ENGINEERING AS
SOCIAL
EXPERIMENTATION
Lecturer:
Megat Mohd Amzari Bin Megat
Mohd Aris
Engineers –Shared Responsibility
Engineers are not the sole experimenters but
also; managers, marketing people, public, etc.
however,“with knowledge comes responsibility”
Engineers are in a unique position to monitor
projects, identify risks, and evelop realities for
informed agreement.
An engineering professional will take on the
responsibility!
To fulfill their obligations as responsible experimenters, engineers
must:
A primary obligation to protect the safety of human subjects,
providing a safe exit whenever possible, and respect their right of
informed consent.
use imaginative forecasting of possible side effects, and
reasonable efforts to monitor them.
have autonomous, personal involvement in all aspects of a
project.
accept accountability for the results.
display technical competence and other attributes of responsible
professionals.
For Remembrance
Informing for consent (permission / agreement)
requires excellent communications skills in order to
provide appropriate information in an
understandable way.
Also, cooperation with other disciplines is often
essential to assess potential side effects and monitor
effects of "social experiments" through engineering..
Virtue of professional responsibility which includes: i)
self direction, ii) public spirited, iii) team work
iv) proficiency.
Engineers should also display technical
competence and other attributes of
professionalism .
Definite “Style” of Engineering
Contemporary (current) Threats
Contemporary Threats
Conscientiousness (thoroughness)
Relevant Information
Moral Autonomy
Accountability
Responsible Experimentalists
1. Conscientiousness (thoroughness): Protect safety
knowledge, respect right of consent of public
2. Relevant Information / Comprehensive perspective:
Awareness of experimental nature of projects,
forecasting, monitoring
3. Moral autonomy: Personally engaged, thoughtful,
involvement in project
4. Accountability: Accept responsibility for results
of a project (avoid fragmentation, diffusion, time
pressures)
1.CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
People act responsibly to the extent that they
conscientiously commit themselves to live
according to moral values .
Self interest
Moral Agents - Individuals who think solely of their
own good to the exclusion of the good of others
are not moral agents
Conscientiousness moral commitment
a sensitivity to the full range of moral values
and responsibilities that are relevant to a
given situation
Willingness to develop the skill and expend
the effort needed to reach the best balance
possible among those considerations .
Conscientiousness implies consciousness
(in the sense of awareness), because intent is
not sufficient.
Open eyes, Open ears and an Open
mind are required to recognize a
given situation, its implications and
who is involved or affected.
Working Conditions
The contemporary ( modern or present) working
conditions of engineers tend a narrow moral vision
solely to the obligations that accompany employee
status.
Engineers work benefits
90% of engineers are salaried employees work
in large bureaucracies ( organizations or
administrations ) under great pressure to function
smoothly within the organization
Benefits :Prudent self interest and concern for
one’s family make it easy to emphasize as
primary the obligations to one‘s employer
Moral aspiration (goal)
Minimal negative duties:
Not falsifying data
Not violating patent rights
Not breaching confidentiality
Engineering as Social
Experimentation
Restores vision of engineers as guardians of the
public interest professional duty it is to guard
the Welfare and safety of those affected by
engineering projects .
Engineers should not impose their own views of
the social good upon society
2. RELEVANT INFORMATION
Conscientiousness is blind without relevant factual
information.
Shows moral concern that involves commitment to
obtain and properly assess all available
information pertinent to meeting one’s moral
obligations
Grasp the context of one’s work( which makes it
count as an activity having a moral import )
Specialization
Division of Labor
Example
A company may produce items with obsolescence
(uselessness) built into them , or the items might
promote unnecessary energy usage
It is easy to place the burden on the sales
department : “Let them inform the customers”
It may be natural to thus rationalize one’s neglect of
safety or cost considerations , but it shows no moral
concern.
Consequences of what one does
Regarding engineering as social
experimentation :
Engineer should view his/her specialized
activities in a project as part of a larger whole
having a social impact.
Goal is to practice “Defensive engineering “ or
“ preventive technology “
Moral Responsibility
MORAL AUTONOMY
(Morally Self directed )
When People are morally autonomous (self ruling)?
People are morally autonomous when their moral conduct
and principles of action are their own.
Moral Beliefs and attitudes basis of Critical reflection
- Moral beliefs and attitudes must be held on the basis of
critical reflection rather than merely through passive adoption
ie... Particular conventions of one’s society, church or
profession
Moral Beliefs and attitudes must integrate into the core of
an individual’s personality in a manner that leads to
committed action .
Cannot be agreed abstractly and formally or verbally .
Engineers working for an employer sells one’s
labor and skills may make it seem that one has
thereby disowned and forfeited power over one’s
actions
Viewing engineering as social experimentation can
help one overcome the above tendency .
ATTITUDE OF MANAGEMENT
Plays a decisive (vital) role in how much moral
autonomy engineers feel they have.
Long term interest
Thoughtful &
involvement in project
3. ACCOUNTABILITY
Responsible people accept moral
responsibility for their actions.
Accept responsibility for results of a
project
1. fragmentation,
2. dispersion,
3. time pressures
STUDY CASE: NASA
CHALENGGER 7 DISASTER
Brief introduction on the case :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlpOYLJAGqA
Full documentary - Challenger: A Rush To Launch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FehGJQlOf0
