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Lecture Week 1

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25 views17 pages

Lecture Week 1

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zaliaameera25
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KNF 3102

Engineering Ethics
(2 Credit Hours)

Faculty of Engineering
Course Aim

The aim of the course is to discuss issues pertaining


the moral aspects such as plagiarism, code of
ethics, social obligations, accountability,
confidentiality of design and ideas and other issues.

Students are also informed about the importance of


engineering boards such as BEM and the institution
of engineers (IEM). Students will have a clear view
on their roles as engineers.
Learning Outcomes

1. Ability to evaluate the moral aspects in engineering field.


2. Ability to identify the responsibility as an engineer.
3. Ability to practice the good quality of engineering ethics.
4. Ability to relate the global issues and the environmental aspects.
5. Ability to apply a good manager, leader and consultant skills.
6. Ability to apply safety aspects in a work place.
7. Ability to criticise contemporary issues of engineering field.
Science and Engineering

Science is the study of “natural” phenomena. It is the


collection of theories, models, laws, and facts about the
physical worlds and the methods used to create this
collection.

Engineering is endeavor that create, develops, maintains


and applies technology for societies' needs and desires.
What is the difference between
a Scientist and an Engineer?
Scientist Engineer

Create theories. Implement or apply them.

Solve theoretical problems. Solve practical problems.

Spend most of their time Spend most of their time


looking at problems. looking for solutions.

They go hand in hand. They go hand in hand.


5
What is Engineering Ethic?
• The study of moral decision that must be made by
engineers in the course of engineering practice.
• Correct answer to an ethical problem may not be
obvious.
• May require analysis using ethical theories.
Tasks Possible problems
Goals; performance & Unrealistic assumptions. Design depends on unavailable
specs or untested materials/data.
Simulation, Testing of prototype done only under most favorable
prototyping conditions or not completed.
Design Too tight for adjustments during manufacture and
specifications use. Design changes not carefully checked.
Purchasing Specifications written to favor one vendor. Bribes,
kickbacks. Inadequate testing of purchased parts.
Why Study Engineering Ethics?

Ethical issues can be very complex and involved conflicting


ethical principles.

• Sensitise you to important ethical issues BEFORE you


have to confront them.
• Goal is to train yourself to analyse complex problems and
learn to resolve these problems in the most ethical
manner.
What is a Profession?
• Professions are those forms of work involving
advanced expertise, self-regulation, and concerted
service to the public good.
• According to the Oxford Shorter Dictionary:
“the occupation which one professes to be skilled in and to
follow”.
According to Davis*: “A profession is a number of individuals in the same
occupation voluntarily organized to earn a living by openly serving a moral idea in
a morally permissible way beyond what law, market, morality, and public opinion
would otherwise require.”

• Examples of professions:
– Accountant
– Lawyer
– Dentist and etc.
*Michael Davis, ‘‘Is There a Profession of Engineering?’’ Science and Engineering Ethics, 3, no. 4, 1997, p. 417.
Engineering and Professionalism
Is engineering a true profession by Davis’ criteria?
• Group activity
– Engineering is a group activity, which openly professes special
knowledge, skill, and judgment.
• Earn a living
– It is the occupation by which most engineers earn their living,
and it is entered into voluntarily.
• Serving moral idea
– Engineering serves a morally good end, namely the production of
technology for the benefit of mankind.
• Obligation to protect H&S of the public
– Engineers have special obligations, including protecting the
health and safety of the public, that is affected by technology.
Professionalism
• The qualities connected with trained and skilled
people.

Food for thought:


If we distinguish between an occupation (which is
simply a way to make a living) and a profession,
how a transition from a ‘‘mere’’ occupation to a
profession (or an occupation that has professional
status) is accomplished?
Characteristics that are marks of professional status:

1. Extensive training
▫ Training typically required of professionals focuses more on intellectual content
than practical skills.
2. Vital knowledge and skills
▫ A society that has a sophisticated scientific and technological base is especially
dependent on its professional elite. E.g. Rely on lawyer for legal advices,
physicians for medical treatments, and accountants for accounting issues.
3. Control of services
▫ Professions usually have a monopoly on, or at least considerable control over, the
provision of professional services in their area. The control is achieved through
holding the professional title and licensing system.
4. Autonomy in the workplace
▫ Professionals often have an unusual degree of autonomy in the workplace. E.g.
Lawyers decide the most successful type of defense of their clients.
5. Claim to ethical regulation
▫ Professionals claim to be regulated by ethical standards, many of which are
embodied in a code of ethics.
Ethics and the Law
Engineering and business are governed by international,
federal, state, and local laws.

• Many laws are based on ethical principles and others on


practical issues.
• Engineers are minimally safe following laws.
• Engineering ethics seek to go beyond the dictates of the
law.

(BEM Code of
Conduct 2016)

• Our interest is in solving conflict with ethics where there


is no legal guidance.
Three Types of Ethics or Morality

1. Common morality: The set of moral standards/beliefs


shared by most members of a society (or culture) or
almost everyone.
2. Personal ethics: The set of moral beliefs that a person
holds (one’s own ethical commitments).
3. Professional ethics: The set of standards adopted by
professionals insofar as they see themselves acting as
professionals.
Characteristics of Professional Ethics
1. Professional ethics are usually stated in a formal
code.

(BEM Code of
Conduct 2016)

2. Professional codes of ethics of a given profession


focus on the issues that are important in that
profession.
3. When one is in a professional relationship,
professional ethics is supposed to take precedence
over personal ethics.
THE NEGATIVE FACE OF ENGINEERING
ETHICS: PREVENTIVE ETHICS
• Preventive ethics is commonly formulated in
rules, and these rules are usually stated in codes
of ethics.
• The rules are often in the form of prohibitions.
Many of the provisions are explicitly negative in
that they use terms such as ‘‘not’’ or ‘‘only.’’
• For example, section 1,c under ‘‘Rules of
Practice’’ states that ‘‘engineers shall not reveal
facts, data, or information without the prior
consent of the client or employer except as
authorized by law or this Code.’’
THE POSITIVE FACE OF ENGINEERING
ETHICS: ASPIRATIONAL ETHICS
• Engineers do not choose engineering as a
career in order to prevent disasters and avoid
professional misconduct.
• They are engineering students attracted by the
prospect of making a difference in the world.
They are excited by projects that eliminate
disease by providing clean water and
sanitation, develop new medical devices that
save lives, create automobiles that run on less
fuel and are less polluting
The End

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