Engineering Ethics

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Ethics in Engineering Sense

• Ethics: synonyms for “morally correct” or justified - set of justified moral principles of obligation, rights, and ideals

• Ethics: particular beliefs or attitudes concerning morality

• Ethics: area of study or inquiry – an activity of understanding moral values, resolving moral issues, and justifying moral judgments

Ethics in Engineering Sense• In one sense, word ethics and its grammatical variants are

synonyms for “morally correct” or justified. In this usage, engineering ethics amounts to the set of justified moral principles of obligation (duties), rights, and ideals that must be endorsed, as they apply generally and to engineering in particular, by those engaged in engineering. Clarifying such principles and applying them to concrete situations is the central goal of engineering ethics as an area of study.

• In a second sense, word ethics refers to the particular beliefs or attitudes concerning morality that are endorsed by specific groups or individuals. Using this sense, engineering ethics consists of the requirements specified in the currently accepted engineering codes of ethics. Alternatively, engineering ethics may refer to the actual conduct of individuals who are engineers.

• In the sense we will use most ethics refers to an area of study or inquiry– an activity of understanding moral values, resolving moral issues, and justifying moral judgments.

Engineering Ethics • The study of the moral values, issues, and

decisions involved in engineering practice.• The moral values take on forms including

– Responsibilities, – Ideals, – Character qualities , – Social policies, – Relationships desirable from individuals and

corporations engaged in engineering.

Ethics and Practicing Engineering

Family

Global Environme

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Clients or Consumer

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Engineering

Profession

Law, Government & Public

Industry & Other Firms

Engineering FirmEngineerManagerColleagues

Engineering is a Profession• Satisfies an indispensable social need• Requires trust, discretion, judgment• Applies knowledge and skill not possessed by the

public• Promotes professional ideas• Has standards of admission• Employs a code of ethics, ensuring appropriate

conduct and competence

Engineering Ethics: The Public Welfare

• Engineers have a responsibility to advocate the public welfare– Expected by the public– Matter of ethical and legal duty

• Conflict of interest when your employer puts self interest above the public good– whistle blowing be result (self interest)

Engineering Code of Ethics

• Some professional organizations have addressed the complexity of moral issues in their fields by developing codes of ethics

• Professional codes of ethics consist primarily of principles of responsibility that delineate how to promote the public good.

Engineering Code of EthicsProfessional codes of ethics consist primarily of principles of

responsibility that delineate how to promote the public good• Shared Values: The great diversity of moral views makes it

essential that professions establish explicit (unambiguous) standards.

• Support: Codes give positive support to those seeking to act ethically. “I am bound by the code of ethics of my profession to …”

• Guidance: Give helpful guidance concerning the main obligations of engineers. More specific directions may be in supplemental materials or can be developed by discussion based on fundamental guidance. Give forum to discuss.

Engineering Code of Ethics….• Education & Mutual Understanding: Good tool for

classroom and continuing education. • Avoidance and Discipline: Can serve as the formal

basis for investigation of unethical conduct. Professional societies do suspend members based on violations.

• Contributing to the Professional Image: Positive image to the public of a committed professional. Represents self-regulation of the profession that helps reduce other regulation.

• Inspiration: Reflects profession’s positive statement of intent. Show that you have support of others for following positive ethical practices.

Engineering …..Moral DilemmasKickbacks (Reward)• A County Engineer in Virginia demanded a 25%

kickback in secret payments for highway work contracts he issued.

• In 1967 he made such an offer to Allan Kammerer, a 32 year old civil engineer who was vice president of a young and struggling consulting firm greatly in need of the work.

• Kammerer discussed the offer with others in the firm, who told him it was his decision to make.

• Finally Kammerer agreed to the deal, citing as a main reason his concern for getting sufficient work to retain his current employees.

VARIETIES or APPROACHES OF MORAL ISSUES

MICRO-ETHICS emphasizes typically everyday problems that can take on significant proportions in an engineer’s life or entire engineering office.

MACRO-ETHICS addresses societal problems that are often shunted aside and are not addressed until they unexpectedly resurface on a regional or national scale.

TYPES OF INQUIRIES

1. NORMATIVE INQUIRYThese are about ‘what ought to be’ and ‘what is good’. These questions identify and also justify the morally desirable norms or standards.Some of the questions are:A. How far engineers are obligated to protect public safety in given situations?B. When should engineers start whistle blowing on dangerous practices of their employers?C. Whose values are primary in taking a moral decision, employee, public or govt?D. Why are engineers obligated to protect public safety?E. When is govt justified in interfering on such issues and why?

