Transcript
Ethics Section – Chapter 6 – Principles of Engineering Ethics
Ethical problems frequently occur in engineering
Example: Engineer may have to choose between risking the health of workers on a project, or stop the project to install safety equipment
Stopping the project would cause delays, and increase costs for the engineer’s clients or employers
Another example: An engineer in a position of authority may have to decide whether giving a small gift is a kindness, or a serious attempt for bribery
When an engineer is faced with a technical problem, there is usually more than one solution, and the goal is to select the best, or optimum solution
This is similar to an ethical problem. There may be several possible solutions, but the goal is to determine the best solution from an ethical standpoint
Codes of Ethics as Guides to Conduct:
Duty to Society: An engineer is required to consider their duty to the public, or society in general, as most important.
The purpose of awarding engineers the authority to practice is to create a greater benefit for society in general
You protect the average person from physical or financial harm by ensuring that professional engineers are competent, reliable, professional and ethical
Duty to Employers: Engineer has a duty to his or her employer to act fairly and loyally, and to keep the employer’s business confidential
Engineer has to disclose any conflict of interest benefitting the engineer, and harming the business that may arise
Duty to Clients: Engineer in private practice is employed by clients, and therefore has the same obligation to a client as the employee engineer has to the employer
Duty to Colleagues: Engineer has a duty to act with courtesy and good will towards colleagues
Duty to Employees and Subordinates: Engineer has a duty to recognise the rights of others
Duty to the Engineering Profession: Engineer has a duty to maintain the dignity and prestige of the engineering profession, and not bring shame to the profession by dishonourable, or disgraceful conduct
Duty to Oneself: An engineer must ensure that the duties to others are balanced by the engineer’s own rights
An engineer must insist on adequate payment, a satisfactory work environment, and the rights awarded to everyone through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
A Strategy for Solving Complex Ethical Problems:
There is a similarity between ethical problem solving, and engineering design methods
The Engineering Design Process:
Design process usually begins with a vaguely perceived need, or problem, and ends with the manufacture or device that satisfies the need
The solution to an ethical problem can be developed by following a comparable series of steps
They are usually as follows:
1. Recognizing that a problem or need exists
2. Gathering information and defining the problem to be solved, or gal to be achieved
3. Generating alternative solutions or methods to achieve the goal
4. Evaluating benefits and costs of alternative solutions
5. Decision making and optimization
6. Implementing the best solution
Applying the design process to ethical problems:
Recognizing the need or problem
Ethical problems may be poorly defined and difficult to recognize
Recognizing that a problem exists is the first step
Gathering information and defining the problem
It’s recommended to act on an ethical problem quickly and decisively, but equally important to have all the facts
When the problem is clearly defined, the proper course of action is usually perfectly clear
However, in some cases, there may be conflicts that lead to a moral dilemma
Generating alternative solutions
When a moral dilemma results, where the engineer must choose between two courses of action, each of which is undesirable, the engineer should try to generate a new, positive, desirable course of action
This part requires creative thought, and is usually difficult
The new course of action may be a compromise, or modification of one alternative to eliminate the negative qualities
Evaluating Alternatives
When two or more conflicting courses of action exist, they must be analyzed to see what consequences are likely to result before a decision can be made
Decision Making and Optimization
If the previous steps have been followed, decision making is simply comparing the consequences of each course of action with the code of ethics, and selecting the best, or optimum solution
In some cases, it may look like that a solution can’t be achieved
What this means is that alternatives exist which conflict with each other
In this case, the arguments for these conflicting alternatives ma be so equally balanced that no course of action is clearly superior
Therefore, the engineer should pose the following questions
Is the problem stated clearly?
Was all necessary information obtained?
Did you seek advice from the people concerned?
Has an alternative, or compromise solution been overlooked?
Have all the consequences for each alternative choice been fully evaluated?
Is a personal benefit or conflict of interest affecting your judgment?
If these questions can be answered satisfactorily, and there isn’t an optimum course of action, then it’s recommended to choose a course of action that doesn’t benefit the person making the decision
If the choices are equally balanced, and the possibility of personal benefit exists, then this choice will ensure that the decision is seen to be morally right
Implementation
Implementing the decision is the final step
It’s usually advisable to act hastily, and unequivocally when ethical decisions are needed
