Ethics In Engineering

Shahrose Zahid Yazdani 101519 041 Section - C

ASSIGNMENT
Q.1. Discuss Kohlbergs and Gilligans theory giving one example to elaborate the diffrences between the two theories. Ans. Kohlberg and Gilligan both presented the three levels of reasoning in their theories, these were: Pre conventional level Conventional level Post conventional level

Kohlbergs and Gilligans theory can be explained by this example: Heinz Steals the Drug In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $ 1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from it." So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug-for his wife. Should the husband have done that? (Kohlberg, 1963) From this example Kohlberg concluded that: The subject who said that Heinz did wrong because he broke the law are reasoning at the conventional level in which right conduct is regarded as simply obeying in the law. Also at this level there are subjects who said that husband did the right thing as in their religion says that human life is sacred and God should be obeyed. By contrast the subjects who said that the wifes right for life is more important then the pharmacists property are according to the kohlbergs reasoning at the post conventional level. Women tended to cluster more frequently then men represents Kohlbergs conventional level. However Gilligan drew different conclusion from this data. She concluded that it reveals a greater sensitivity to people and personal relationships including the relationship with the pharmacist and the wife. Drawing on such reinterpretations of kohlbergs experimental data and combing them with her own studies of women Gilligan offered different scheme of moral development. She recast kohlbergs three levels of moral development as stages of growth. Q.2. Define and elaborate three types of inquiry? Ans. The three types of inquiries are:

Ethics In Engineering

Shahrose Zahid Yazdani 101519 041 Section - C

Normative inquiries: these type of inquiries aim at identifying and justifying the morally desirable standards that ought to guide indiviuals or groups. Normative questions are usually about what is good, for example: What moral rights should engineers be recognized as having in order to help them fulfil their professional obligations? Conceptual inquiries: these types of inquiries are usually directed towards clarifying the meaning of concepts, principled and issues in engineering ethics, for example What does safety mean and how is it related to the idea of risk? What does it mean when codes of ethics say engineering should protect the safety, health and welfare of the public? Factual or descriptive inquiries: these inquiries provides the facts required to understand and resolve the value issues. The researchers attempt to conduct factual inquiries using proven scientific techniques.They provide important information about the business realities of contemporary engineering practice. The history of the engineering profession, psychological profiles of engineering etc.

Q.3. What is profession? According to you which is your ideal profession? If you are working in that profession discuss some of your major social and personal responsibilities.
Ans. A profession is any occupation that provides a means by which to earn a living.

Profession is a form of work that involve advanced expertise, self regulation and concerted service to the public good. My ideal profession is engineering. Social responsibilities: Commitment from the engineering profession to place the public safety and interest ahead of all other considerations and obligations. Engineers to show due regard for the consequences of their conduct for the wellbeing of others as well as for the impact of their work on society. Engineers to make determined efforts to find all of the relevant facts concerning the possible outcomes of the choices available that may positively and negatively affect society. Ensure the safety and well-being of the public. Ensure that societys funds and resources concerning technology are well used. Disclose all known or potential conflicts of interest to their clients by promptly informing them of any business association, interest or other circumstances which could influence or appear to influence their judgment of the quality of their services. Prevent and report unethical conduct Integrity Honesty Personal responsibilities: Personal responsibilities are general obligations towards other indiviuals, most are shared by all persons. An engineer should be honest to his profession.

Ethics In Engineering

Shahrose Zahid Yazdani 101519 041 Section - C

He should establish performance criteria. He should have power to decide on priorities. He should have a concern for other people. Q.4. What are the practical skills required in order to resolve moral conflicts? Ans. As related to engineering ethics the practical skills needed to resolve the moral conflicts include: Moral awareness: proficiency in recognizing moral problems and issues in engineering. Moral coherence: forming consistent and comprehensive view points based upon a consideration of relevant facts. Cogent moral reasoning: comprehending, classifying and assessing arguments on opposite sides of moral issues. Moral imagination: discerning alternative responses to moral issues and receptivity to creative solutions for practical difficulties. Moral communication: precision in the use of common ethical language a skill needed to express and support ones moral views adequate to others. Moral reasonableness: the willingness of an ability to be morally reasonable. Respect for persons: genuine concern for the wellbeing of the others as well as one self. Tolerance of diversity: within abroad range respect for ethnic and religious diffrences and acceptance of reasonable differences in moral perspectives. Moral hope: enriched appreciation of the possibilities of using rational dialogues in resolving moral conflicts. Integrity: maintaining moral integrity and integrating ones professional lives and personal convictions.

Q.5.a. Herbert hoover assumes that engineers are accountable for whether the products they make actually work according to expectations. But suppose, as is typical that an engineer works on only a small part of a building or computer. Is Hoover mistaken in saying that the engineer shares responsibility for the product in its entirety? Does what he says apply only to the project engineer responsible for overseeing an entire project? Distinguish the applicable senses of responsibility. Ans. Yes, Hoover is mistaken in saying so because its not the engineer who is responsible for the entire product infact its the project engineer who is overseeing the entire project. The senses of responsibility begins with, Obligations: these types of responsibilities are morally mandatory. Some obligations are incumbent on each of us such as be honest, fair and decent and other obligations are role responsibilities that are acquired when we take special roles such as parents, employees or professionals. Thus an engineer should have the responsibility to visit the building site and have responsibilities for identifying potential benefits. Accountable: being responsible means being accountable. This means having general capacities for moral agency including the capacity to understand and act on moral reasons. Conscientious: engineers are more likely to accept their obligations and are conscientious in meeting them. They try to do right things even in difficult

Ethics In Engineering

Shahrose Zahid Yazdani 101519 041 Section - C

circumstances and in most of the cases they are succeeded in doing so. As no one is perfect and it is possible to be conscientious in some areas of life such as ones work. Blameworthy/ praiseworthy: when it is clear that wrong doing is at the issue then responsible becomes a synonym for blameworthy and when it is clear that right conduct is at the issue then responsible is the synonym of praise worthy.

Q.5.b. Dispute arise over how a person becomes or should become a member of an accepted profession .Assess these definitions to determine which you think should be part of the meaning of engineers. Ans. According to me the answer should b c as it is close to the meaning of engineers. It states that: In the United States, being officially registered and licensed as Professional Engineer(PE). Becoming registered typically includes (1) passing the Engineer-inTraining Examination or Professional Engineer Associate Examination shortly before or after graduation from an engineering school, (2) working four to five years at responsible engineering, (3) passing a professional examination, and (4) paying the requisite registration fees. (Only those engineers whose work directly affects public safety and who sign official documents such as drawings for buildings are required to be registered as Pes. Engineers who practice in manufacturing or teach at engineering schools are exempt. Nevertheless, many acquire their PE licenses out of respect for the profession or for prestige.)