PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
and
UNIVERSAL HUMAN VALUES
Prepared by:
Dr. K.G.K.PATNAIK
Associate Professor, MBA Dept.
VIIT, VISAKHAPATNAM
Engineering Ethics:
Introduction:
• Engineering is the process of developing an efficient
mechanism which quickens and eases the work using
limited resources, with the help of technology. Ethics are
the principles accepted by the society, which also equate
to the moral standards of human beings. An engineer
with ethics, can help the society in a better way.
• Hence the study of Engineering ethics, where such ethics
are implemented in engineering by the engineers, is
necessary for the good of the society. Engineering Ethics
is the study of decisions, policies and values that are
morally desirable in engineering practice and research.
History of ethics:
• Ethics is the branch of philosophy that examines right and
wrong moral behavior, moral concepts (such as justice,
virtue, duty) and moral language. Ethics or moral
philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves
systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of
right and wrong behavior". The field of ethics, along with
aesthetics, concerns matters of value, and thus comprises
the branch of philosophy called axiology.
• Various ethical theories pose various answers to the
question "What is the greatest good?" and elaborate a
complete set of proper behaviors for individuals and
groups. Ethical theories are closely related to forms of life
in various social orders.
• While Greek moral thought was originally based on
mythology, which provided moral meaning but no
comprehensive framework, from the 600s BCE a new moral
approach emerged which used rational arguments instead,
leading to the rise of philosophy as a distinct mode of
thought.
• This has been especially attributed to Socrates. The Socratic
method aimed to establish moral truths by questioning the
beliefs of others, rather than by explaining them directly. He
opposed the moral relativism of the Sophists, insisting on the
formulation of moral principles from beginning.
• As portrayed in Plato's Republic, he articulates the greatest
good as the transcendent "form of good itself"
• The foundation of Hinduism is in the epic of Mahabharata,
which contains the concept of dharma, a conception of
natural law and the duties required for the upholding of the
natural order. Hinduism itself is viewed by its followers as
Sanātana Dharma, or the 'Eternal Law', which binds everyone.
• The four aims of Hinduism are moksha (enlightenment), artha
(wealth), kama (pleasure), and dharma.
• Jainism, formalised by the ascetic philosopher Mahavira,
according to which englightenment came through a perfectly
ethical life that necessitated a complete renunciation of the
killing of any living beings, including the smallest of insects.
The other one was Buddhism, founded by the Buddha. Other
responses to the era included materialist schools such as
Charvaka, which embraced hedonism and rejected spirituality.