CONCEPTUAL INQUIRY

These questions should lead to clarifications on concepts, principles and issues in ethics. Examples are:• What is ‘SAFETY’ and how is it related to ‘RISK’• ‘Protect the safety, health and welfare of public’-What does this statement mean?•What is a bribe?•What is a ‘profession’ and who are ‘professionals’?

FACTUAL (DESCRIPTIVE) INQUIRIES

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.

Why study ENGINEERING ETHICS

ENGINEERING ETHICS is a means to increase the ability of concerned engineers, managers, citizens and others to responsibly confront moral issues raised by technological activities.

MORAL DILEMMMA

There are three types of complexities.1.VAGUENESS: This complexity arises due to the fact that it is not clear to individuals as to which moral considerations or principles apply to their situation.2.CONFLICTING REASONS: Even when it is perfectly clear as to which moral principle is applicable to one’s situation, there could develop a situation where in two or more clearly applicable moral principles come into conflict.3.DISAGREEMENT: Individuals and groups may disagree how to interpret, apply and balance moral reasons in particular situations.

Steps in confronting MORAL DILEMMAS

•Identify the relevant moral factors and reasons.•Gather all available facts that are pertinent to the moral factors involved.•Rank the moral considerations in the order of their importance as they apply to the situation.•Consider alternative course of action, tracing the full implications of each, as ways of solving dilemma.•Talk with colleagues, seeking the suggestions and perspectives of the dilemma. •Arrive at a carefully reasoned judgment by weighing all the relevant moral factors and reasons in light of facts.

All the above steps are distinct, even though they are inter-related and can often be taken jointly

MORAL AUTONOMY

•This is viewed as the skill and habit of thinking rationally about ethical issues on the basis of moral concerns independently or by self-determination.•Autonomous individuals think for themselves and do not assume that customs are always right.•They seek to reason and live by general principles.Their motivation is to do what is morally reasonable for its own sake, maintaining integrity, self-respect, and respect for others

Whistle-Blowing• Whistle blowing is alerting relevant persons to some moral or

legal corruption, where “Relevant persons” are those in a position to act in response.

• Whistle-Blowing indicates serious corporate culture problems• “Whistle-blowing” - the act of a man or woman who, believing

that the public interest overrides the interest of the organization he[or she] serves, publicly “blows the whistle” if the organization is involved in corrupt, illegal, fraudulent, or harmful activity.

• Some of the enemies of business now encourage an employee to be disloyal to the enterprise.

• They want to create suspicion and disharmony and pry into the proprietary interests of the business.

• However this is labeled -industrial espionage, whistle-blowing or professional responsibility - it is another tactic for spreading disunity and creating conflict

Engineering Dilemmas: WHISTLE BLOWING

• Carl Houston was a welding supervisor for a nuclear power facility in Virginia (1970) for Stone & Weber. He saw– Improper welding procedures– Use of wrong materials– Welders were not trained properly– The Situation was dangerous

• He reported to Stone & Weber’s Manager, who ignored him.

• He threatened to write to Stone & Weber’s Headquarters. Shortly thereafter he was fired on trumped – up charges.

• Finally he wrote to Senators Howard's Baker and Albert Gore.

• The Senators prompted the Atomic Energy Commission to investigate, which confirmed his allegations.

whistle-blowing : Examples

• Incompetence• Criminal Behavior• Unethical Policies• Threat to Public Safety• Injustices to Workers

Moral Guidelines to Whistle-BlowingIt is morally permissible for engineers to engage in whistle-

blowing concerning safety:1. If the harm that will be done by the product to the public is

serious and considerable2. If they make their concerns known to their superiors3. If getting no satisfaction from their immediate superiors, they

exhaust the channels available within the corporation, including going to the board of directors.

In order for whistle-blowing to be morally obligatory however, DeGeorge gives two further conditions:

4. He [or she] must have documented evidence that would convince a reasonable, impartial observer that his [or her] view of the situation is correct and the company policy wrong.

