Lecture#1 Introduction To Engineering Ethics: Shaherbano

LECTURE#1
INTRODUCTION TO
ENGINEERING ETHICS
1
SHAHERBANO
shaherbano.ijaz@gmail.com
What is a Profession?
2
An occupation or vocation requiring advanced study in a

specialized field.
The body of qualified persons of one specific field.

(American Heritage Dictionary)
Term comes from Latin professio meaning to confess or

declare.
Professionals declare themselves to the public as experts in

a field of study, such as law, medicine, accounting,
computer science and engineering.
Ethics
3
Ethics means moral principles that govern a person's

behavior or the conducting of an activity.
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing,

defending and recommending concepts of right and
wrong conduct, often addressing disputes of moral diversity.
It investigates what is the best way for humans to live, and

what kinds of actions are right or wrong in particular
circumstances. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics)
The term comes from the Greek word ethos, which means
"character".
Basic Classification of Ethics
4
Ethics may be divided into four major areas of study:

Meta-Ethics: To understand the nature of ethical
statements, attitudes, and judgments. "What do the words
'good', 'bad', 'right' and 'wrong' mean?"
Normative Ethics: The term "normative" reflects the
ordinary view that some things are betterthan others.
Applied Ethics: draws upon ethical theory in order to ask
what a person is obligated to do in some very specific
situation. Attempts to apply ethical theory to real-life
situations.
Descriptive Ethics: Also known as comparative ethics, is the
study of people's beliefs about morality.
Personal Ethics and Social Ethics
5
Personal Ethics is the process of learning what is right and

wrong, then doing what is right.
Affect all areas of life, including family, finances and

relationships.
Social Ethics are the philosophical or moral principles that,

in one way or another, represent the collective experience of
people and cultures.
This sort of ethics often acts as a sort of code of conduct
that governs what is and is not acceptable, as well as
providing a framework for ensuring that all members of the
community are cared for.
Professional Ethics and its components
6
Professional ethics encompass the personal and corporate

standards of behavior expected of professionals.
Components:
1. Honesty; moral character, positive attributes
2. Integrity; consistency of actions ,outcomes ,values.
3. Transparency; easy access to everything at work
4. Confidentiality; keeping things secret
5. Objectivity; judgement based on observation,uninfluened
by emotions, neutrality
6. Respectfulness; feeling of regard
7. Obedience to law; following guidelines,rules,regulations
What is Engineering Ethics?
7
Engineering ethics is the field of applied ethics and system of

moral principles that are applied to the practice
of engineering.
It is the study of the moral issues and decisions confronting
individuals and organizations engaged in engineering.
The field examines and sets the obligations

by engineers to society, to their clients, and to the profession.
Rules and standards governing conduct of engineers. A body

of philosophy indicating ways that engineers should conduct
themselves in their professional capacity. (Charles)
Ethics in an Engineering Course????
8
We have been studying engineering, such as design,

analysis, and performance measurement.
Where does ethics fit in?
How Ethics Fits into Engineering
9
Engineers . . .
Build products such as cell phones, home

appliances, heart valves, bridges, & cars. In general
they advance society by building new technology.
Develop processes, such as the process to convert

salt water into fresh water or the process to recycle
bottles. These processes change how we live and what
we can accomplish.
Products and processes have consequences for society:
10
If the bridge has an inadequate support, it will fail.

If the gas tank is positioned too close to the
bumper, it might explode from a small accident.
If a medical instrument isnt accurate, improper
doses of medication can be given.
If the process for refining gas produces too much
toxins, it harms the local community.
11
Decisions made by engineers usually have

serious consequences to people -- often to
multitudes of people.
Ethics and ethical reasoning guide decision-

making.
The Essence of Your Engineering Career
12
Engineering is one of the most important professions in

society.
As engineers we dontjustbuildthingsanddevelop
processes.
We build things and make processes inordertobetter

society.
In order to make society better we have to reflect

constantly on the products and processes that we make.
Social Responsibility
13
One main connection between ethics and

engineering comes from the impact that engineered
products and processes have on society.
Engineers have to think about designing, building,

and marketing products that benefit society.
Social Responsibility requires taking into

consideration the needs of society.
Typical Ethical Issues that Engineers Encounter
14
Safety
Acceptable risk
Compliance
Confidentiality
Environmental health
Data integrity
Conflict of interest
Honesty/Dishonesty
Societal impact
Fairness
Accounting for uncertainty, etc.
Professional Responsibility
15
Ethics has a second connection with engineering.
It comes from the way in which being socially

responsible puts duties and obligations on us
individually.
Ethics fits into engineering is through professional

responsibility.
Two Dimensions of Ethics in Engineering
16
Ethics is part of engineering for two main reasons.
a) Engineers need to be socially responsible when

building products and processes for society.
b) Social responsibility requires professional

responsibility.
Ethics and Law
17
The practice of engineering is governed by many laws on
the international, federal, state, and local levels.
Many of these laws are based on ethical principles.
Many things that are legal could be considered unethical.
In engineering ethics, we seek to go beyond the dictates of

the law. Our interest is in areas where ethical principles
conflict andthereisno legal guidance for how to resolve
the conflict.
Importance of engineering ethics
18
Achieved great attention and led engineers to gain an

increased sense of professional responsibilities.
Led to an awareness of the importance of ethics, how

engineers have far reaching impact on society.
Professional and social ethics course is not about preaching

virtue, rather its objective is to increase your ability as
engineers to responsibly confront moral issues raised by
technological activity.
Goals
19
Sensitize you to the important ethical issues before

you have to confront them.
Moral autonomy
To think critically and independently about moral
issues.
To apply this moral thinking to situations that arise
in professional engineering practice.

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LECTURE#1

An occupation or vocation requiring advanced study in a

The body of qualified persons of one specific field.

Term comes from Latin professio meaning to confess or

Professionals declare themselves to the public as experts in

Ethics means moral principles that govern a person's

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing,

It investigates what is the best way for humans to live, and

Ethics may be divided into four major areas of study:

Personal Ethics is the process of learning what is right and

Affect all areas of life, including family, finances and

Social Ethics are the philosophical or moral principles that,

Professional ethics encompass the personal and corporate

Engineering ethics is the field of applied ethics and system of

The field examines and sets the obligations

Rules and standards governing conduct of engineers. A body

We have been studying engineering, such as design,

Where does ethics fit in?

Build products such as cell phones, home

Develop processes, such as the process to convert

If the bridge has an inadequate support, it will fail.

Decisions made by engineers usually have

Ethics and ethical reasoning guide decision-

Engineering is one of the most important professions in

We build things and make processes inordertobetter

In order to make society better we have to reflect

One main connection between ethics and

Engineers have to think about designing, building,

Social Responsibility requires taking into

Ethics has a second connection with engineering.

It comes from the way in which being socially

Ethics fits into engineering is through professional

Ethics is part of engineering for two main reasons.

a) Engineers need to be socially responsible when

b) Social responsibility requires professional

Many of these laws are based on ethical principles.

Many things that are legal could be considered unethical.

In engineering ethics, we seek to go beyond the dictates of

Achieved great attention and led engineers to gain an

Led to an awareness of the importance of ethics, how

Professional and social ethics course is not about preaching

Sensitize you to the important ethical issues before

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