ENGR001
Engineering Ethics
Dr Walid Shatila
1
1- Introduction
Learning Objectives
• Knowing why we study engineering ethics
• Understanding the distinction between business and
personal ethics
• To see how ethical problem solving and engineering
design are similar
2
1- Introduction (cont.)
1.1 Background ideas (existing problems)
1.2 Why Study engineering ethics
– Engineering ethics is the rules and standards governing the conduct of
engineers in their role as professionals, it is a body of philosophy
indicating the ways that engineers should conduct themselves in their
professional capacity.
– The work of engineers can affect public health and safety and can
influence business practice and even politics
– “Moral autonomy” is the ability to think critically and independently
about moral issues and to apply this moral thinking into situations that
arise in the course of professional engineering practice
– Ethical problems in engineering practice may involve conflicting ethical
principles (safety vs cost)
3
1- Introduction (cont.)
1.3 Personal Ethics vs Professional Ethics
– Personal ethics deals with how we treat others in our day-to-day lives
– Professional ethics involves relationships between corporations and other corporations,
between corporations and the government, or between corporations and group of individuals
– The word ‘ professional ’ is hard to define, even for traditional professions such as medicine,
law, accountancy and engineering. However broadly speaking there is agreement on common
characteristics shared by all professions. Thus a professional:
» has specialised skills and knowledge
» has acquired such knowledge and skills through a long period of training and study, and
continues to maintain and update them through professional life
» has, as a result of this specialised expertise, significant power to affect individual clients
and wider society
» belongs to a professional body which regulates their practice
» and as part of that self regulation adheres to ethical principles which the professional
body oversees.
– The expertise of professionals, and the domains over which they exercise that expertise, give
them power to improve people’s wellbeing, or to cause significant harm.
• Engineers invent the future and their work affects the lives of millions of
people, for better or worse. That raises enormous ethical issues in every
branch of engineering, from computing through biotechnology and energy
to civil and aeronautical.
4
1- Introduction (cont.)
1.4 The origins of ethical thoughts
– Religious and non-religious
» We won’t need to refer explicitly to religion in order to discuss ethics
in the engineering profession
1.5 Ethics and the law
– There is a distinction between what is legal and what is ethical
– Many things that are legal could be considered unethical
– If something is illegal does not mean it is unethical
– As engineers our interest is in the areas where ethical principles
conflict and there is no legal guidance for how to resolve the conflict
– While there is clearly a close relation between ethics and the law –
many laws are implemented to enforce the ethical judgments of our
society – the two are not identical. A course of action might be legal,
but it may still strike the engineer as unethical
5
1- Introduction (cont.)
1.6 Ethics problems are like design problems
– Ethics problems are normally open-ended
– Ethics problems rarely have a “correct” answer that will be arrived at
by everyone concerned (in the class)
– However, problem solving techniques for ethical problems are very
similar to engineering design techniques
» A device or product must be designed that meets criteria for performance, aesthetics, and price
» More than one solution, many correct solutions
» Both apply a large amount of body of knowledge to the solution of the problem, and both involve
the use of analytical skills
– The nature of the solutions are different, but the approaches and the
ultimate solution will be very similar to those in engineering practice
1.7 Case studies
– The space shuttle Challenger accident
– The 1994 Intel Pentium Chip
– The Bhopal Disaster (India)
6
1- Introduction (cont.)
Dilemma
Assume you are the main engineer for a company. Whilst completing an Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) for a paper manufacturing company, you have been urged to include your
judgement that the increase in traffic caused by the development will not have a negative effect.
However, you do not feel sufficiently competent in this area to be confident in your judgement
and think that the company should engage a specialist consultant, which they are reluctant to do.
What should you do?
1.
You could explain that since you do not believe that you are competent to complete the
traffic assessment in this case you will be unable to continue to work for Pollard Paper
unless they engage an independent expert traffic impact consultant.
2.
You could agree to complete the EIA, but restrict yourself to matters other than traffic, so
leaving it incomplete.
3.
You could accept the view of Pollard Paper and include your own view, of which they
approve, in the EIA, as they are your clients and you do feel capable of making a traffic
assessment with some level of accuracy.
7