Engineering

Ethics

Engr. Melannie P. Adante

Ethics and Your

Education
Accreditation of Engineering
program requires that all graduates
have an understanding of
professional and ethical
responsibility

What Ethical Issues Have

You Faced

in this course?

in your other courses?

in summer jobs?

in your daily interactions with

friends?

Laws, Morals, Ethics:

Whats the Difference?

Laws: A set of rules for personal or corporate

behavior; civil and/or criminal penalties apply
Morals: A set of standards for (personal) behavior
Ethics: A set of standards for (professional)
behavior

Morals and ethics are voluntary in some sense

Like laws, they are open to many interpretations

What is the Basis for

Ethical and Moral
Standards?

Innate and intrinsic?

A product of culture?
Based on religious beliefs?
Developed from logical reasoning?
Based on concepts? On
consequences?

Example Moral Standard:

The Categorical Imperative

(Critique of Pure ReasonImmanuel Kant, 1724-1804)

Act only according to that maxim

whereby you can at the same time will
that it should become a universal law.

Using the Categorical

Imperative to Judge an
Action

Convert the action to a principle

Would it be logical for you to want
everyone to follow that principle?
Yesaction is moral/ethical
Noaction is immoral/unethical

Example: is it ever morally

acceptable to lie?

How Does Engineering

Ethics Relate to Your Life
Now?

You are already expressing your ethical

standards. They are in what you do.

Personal and professional ethics are

connected

Ethics is not just doing the right

thing, its making tough decisions
about ambiguous things

What Is a Profession?

Extensive training, mastery of subject

Professional association
Standards and codes
Self-regulating, via certifications and
licensing
Significant impact on public welfare
Accountability to society

Professional Ethics:
More than Following Rules

Maturity of judgment
Balancing a variety of considerations
Consideration of various means to a
desired end
Supporting the profession
Serving the welfare of the public

What are the Core Ethical

Values of Engineering?

Honesty: truthfulness, fairness, sincerity

Integrity: good judgment, adherence to
principles
Fidelity:to clients, to the public trust, to
employer, to the profession
Charity: kindness, caring, good will,
tolerance, compassion/mercy, adherence to
the Golden Rule
Responsibility: reliability/dependability,
accountability, trustworthiness
Self-Discipline: acting with restraint, not
indulging in excessive behavior

Applied Ethics: Real-World

Problems
In theory, theres no difference between theory
and practice.
In practice, there is.
Yogi Berra

Rarely is there clear right or wrong

Often you are choosing between

competing interests, both of which matter

To avoid real or perceived conflicts of

interest whenever possible, and to
disclose them to affected parties when
they do exist

What is conflict of interest?

Is conflict of interest common?

Is it wrong?

What do you do about it?

Software Piracy

Unethical, or Just Illegal?

2/3 of college students report that they

do, or would, download pirated software

93% claim to endorse IP rights and

legitimate software development

Does this make sense?

What role will IP play in your career?

Ethics as DesignCaroline
Whitbeck
What distinguishes design from the
other engineering you have studied?

Analyzing the situation is not enough

Practical constraints, objectives,
criteria
There may not even be a solution
There is no unique right answer

Designing a Solution to an
Ethical Dilemma

Define the problem

Explore solutions

Brainstormgo beyond the obvious

Identify criteria

Whats known? Whats ambiguous?

Personal values, professional standards,

laws

Consider outcomes and consequences

Professional, personal, legal, moral

Whistleblowing

How can you do the right thing and not lose

your job?

Dont trust everyone to do the right thing

proceed with caution
Gather the evidence you need
Make sure youre right
Dont exaggerate or overstate your case
Wait for the right time to come forward
Remain anonymousthe problem is the
issue, not you

Thinking Ahead

Would you carry a partner through an

MQP?
If you accept a job, would you turn it down if
a better one comes along?
Would you accept a job in the defense
industry?
Would you accept gifts and hospitality from
a prospective vendor?
What would you do if a co-worker is
negligent in his/her work?