﻛﻧﮭﺎ ﺧﺎﺻﮫ‬,‫ﺑﻧﻔﺳﻲ‬

• Self-realization and personal commitment: you are available if you participate

o Linkage to communities: our identities and meaning are linked to communities
“wearing kandoora and abaya”
o Particular communities: an individual’s character is partially formed by
relationships and commitments they enter to à family
o Limits to commitments: major limitations are provided by code of ethics + basic
ideals of justice & decency // example: firework
- You need to follow code of ethics
- Not everything you need you will get
- You need to know your limits
o Professional issues: commitments affect the way we do our job ‫ﻣﺛﺎل ﻣﺎ ﺗﺑﯾﻊ اﻟﺳﻼح‬
‫ﻋﻠﻰ ﺷﺧص ﻣﺎ ﻋﻧده ﺗرﺧﯾص‬
• Religious commitments: most important personal commitments
o Specific religious commitments:
▫ Engineering design can be derived from a religious perspective /
‫ ﯾﻧﺑﻐﻲ اﻟﻧظر ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘﺿﺎﯾﺎ اﻟﺗﺎﻟﯾﺔ‬،‫ﻣﺛﺎل اﻟﻣﻌﺗﻘدات اﻟﮭوﻟﻧدﯾﺔ اﻧﮫ رﻏم اﻟﻣﺗطﻠﺑﺎت وظﯾﻔﯾﺎ او اﺟﺗﻣﺎﻋﯾﺎ او ﺗﻘﻧﯾﺎ‬:

- Openness / ‫اﻻﻧﻔﺗﺎح‬
- Harmony / ‫اﻟوﺋﺎم‬
- Stewardship / ‫اﻟﻘﯾﺎدة‬
- Justice / ‫اﻟﻌداﻟﺔ‬
- Caring / ‫اﻟرﻋﺎﯾﺔ‬
- Trustworthiness / ‫اﻟﺟدارة ﺑﺎﻟﺛﻘﺔ‬

o General Implications :
- Religious beliefs can support morally responsible conduct in other general ways /
’
‫‘ اﻻﺧ”•ﻦ —ﻄﺮق ﻋﺎﻣﺔ ﻣﻌﺘﻘﺪات دﻳ~•ﻪ ﺗﺪﻋﻢ‬r ‫ اﻟﺴﻠﻮك اﻟﻤﺴﺆول اﺧﻼﻗ•ﺎ‬:

1) motivation for acting ethically / ‫داﻓﻊ ﻟﻠﺗﺻرف ﺑﺷﻛل اﺧﻼﻗﻲ‬

2) stimulating moral reflection / ‫ﺗﺣﻔﯾز اﻟﺗﻔﻛﯾر اﻷﺧﻼﻗﻲ‬
3) offering practical guidance / ‫ﺗﻘدﯾم اﻟﺗوﺟﯾﮫ اﻟﻌﻣﻠﻲ‬
4) setting a high standard for conduct / ‫وﺿﻊ ﻣﻌﺎﯾﯾر ﻋﺎﻟﯾﺔ ﻟﻠﺳﻠوك‬

§ ( Ihsan / , ‫ اﺣﺳﺎن و‬Piety / ‫ ) ﺗﻘوى‬---> In Islam

 • Which ethical theory is the best?
o Ethical theories provide practical guidance in moral matters / help make a
decision / Ethical theories succeed in meeting these aims :
i. Clear and coherent
ii. Systematic and comprehensive
iii. helpful guidance
How to choose? Don’t choose, use them collectively to help in moral reasoning