responsible engineers framing the problem. how do we address a problem? when addressing an ethical...
TRANSCRIPT
Responsible Responsible EngineersEngineers
Framing the Problem
How do we address a problem?
When addressing an ethical dilemma, we usually experience moral disagreement and controversy within a context of agreement
Need a procedure to follow Tools to approach problem
– Line drawing– Creative middle way
1st Phase of Moral Thinking
ScenarioExperience
Personal Morality
Common Morality
Codes of Ethics
Ethical Sense
?’s Problems Analysis
Feedback Loop
Common Morality
Shared common beliefs Can still have disagreements Common features for moral beliefs
– Vulnerability– Autonomy– Interdependency– Shared expectations and goals– Common moral traits
Common Morality
Common moral rules– Don’t harm others– Make reparations for any harms done– Don’t lie or cheat– Don’t break promises– Don’t interfere with freedom of others– Respect others’ decisions– Treat others fairly– Help those in need– etc
Moral Justification
Common morality is subject to criticism and change
Want an ultimate foundation of morality Form consensus with moral values
accepted by almost everyone Used to frame ethics codes
Analyzing a Case
Primary task - Assemble information relevant to the resolution of the ethical dilemma(s)
– What are the relevant facts?
– What are the relevant kinds of ethical considerations?
Analyzing a Case - Sample
Steve is under pressure to complete his graduate research and finish his degree
He must write a research report Most of the data support his conclusion,
but some are at variance Convinced he is right, Steve wants to
drop the ambiguous data
Is it unethical for Steve to do this?
Analyzing a Case - Sample
Codes:– An engineer should be honest– An engineer should report all findings– An engineer should be objective
Even though Steve is not trying to present a false conclusion, he is not being truthful. If he can rationalize this, what else might he rationalize?
Steve should present all data, unless he can mathematically justify exclusion
Issues
Many times moral disagreements turn out to be disagreements over the relevant facts
Factual issues are sometimes very difficult to resolve
Once the factual issues are clearly isolated, disagreement can reemerge on another and even more clearly defined level
Issues
Discerning relevant facts
Weighing the importance of facts
Relevant facts
Known facts Unknown facts
Unknown relevant facts
Issues
Once the facts are available, other problems may arise
Conceptual issues - disagreements in defining terms and concepts
Application issues - disagreements on applying agreed-upon terms
Analysis Tools
Line Drawing - Can help decide a course of action
Negative Paradigm Positive Paradigm
Negative feature 1 Positive feature 1
Negative feature 2 Positive feature 2
Negative feature 3 Positive feature 3
Negative feature 4 Positive feature 4
Analysis Tools
Line Drawing - points to remember– The more ambiguous the case, the more we
must know about it– Imposing a line of demarcation involves an
element of arbitrariness– Concentrating on only one feature is usually
insufficient to decide– Resembles a kind of common-law ethics
Application
Andrea, a chemical engineer, recognizes that some of the ideas she developed for her former employer provide the basis for a solution to a problem faced by her new employer. The two companies are not competitors, and the application of the ideas is so different that few people would even recognize them as having a common origin. She did sign an agreement with her former employer to not use her ideas to compete against them. Is it ethical for her to employ her old ideas in this new and creative way?
Application
Negative Paradigm Positive Paradigm(Clearly wrong) (Clearly acceptable)
Signed Agreement Permission granted
A and B competitors A and B not competitors
Application the same Application different
A’s ideas Andrea’s ideas
Proprietary information Freely available
It should be ok for Andrea to use the ideas for this purpose.
Analysis Tools
Creative middle way solutions - Conflicting values (when you’re between a rock and a hard place!)– Situations in which two or more moral rules apply,
but appear to conflict
– Perhaps one value will clearly take priority (easy choice)
– Often, no easy choice is available (hard choice)
– Can we suggest one or more possible solutions (compromises?) to correct the situation (creative middle way)
Analysis Tools - Creative Middle Way
Analysis
Conflicting Obligations
Further Analysis Easy Choice
Find Creative Middle Way?
Hard Choice
Feedback to factual, conceptual, or moral issues as necessary
Re
solutio
n
Stop
Addressing a Moral Problem
When addressing an ethical dilemma, we usually experience moral disagreement and controversy within a context of agreement
Need a procedure to follow Tools to approach problem
– Line drawing– Creative middle way