Professional ethicsAs an engineer

What is meant by ethics?

Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct.

What is professional ethics?

Professional ethics concerns the moral issues that arise because of the specialist knowledge that professionals attain, and how the use of this knowledge should be governed when providing a service to the public

Anyone who promises to deliver and delivers as promised without giving up his/her own values is a professional.

Professional ethics is about the code of conduct on moral issues pursued by persons sharing the same skill, trade or occupation.

Five ethical principles

Respect Autonomy It is assumed that individuals have the right to decide how they live their lives, as long as their actions do not interfere with the welfare of others. One, therefore, has the right to act as a free agent, and has freedom of thought and choice.

Do No Harm The obligation to avoid inflicting either physical or psychological harm on others may be a primary ethical principle.

Benefit Others There is an obligation to improve and enhance the welfare of others, even where such may inconvenience or limit the freedom of the person offering the assistance.

Ethical principles …..

Be Just To be just in dealing with others assumes equal treatment of all, to afford each individual his or her due portion, and in general, to observe the golden rule.

Be Faithful One should keep promises, tell the truth, be loyal, and maintain respect and civility in human discourse. Only in so far as we sustain faithfulness can we expect to be seen as truly trustworthy

My future profession – engineering

The creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation or safety to life and property

Engineering ethics

Study of human morality

Determining values in human conduct

Deciding the “right thing to do” - based upon a set of norms

In engineering dealing with colleagues

dealing with clients

dealing with employees

dealing with “users’

dealing with public

Typical Ethical Issues that Engineers Encounter

Safety

Acceptable risk

Compliance

Confidentiality

Environmental health

Data integrity

Conflict of interest

Honesty/Dishonesty

Societal impact

Fairness

Accounting for uncertainty, etc.

Two Dimensions of Ethics in Engineering

Ethics is part of engineering for two main reasons:

1. Engineers need to be socially responsible when building products and processes for society.

2. Social responsibility requires professional responsibility.

The Engineering Code of Ethics

The Engineering Code of Ethics has three components:

1. The Fundamental Canons: which articulate the basic components of ethical engineering.

2. The Rules of Practice: which clarify and specify in detail the fundamental canons of ethics in engineering.

3. Professional Obligations: which elaborate the obligations that engineers have.

Some disaster examples

Boston Molasses Disaster The Boston Molasses Disaster, also known as the Great Molasses

Flood and the Great Boston Molasses Tragedy, occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. A large molasses storage tank burst, and a wave of molasses rushed through the streets at an estimated 35 mph (56 km/h), killing 21 and injuring 150. 

Space shuttle challenger

KEY DATES 1974 - Morton-Thiokol awarded contract to build solid rocket boosters.

1976 - NASA accepts Morton-Thiokol's booster design.

1977 - Morton-Thiokol discovers joint rotation problem. November 1981 - O-ring erosion

discovered after second shuttle flight.

January 24, 1985 - shuttle flight that exhibited the worst O-ring blow-by.

July 1985 - Thiokol orders new steel billets for new field joint design.

August 19, 1985 - NASA LevelI management briefed on booster problem.

January 27, 1986 - night teleconference to discuss effects of cold temperature on booster

performance.

January 28, 1986 - Challenger explodes 72 seconds after liftoff.

The golden rule

Confucius: What you do not want done to yourself, do not do unto others.

Aristotle: We should behave to other as we wish others to behave to us.

Judaism: What you dislike for yourself, do not do to anyone.

Hinduism: Do nothing to thy neighbor which though wouldst not have him do to thee thereafter.

Islam: No one of you is a believe unless he loves for his brother what we loves for himself.

Buddhism: Hurt not others with that which pains thyself.

Christianity: Do unto other as you would have them do unto you.

Social Justice: Do unto others as they would like to have done unto them.

Rule of the thumb

We judge other people by their actions and we judge ourselves by our intent.

Never judge others by your values and allow others to judge you by theirs.

Prepared by

Laxman kunwor (库娃）191061210