Engineering ethics lecture 1

7/27/2019 Engineering ethics lecture 1

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[email protected]

ISE 4435


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Ethics: An Overview


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The Ethical course will develop a framework on

which professional and ethical issues can be

analyzed, and build up an awareness of various

views of ethical issues as well as professionals

ethical rights and responsibilities.

The Goal


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When students enter the professional world, they will

be expected to follow an explicit or implicit ethical

code.

To responsibly confront moral issues raised by

technological activity

How to deal with ethical dilemmas in their

professional lives?

To achieve moral autonomy

Why study ethics?


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Engineering Ethics

Engineering is a profession serving society. As

such, society imposes special obligations on

engineers.

These responsibilities are expressed in a code

of ethics which all engineers (as other

professionals) are expected to follow.


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Ethical responsibilities are placed on engineers

because they provide services or make judgments

that are not easily understood by the general

public (because of their high technical nature).

Furthermore, the results of their work impact

society as a whole. Clients must trust an

engineers professional judgment.

Engineering Ethics


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Rules of Behavior

Etiquette - rules of acceptable personalbehavior and courtesy when interacting with

others in a social setting

Laws - a system of rules and punishments

clearly defined and established by a society

to maintain a safe and orderly social

environment.


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Rules of Behavior

Morals - personal rules of right and wrongbehavior derived from a persons

upbringing, religious beliefs, and societal

influences.

Ethics - a code or system of rules defining

moral behavior for a particular section of

the society.


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Personal Ethics - everyday examples

Software piracy Expense account padding

Copying of homework or tests

Income taxes

Borrowing nuts and bolts, office suppliesfrom employer

Copying of Videos or CDs

Plagiarism

Using the copy machine at work


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Part 1: Professionalism

Part 2: Responsibility

Part 3: Conflict of Interest

Part 5: Ethical Decision-Making

Part 4: Confidentiality

Professional Ethics in Engineering


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Part 1: Professionalism


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What is engineering?

Engineering is the profession in which knowledge

of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by

study, experience, and practice is applied with

judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically,

the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of

mankind. Accreditation Board for Engineering

and Technology (ABET)


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What is a profession?

Examples of professions:

Physician, lawyer, engineer, others?

Examples of non-professions:

Plumber, fashion model, sales clerk, others?

What distinguishes professions from other

occupations?


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What are characteristics of professions?

Special knowledge and intellectual skills

Formal education, often graduate degree

Professional authority, judgment, peer review

Community sanction, accreditation, licensing

Professional associations; in engineering, ASME,

IEEE,

Wh d f i l h i l


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Why do professionals have special

ethical responsibilities?

Professionals have clients, not customers (what is

the difference?)

Clients must trust professionals

Profession serves a public good

Codes of ethics: special responsibilities of

professionals


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Professional Ethics in Engineering,

Part 2: Responsibility


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Are you responsible?

You are an engineer at International ProgrammableMachines (IPM), which makes computers. You are

visiting a manufacturing plant of one of IPMs

suppliers, which sells parts to IPM and other

companies. You notice that a non-IPM system is

not properly grounded, and it could cause an

electrical shock. What should you do? For what

reasons?

Software errors in the Therac 25


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Software errors in the Therac-25

resulted in deaths

In the early 1980s, Atomic Energy of CanadaLimited made the Therac-25 cancer radiation

treatment machine

Between 1985 and 1987, radiation overdoses by

the Therac-25 caused severe burns, which killed

three patients and seriously injured three others

Who was responsible?


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Engineers are morally responsible for safety

Engineers shall hold paramount the safety,

health, and welfare of the public. Code of

Ethics, National Society of Professional Engineers

When you see unsafe objects or practices, you are

professionally responsible to act even when you

are not assigned that task


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Part 3: Conflict of Interest


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How should you advise the committee?

You are an engineer who works for the state

government, but you hope to leave soon for a higher-

paying job with Bucknell Corporation.

You are advising a committee that is considering

three bids for constructing a new government

building. One bid comes from Bucknell, and you think

that Bucknells bid is the best. Should you advise the

committee to accept Bucknells bid? Why or why not?


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When does a conflict of interest exist?

Person in a position requiring exercise of judgment

Special interests that might interfere with the

exercise of that judgment

Financial interests

Family connections

Prior relationships

f f


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Why does a conflict of interest seem unethical

Ethical concerns raised by conflict of interest

Potential bias

Perceived deception

Loss of trust

Appearance of a conflict of interest


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What can you do about a conflict of interest?

Recusal

Disclosure

Management


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Part 4: Confidentiality


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Can you work on the new engines?

You designed the engines that Galactic Motors hopes to use

in future all-electric automobiles. Six months ago, you left

Galactic for a managerial position with Forge Motor

Company, a direct competitor. After a restructuring,

however, Forges vice president asks you to lead a design

team to develop engines for Forges planned electric autos.

The vice president hints that Forge is interested in the

design concepts that you previously developed at Galactic

Motors. How should you respond? For what reasons?

Wh t i t d t?


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What is a trade secret?

Information with commercial value

Represents an economic investment

Required effort to develop

Actively kept confidential by owner

Need not be patentable

Violations covered by criminal law

No legal recourse if independently discovered (unlike

patent)


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You have obligations to former employers

Confidentiality of trade secrets

Promises in signed nondisclosure and non

compete agreements


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Part 5: Ethical Decision-Making


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How can we approach moral problems?

Identify

Affected parties

Rights and responsibilities

Additional information needed

Consider alternative actions

Imagine possible consequences

H l t lit f ti ?


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How can we evaluate morality of actions?

Basic ethical valueshonesty, fairness, civility, respect,

kindness, etc.

Moral tests:

Harms test: Do the benefits outweigh the harms, short

term and long term?

Reversibility test: Would I still think this choice is good

if I traded places?

Common practice test: What if everyone behaved in

this way?


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How can we evaluate morality of actions?

Legality test: Would this choice violate a law ora policy of my employer?

Colleague test: What would professional

colleagues say?

Wise relative test: What would my wise old

aunt or uncle do?

Mirror test: Would I feel proud of myself whenI look into the mirror afterward?

Publicity test: How would this choice look on

the front page of a newspaper?

E l C di b l?


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Example: Can sending spam be moral?

Spam is unwanted bulk e-mail

Could be honest, free speech, but

Harms: Costly, reduces trust in e-mail

Reversibility: Senders dislike receiving spam

Common practice: Would clog network

Legality: CAN-SPAM law does not apply

outside U.S., where much spam originates


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Engineering ethics lecture 1

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