Transcript EGR 1301 – Engineering Ethics

EGR 1301
Engineering Ethics
Copyright Baylor University 2006
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Introduction
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Steven Eisenbarth, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of
Engineering and
Computer Science
Baylor University
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Rules that Govern Human Interaction
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Etiquette – codes of behavior and courtesy
Law – system of rules established by statutes or custom
(as in common law)
Morals – accepted standards of right and wrong
 Some are universal (e.g., lying or killing)
 Some are not (e.g., polygamy and divorce)
Ethics – general and abstract concepts of right and wrong
behavior culled from philosophy, theology and
professional societies.
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Overlap May Lead to Conflicts
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What is legal is not always moral.
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What is moral is not always legal.
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Sometimes even moral principles collide with each
other. More on this later.
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Ethics Example— Speed Limits
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Moral question?
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Conceptual question?
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Applications question?
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Factual question?
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Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
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Factual Issues – arises when there is uncertainty about
morally relevant facts.
Applications Issues – result when it is unclear if a particular
act violates a law, rule or policy.
Conceptual Issues – arise when the morality of an action is
agreed upon, but there is uncertainty about how it should be
codified.
Moral Issues – are involved if the issue can only be resolved
by making a moral decision.
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Other Examples
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Untreated industrial waste discharges
Housing development over toxic waste site
Are theses examples of:
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Moral question?
Conceptual question?
Applications question?
Factual question?
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Emmanuel Kant
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Sought to establish the ultimate principle of morality.
Motivation behind the act important not the results
achieved by the act.
An action is moral if one could will the action be a
universal law.
Respect for persons.
Persons should never be an means to an end but an end in
themselves.
Critical of Utilitarian theories because they tended to
devalued human worth.
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John Stewart Mill
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Greatly influenced by the writing of Jeremy Bentham.
Utilitarianism – “The greatest happiness principle”.
Moral activities are those that create the most good for the
most people. Best cost/benefit ratio.
Requires assessment of the results of actions not the
motives of the actor.
Happiness defined as intellectual as well as sensual
pleasure.
Human dignity implies that intellectual pleasure is to be
preferred to sensual pleasure.
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Rights Analysis
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Similar to Utilitarianism.
Maximize “rights” rather than “happiness”
Two type of rights:
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Liberty rights
Welfare rights
All “rights” are not of equal importance.
Greater weight give to “most important” rights
Select action the infringes the least on the rights of
those involved.
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Christian Ethics
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Love God with heart, soul, mind and strength.
Love neighbor as self.
Moral law as civil restraint.
Moral law as a spiritual mirror.
Moral law as a spur to good deeds.
One seeks God’s grace in all life’s actions
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Moral Principles: Conflicting Guidance
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What is best for society is not necessarily best for
everyone in society.
 Example – where to build an airport
 Example – Stalin murdering 20,000,000 Russians,
ostensibly to make Russia better for the remaining
200,000,000 people.
Engineers generally use cost/benefit analysis which
is more utilitarian.
Which moral theory is more prevalent in American
public policy? In American personal ethics?
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Canon of Engineering Ethics
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Protect public safety, health and welfare.
Perform duties only in area of competence.
Be truthful and objective.
Avoid conflicts of interest.
Reject bribes and gifts that would interfere with
your engineering judgment.
6. Provide honest value to one’s employer.
7. Protect employer’s or client’s confidential
information.
8. Protect the environment.
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Which of Canons Applies
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Engineers get paid to testify as expert witnesses by
the hour, whether their side wins or loses. Lawyers
can work for a contingency. Why? What canon
applies.
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When an engineering goes to work for a competitor of
his current employer, what canon applies?
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Engineering as a Profession
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Profession are defined by statue and regulated by State
Boards
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Doctors must pass medical exam to obtain license and practice
medicine.
Lawyers must pass Bar exam to practice law.
Engineers may or may not be licensed.
In Texas engineering is regulated by the Engineering
Practice Act.
This Act includes as section on “Professional Conduct
and Ethics”.
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Resource Allocation
and the Value of Human Life
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Why we can’t put infinite value on human life in
engineering work?
What value on their lives (on average) do Americans
put?
What are the two critical principles in deciding what is
an acceptable level of risk in engineering work?
 Voluntary or involuntary
 Who takes risk and who gets reward
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From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Chernobyl_Disaster.jpg
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Assignment
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Browse the Texas Board of Professional Engineers Website
 http://www.tbpe.state.tx.us/
Locate the Texas Engineering Registration Requirements
 http://www.tbpe.state.tx.us/eng_req.htm
Locate the Texas Laws and Rules
 http://www.tbpe.state.tx.us/downloads.htm#general
 Download a copy of the Law and Rules Document
 Read Subsection C: Personal Conduct and Ethics
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