Common to all Branches

07G004 Professional ethics and Human Values

UNIT II

ENGINEERING ETHICS
Prepared by R.SENTHIL KUMAR Associate Professor/EEE

ENGINEERING ETHICS
What is EE? The study of the moral issues and
decisions confronting individuals and organisations engaged in engineering The study of related questions about the moral ideals, character, policies and relationship of people and corporations involved in technological activities

SENSES OF ENGINEERING ETHICS

EE has several senses or meanings 4 senses of Engg. Ethics

SENSES OF ENGINEERING ETHICS-I

The activity of understanding moral values, resolving moral issues and justifying moral judgments Engineering Ethics, accordingly, is the activity and discipline aimed at understanding moral values that ought to guide engineering practice, resolving moral issues in engineering and justifying moral judgments concerning engineering

SENSES OF ENGINEERING ETHICS-II

To mark a contrast between moral questions and questions of a political, legal and social nature.

Engineering ethics in this sense would refer to the set of specifically moral issues related to engineering and attributes to the right or wrong decision making process.

SENSES OF ENGINEERING ETHICS-III

Is a set of beliefs, attitudes and habits that a person or group displays concerning morality This sense of engineering ethics id purely a factual matter about what engineers and others believe about moral problems in Engineering and helps in the examination of accepted conventions in engineering to see if they are clear ,justified and sufficiently comprehensive.

SENSES OF ENGINEERING ETHICS-IV

Ethics is that which is morally correct For example peoples actions and principles of conduct may be either ethical (right ,good ,or permissible) or unethical In this usage engineering ethics amounts to a set of justified moral principles of obligation, rights and ideals that ought to be endorsed by those engaged in engineering.

ENGINEERING AS AN ETHICAL PROFESSION

What is a Profession?
special expertise shared moral values dependent public self-regulation promote and protect right actions

The responsibility to be ethical The right to be ethical Values embedded in technology

So Why Bother With Ethics??

Special knowledge Involved in decision-making Engineering pervades society

BOTTOM LINE: Practicing engineers are more apt to get into trouble as a result of a failure to properly anticipate and handle ethical problems rather than as a result of a traditional engineering problems!

Variety of moral issues

ETHICAL BEHAVIOR UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR

Quality products Conservation of

resources Pride in work Public safety

Timeliness

Shoddy products Waste, fraud, greed Abuse of expertise Guilt, fear Lack of safety Cutting corners

GOOD

poor design rushed testing

BUSINESS

DISASTERS!

Ethics will be THE issue of the 21st Century

Modern recipe for disaster:

Highly intelligent engineers and scientists Advanced technologies Unethical decisions

Remember Cherynobyl, Challenger, Robert Morris

computer virus, Mars Lander.....