5. There must be strong evidence that making the information public will in fact prevent the threatened serious harm.

RELIGION AND ETHICS

•The “Golden Rule” is a basic tenet in almost all religions: Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Confucian, Buddhist, Muslim.•“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

•“Treat others as you would like them to treat you” (Christian).•“Hurt not others with that which pains you” (Buddhist)•“What is hateful to yourself do not do to your fellow men” (Judaism)•“No man is a true believer unless he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself” (Islam)

KOHLBERG’S THEORY

STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT•Pre-conventional LevelWhatever benefits oneself or avoids punishment. This is the level of development of all young children. -Avoid punishment & Gain Reward•Conventional LevelUncritical acceptance of one’s family, group or society are accepted as final standard of morality. Most adults do not mature beyond this stage. -1.Gain Approval & Avoid Disapproval & 2. Duty & Guilt•Post-conventional LevelMotivation to do what is morally reasonable for its own sake, rather than solely from ulterior motives, with also a desire to maintain their moral integrity, self-respect and the respect of other autonomous individuals. They are ‘Morally autonomous’ people. -1. Agreed upon rights & 2. Personal moral standards

GILLIGAN’S THEORY

•Pre-conventional LevelThis is the same as Kohlberg’s first level in that the person is preoccupied with self centered reasoning, caring for the needs and desires of self. •ConventionalHere the thinking is opposite in that, one is preoccupied with not hurting others and a willingness to sacrifice one’s own interests in order to help or nurture others (or retain friendship). •Post-conventional LevelAchieved through context-oriented reasoning, rather than by applying abstract rules ranked in a hierarchy of importance. Here the individual becomes able to strike a reasoned balance between caring about other people and pursuing one’s own self-interest while exercising one’s rights.

Differences between the Two Theories

KOHLBERG GILLIGANI. Ethics of rules and rights Ethics of care II. Studies based on well educated, white male’s only, tending male bias.

Studies included females and colored peoples

III. Application of abstract rules ranked in the order of importance

Application of context-oriented reasoning.

IV. Studies were hypothesized for both the genders even though the study was conducted mostly on males

Study was conducted on both genders and it was found, men based their reasoning on ‘justice’ and women based theirs on ‘care’

CONSENSUS AND CONTROVERSY

CONTROVERSY:•All individuals will not arrive at same verdict during their exercising their moral autonomy. •Aristotle noted long ago that morality is not as precise and clear-cut as arithmetic. •Aim of teaching engg ethics is not to get unanimous conformity of outlook by indoctrination, authoritarian and dogmatic teaching, hypnotism or any other technique but to improve promotion of tolerance in the exercise of moral autonomy.CONSENSUS:The conductor of a music orchestra has authority over the musicians and his authority is respected by them by consensus as otherwise the music performance will suffer. Hence the authority and autonomy are compatible.On the other hand, tension arises between the needs for autonomy and the need for concerns about authority. The difference between the two should be discussed openly to resolve the issue to the common good

PROFESSIONS AND PROFESSIONALISM

Engineers normally imagine that they are servants to organizations rather than a public guardian. Responsibility to the public is essential for a professional.Who is a professional? •Obviously a member of a profession. What is a profession?‘JOB’ or ‘OCCUPATION’ that meets the following criteria from which a person earns his living.•Knowledge – Exercise of skills, knowledge, judgment and discretion requiring extensive formal criteria.•Organization - special bodies by members of the profession to set standard codes of ethics, •Public good-The occupation serves some important public good indicated by a code of ethics.Who is a professional engineer?•Has a bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited school•Performs engineering work•Is a registered and licensed Professional Engineer•Acts in a morally responsible way while practicing engineering

MOTIVES FOR PROFESSIONALISM

•A desire for interesting and challenging work and the pleasure in the act of changing the world.•The joy of creative efforts. Where a scientist’s interest is in discovering new technology, engineers interest is derived from creatively solving practical problems.•The engineer shares the scientist’s job in understanding the laws and riddles of the universe.•The sheer magnitude of the nature – oceans, rivers, mountains and prairies – leads engineers to build engineering marvels like ships, bridges, tunnels, etc., which appeal to human passion.• The pleasure of being in the presence of machines generating a comforting and absorbing sense of a manageable, controlled and ordered world.•Strong sense of helping, of directing efforts towards easing the lot of one’s fellows.The main pleasure of the engineer will always be to contribute to the well-being of his fellow-men.

TYPES OF ETHICAL THEORIES

S.NO TYPES BASED ON

1 Virtue ethics Virtues and vices

2 Utilitarianism Most good for most people

3Duty ethics

Duties to respect persons

4 Rights ethics Human Rights

Queries??