Professional Practice and Ethics

HUMN 501
Instructor: Dr Mahbubunnabi Tamal

Lecture 06
 An ethical dilemma is a
problem in the decision-
making process between two
possible options, neither of
which is absolutely
acceptable from an ethical
perspective.

ETHICAL DILEMMAS
 WHY STUDY ETHICAL DELIMA ?

❑ Although we face many ethical and moral problems in

our life, most of them come with relatively
straightforward solutions.

❑ On the other hand, ethical dilemmas are extremely

complicated challenges that cannot be easily solved.
How to solve an ethical dilemma?
To resolve: we must

• Identify the factors

• Gather facts

• Rank moral
considerations

• Consider alternative
actions

• Arrive at a judgments
Image result for ethical dilemmas
Related image
REASONABLE SOLUTION TO ETHICAL DILEMMAS

• Moral Clarity:
Identify relevant moral values
• Conceptual Clarity:
Be clear about the key concepts
• Informed about the facts:
Obtain relevant information
• Informed about the option:
Consider all realistic options
• Well reasoned:
Make reasonable decision
 ETHICAL DELIMA: EXAMPLES
Ethical or moral dilemma
ask group of people
about what would be a
right or wrong action for
a man facing a moral
dilemma: should he steal
a drug to save his wife,
or refrain from theft even
though that would lead to
his wife's death?
Ethical Problem Solving
 ANALYSIS AND SOLVING OF ETHICAL
ISSUES
• In engineering analysis, it is always tempting to find a
formula and plug in the numbers and get a proper
solution.
• This type of problem solving is not appropriate to
find solutions to ethical dilemmas.
• Some ethical problems are easy to solve. If you are
tempted to embezzle money from your employer, it
is clear that this action is stealing and is not morally
acceptable.
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 ANALYSIS IN ETHICAL ISSUES

• The first step in solving an ethical problem is to

completely understand all of the issues involved.

• The issues involved in understanding ethical

problems can be considered in three categories:
Factual Issues
Conceptual Issues: Application Issues.
Moral/Value Issues.

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 FACTUAL (DESCRIPTIVE) ISSUES, ANALYSIS
• These are inquiries used to uncover information
using scientific techniques. These inquiries get to
information about business realities, history of
engineering profession, procedures used in
assessment of risks and engineers psychology.

• These issues involve what is actually known about a

case. The facts of a particular case may not be
always clear and sometimes be controversial.
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FACTUAL ISSUES (CONT’D)

•Example: Global warming. Greenhouse gases such as

CO2 trap heat in the atmosphere and cause global
warming. It is thought that the majority of this gas
come from industrial plants and cars. If this is the
case, engineers may be asked to design better
products and redesign older ones. However the global
warming procedure is barely understood and the need
to reduce the emission of these gases is still
controversial.

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 CONCEPTUAL ISSUES (ANALYSIS)
• These issues have to do with the meaning and
applicability of an idea.

• Example: What constitutes a bribe as opposed to an

acceptable gift ?

• Like factual issues, conceptual issues are not always

clear-cut and will often result in controversy as well.

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CONCEPTUAL ISSUES (CONT’D)
• Questions here should lead to clarifications on
concepts, principles and issues in ethics.
• Examples are:
1) What is “SAFETY” and how is it related to “RISK”?
2) “Protect the safety, health and welfare of public”
- What does mean?
3) What is a bribe?

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 MORAL/ VALUE ISSUES

• Once the factual and conceptual issues are

resolved, it is usually clear which moral
concept applies.
 LINE DRAWING
• The line drawing technique that will be
described in this section is especially useful
when the applicable moral principles are clear
but there seems to be a great deal of “gray
area” about which ethical principle applies.

