Ethical Frameworks
Engineering 185EW
Winter 2011
Herrick Chang
Slides extracted from Prof. Weltman’s Slides
Ethical Philosophies
Attempts to systematize, rationalize and prescribe societal and
personal ethical choices.
• Historical Ethical Theories
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Rights Ethics
Duty Ethics
Virtue Ethics
Utilitarianism
Pragmatism
• Alternative Ethical Theories
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Rights Ethics
• Fundamental Concepts
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Human rights are basic
Rights are a fundamental human authority
Respect for rights is obligatory
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Liberty Rights:
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Welfare Rights
• Types of Rights
• Related primarily to individuals
• Concern non-interference and property protection
• Related primarily to collections of people
• Concern for others within a moral community
• Rights include benefits under contracts and promises
• Examples
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Declaration of Independence
Constitution and Bill of Rights
Modern Rights: Privacy, education, safety, health care, etc.
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Duty Ethics
• Fundamental Concepts
– Duties are basic
– Mirror image of rights -- for every right, a duty
– Emphasis on what we owe to others
• Related Issues
– Unification principles
• Autonomy – Governing one’s own life morally
• Universality – Principles apply equally to all people
• Respect -- Other peoples’ desires, needs, efforts
– Lists of basic duties (Kant and others)
• Examples
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The Decalogue
Code of Chivalry
Cadet Honor Code
Professional Codes (Engineering, Medicine & Others)
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Virtue Ethics
• Fundamental Concepts
– Essential virtues are desirable as
• Attitudes, emotions &
motives
• Guides to conduct
– Being a virtuous person
• Related Issues
– Evolution of virtues
– Association with societal classes
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Utilitarianism
• Fundamental Concepts
– Most good for the most people
– Balance of good vs. bad consequences
– Maximization of net good
• Related Principles
– Rule-Utilitarianism
• Rules determine acts
• Act on those rules that produce most good, etc.
– Act-Utilitarianism
• Actions supercede rules
• Chose action that produce most good, etc.
• Use rules as guidelines and not as absolutes
• Examples
– Cars: Speed & Convenience vs. Safety & Economy
– Air and Water Pollution: Public Health vs. Industrial Costs
– Genetic Engineering: Medical Benefits vs. Risks & Morality
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Pragmatism
• Fundamental Concepts
– Context – In which facts and values must be balanced
– Flexibility – In integrating and harmonizing competing values
– Analysis -- Ethical reasoning vs. fixed rules or ideals
• Related Principles
– Guidance in methods of analytical thought
– Warnings of negative consequences
• Case Solutions
– Cases are concrete dilemmas – with differing moral/ethical opinions
– Emphasizing principles often leads to accentuation of differences
– Emphasizing particulars over principles often leads to pragmatic reconciliation of
differences
– Didn’t we earlier say the opposite with regard to the Golden Rule?
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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