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Ethics: An Overview

The Goal

The Ethical course will develop a framework on

which professional and ethical issues can be

analyzed, and build up an awareness of various views of ethical issues as well as professionals ethical rights and responsibilities.

Why study ethics?

When students enter the professional world, they will

be expected to follow an explicit or implicit ethical

code.

To responsibly confront moral issues raised by technological activity

How to deal with ethical dilemmas in their professional lives?

To achieve moral autonomy

Engineering Ethics
Engineering is a profession serving society. As

such, society imposes special obligations on

engineers.

These responsibilities are expressed in a code

of ethics which all engineers (as other professionals) are expected to follow.

Engineering Ethics
Ethical responsibilities are placed on engineers because they provide services or make judgments

that are not easily understood by the general

public (because of their high technical nature).

Furthermore, the results of their work impact

society as a whole. Clients must trust an engineers professional judgment.

Rules of Behavior
Etiquette - rules of acceptable personal behavior and courtesy when interacting with others in a social setting

Laws - a system of rules and punishments clearly defined and established by a society to maintain a safe and orderly social environment.

Rules of Behavior Morals - personal rules of right and wrong behavior derived from a persons upbringing, religious beliefs, and societal influences. Ethics - a code or system of rules defining moral behavior for a particular section of the society.

Personal Ethics - everyday examples

Software piracy Expense account padding Copying of homework or tests Income taxes Borrowing nuts and bolts, office supplies from employer Copying of Videos or CDs Plagiarism Using the copy machine at work

Professional Ethics in Engineering Part 1: Professionalism Part 2: Responsibility

Part 3: Conflict of Interest

Part 4: Confidentiality

Part 5: Ethical Decision-Making

Part 1: Professionalism

What is engineering?
Engineering is the profession in which knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)

What is a profession?
Examples of professions:

Physician, lawyer, engineer, others?

Examples of non-professions: Plumber, fashion model, sales clerk, others? What distinguishes professions from other occupations?

What are characteristics of professions?

Special knowledge and intellectual skills
Formal education, often graduate degree

Professional authority, judgment, peer review

Community sanction, accreditation, licensing Professional associations; in engineering, ASME, IEEE,

Why do professionals have special ethical responsibilities?

Professionals have clients, not customers (what is

the difference?)

Clients must trust professionals

Profession serves a public good

Codes of ethics: special responsibilities of

professionals

Professional Ethics in Engineering, Part 2: Responsibility

Are you responsible?

You are an engineer at International Programmable Machines (IPM), which makes computers. You are visiting a manufacturing plant of one of IPMs suppliers, which sells parts to IPM and other companies. You notice that a non-IPM system is not properly grounded, and it could cause an electrical shock. What should you do? For what reasons?

Software errors in the Therac-25 resulted in deaths In the early 1980s, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited made the Therac-25 cancer radiation treatment machine Between 1985 and 1987, radiation overdoses by the Therac-25 caused severe burns, which killed

three patients and seriously injured three others

Who was responsible?

Engineers are morally responsible for safety

Engineers shall hold paramount the safety,

health, and welfare of the public. Code of

Ethics, National Society of Professional Engineers

When you see unsafe objects or practices, you are

professionally responsible to act even when you

are not assigned that task

Professional Ethics in Engineering, Part 3: Conflict of Interest

How should you advise the committee? You are an engineer who works for the state

government, but you hope to leave soon for a higherpaying job with Bucknell Corporation.

You are advising a committee that is considering

three bids for constructing a new government building. One bid comes from Bucknell, and you think that Bucknells bid is the best. Should you advise the

committee to accept Bucknells bid? Why or why not?

When does a conflict of interest exist? Person in a position requiring exercise of judgment

Special interests that might interfere with the

exercise of that judgment

Financial interests
Family connections Prior relationships

Why does a conflict of interest seem unethical?

Ethical concerns raised by conflict of interest

Potential bias
Perceived deception Loss of trust Appearance of a conflict of interest

What can you do about a conflict of interest?

Recusal

Disclosure
Management

Professional Ethics in Engineering, Part 4: Confidentiality

Can you work on the new engines?

You designed the engines that Galactic Motors hopes to use in future all-electric automobiles. Six months ago, you left Galactic for a managerial position with Forge Motor

Company, a direct competitor. After a restructuring,

however, Forges vice president asks you to lead a design

team to develop engines for Forges planned electric autos.

The vice president hints that Forge is interested in the design concepts that you previously developed at Galactic Motors. How should you respond? For what reasons?

What is a trade secret?

Information with commercial value Represents an economic investment Required effort to develop Actively kept confidential by owner Need not be patentable Violations covered by criminal law No legal recourse if independently discovered (unlike patent)

You have obligations to former employers

Confidentiality of trade secrets

Promises in signed nondisclosure and non

compete agreements

Professional Ethics in Engineering, Part 5: Ethical Decision-Making

How can we approach moral problems? Identify Affected parties Rights and responsibilities

Additional information needed

Consider alternative actions

Imagine possible consequences

How can we evaluate morality of actions?

Basic ethical valueshonesty, fairness, civility, respect, kindness, etc. Moral tests: Harms test: Do the benefits outweigh the harms, short term and long term? Reversibility test: Would I still think this choice is good if I traded places?

Common practice test: What if everyone behaved in

this way?

How can we evaluate morality of actions? Legality test: Would this choice violate a law or a policy of my employer? Colleague test: What would professional colleagues say? Wise relative test: What would my wise old aunt or uncle do? Mirror test: Would I feel proud of myself when I look into the mirror afterward? Publicity test: How would this choice look on the front page of a newspaper?

Example: Can sending spam be moral?

Spam is unwanted bulk e-mail

Could be honest, free speech, but Harms: Costly, reduces trust in e-mail Reversibility: Senders dislike receiving spam Common practice: Would clog network Legality: CAN-SPAM law does not apply outside U.S., where much spam originates