• Line drawing is performed by drawing a line

along which various real and hypothetical
examples are placed. In between the problem
under investigation is placed along with other
similar examples.
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LINE DRAWING (CONT’D)
• At one end is placed the “Positive Paradigm”, and
at the other end is the “Negative Paradigm”.
• “Positive Paradigm”: an example of something
that is unambiguously morally acceptable.
• “Negative Paradigm”: an example of something
that is unambiguously not morally acceptable.
• By carefully examining this continuum, and by
placing the investigated problem at the right
place along the line, it is possible to determine
whether the problem is more like the positive or
negative paradigm.
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LINE DRAWING (CONT’D)

• Case Study # 1 (Cont’d)

NP PP

Dump toxic levels of Water should be

waste into the lake clean and safe

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LINE DRAWING (CONT’D)
• Case Study # 1
Problem: Our company would like to dispose slightly toxic
waste by dumping it into a local lake from which a nearby
town gets its drinking water. Our research shows that with
the amount of waste we plan to dump into the lake the
average concentration in the lake will be 5 parts per million
(ppm). EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) limit for this
waste material is 10 ppm. At this level we expect no health
problems.
Positive Paradigm: The water supply for the town should be
clean and drinkable.
Negative Paradigm: Toxic levels of waste are put into the
lake.

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 LINE DRAWING (CONT’D)
• Case Study # 1 (Cont’d)
• Some hypothetical examples:
1. The company dumps the chemical into the lake. At
5 ppm, the chemical will be harmless, but the
town’s water will have an unusual taste.
2. The chemical can be effectively removed by the
town’s existing water treatment system.
3. The chemical can be removed by the town with new
equipment that will be purchased by the company.
4. The chemical can be removed by the town with new
equipment for which the tax payer will pay.
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 LINE DRAWING (CONT’D)
• Case Study # 1 (Cont’d)
• Some hypothetical examples:
5. Occasionally, exposure to the chemical can make
people feel ill, but this only lasts for an hour and
rare.
6. At 5 ppm, some people can get fairly sick, but the
sickness only lasts a week and there is no long term
harm.
7. Equipment can be installed at the plant to further
reduce the waste level to 1 ppm.

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 Line Drawing - Approach
No Hypothesis -ve +ve Remarks
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 Dump 5 ppm waste in lake; harmless, but X
unusual taste.
2 Town’s water-treatment system can X
effectively remove waste.
3 Town can remove waste with company- X
purchased equipment.
4 Town can remove waste with taxpayer- X
purchased equipment.
5 Occasional (rare) illness, lasts for an hour. X
6 At 5 ppm people get fairly sick, lasts one X
week, no long term effect.
7 Special equipment can reduce ppm to “1.” X

Average score = (10+10+9+6+5+3+1) / 7 = 6.285

 LINE DRAWING (CONT’D)
• Case Study # 1 (Cont’d)
• Now, let’s insert our case: “P” at an appropriate
place (subjective).
• Dumping the toxic is probably a morally acceptable
choice since humans will not be harmed and waste
levels will be well below those that could cause any
harm. However since it is somewhat far away from
the positive paradigm probably better choices can
still be made.
• If not properly used, line drawing methodology can
lead to incorrect results. For example line drawing
can be used to prove that something is right when it
is actually completely wrong. 24
 LINE DRAWING (CONT’D)
• Case Study # 1 (Cont’d)

NP PP

6 5 4 1 7 2,3
Dump toxic levels of P Water should be
waste into the lake clean and safe

• The choice of where to put the examples is up to you. One

can reach false conclusions by using incorect paradigms, by
dishonest placement of the problem within the examples. In
our example we could place our problem next to example 2,
bringing it closer to “PP”. Line drawing technique can be a
very powerful tool only if it is used conscientiously.

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Bribes
● A BRIBE is something, such as money or a favor, offered or given to
someone in a position of trust in order to induce him to act
dishonestly.

● Something offered or serving to influence or persuade

● Why we should not tolerate any bribary?

➢ Corrupts free-market economic system and is anticompetitive.

➢ Bribery is a sellout to the rich.

➢ Bribery treats people as commodities that can be bought which

degrading the human beings
Gifts vs Bribes
● When does a gift become a bribe?
– Bribery: Something offered or given to
someone in a position of trust in order to
induce him/her to act dishonestly

● Where is the line which separates appropriate

and inappropriate gifts?
– Look for answers in written company policy
and ethical codes
Which of the following situations are acceptable?
● Accepting a gift from a sales representative:
❑Five dollar coffee mug (with company’s name & logo)
❑$350 crystal bowl engraved with company logo
❑Same bowl without engraving

● Attending a lunch meeting with a sales representative:

❑Each of you pays for your own meal:
o At a fast food restaurant
o At an expensive bistro
❑Sales representative pays for your meal:
o At a fast food restaurant
o At an expensive bistro
The End
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