Professional Ethics (Lecture-1).ppt

7/22/2019 Professional Ethics (Lecture-1).ppt

1/31

Professional Ethics for Engineers: A

Discussion on Engineering Ethics

SATYA SUNDAR SETHY, Ph.D.Dept. of Humanities & Social Sciences

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Chennai-600 036, India


2/31

What is Ethics?

Morality encompasses the first-order beliefs and practices about

good and evil by which we guide our behaviour.

Ethics is the second-order, reflective consideration of our moral

beliefs and practices (Hinman, 2003; Baura, 2006)

Meta-ethics: What is the meaning ofgood?

Normative Ethics: It develops theories and models for how we

ought to treat each other.

Applied Ethics: It centers on the resolution of scientific ethical

problems.

Ethics

MetaethicsNormative

Ethics Applied Ethics


3/31

What is Applied Ethics?

Ethics

Metaethics NormativeEthics Applied Ethics

Professional

Ethics

Environment Ethics

Bioethics

Etc.

Businessethics

Legal ethics

Medical ethics Accounting

ethicsEngineering ethics


4/31

What is Engineering Ethics?

Engineering ethics is the study of the moral values,issues, and decisions involved in engineering practice

(Schinzinger & Martin, 2000)

Engineering ethics as much a part of what engineers in

particularly know as factors of safety, testing procedures,or ways to design for reliability, durability, or economy

(Harris, C.E., et al, 1996,p.93).

Engineering practices revolve around 03 variables; cost,

schedule, and quality. A little compromise in one

component affect others.


5/31

Occupation Vs. Profession

CarpenterGoldsmith

Builder

Handicraft worker

Tailor??

Bank officer??

Television anchor??

Etc.Individual choice

Not having code of

ethics

EngineersDoctors

Lawyer, etc.

Professors??

Social recognition

A member of a

profession is expected/

anticipated others

behaviour on a certain

situation.

Morally permissible

standards


6/31

Who is a Professional?Criteria to consider someone as a professional (Sociological)

-- Extensive training

-- Vital knowledge and skills

-- Control of services

-- Autonomy in the workplace-- Know the ethical regulations (Harris, C., et al., 2003, pp.2-3)

Professional responsibilities for engineers

*** Concern for public safety

*** Technical Competence

*** Timely communication of positive and negative

results to management


7/31

Ethics Vs. Professional Ethics

Each and every rationalperson

Dont lie

Dont kill, steal, cheat

to others, so onException of these

moral rules and

standards

Self-defense (may kill

others)

Moral permissible standardsof conduct that ideally every

member of a profession wants

every other member to follow,

even if that would mean

having to do the same (Harris,

C.E., et al, 1996).

Engineering ethics as much a

part of what engineers in

particularly know as factors ofsafety, testing procedures, or

ways to design for reliability,

durability, or economy (p.93).


8/31

Objectives of Engineer Ethics

EducationStimulate the ethical imagination of studentsAssist students to recognize ethical issues

Help students to analyze key ethical concepts &

principles

Help students to deal with ambiguity

Encourage students to take ethics seriously

Enhance student sensitivity to ethical issues

Escalate student knowledge of relevant standards

Improve ethical judgment

Proliferate ethical will power (Harris, et al,1996)


9/31

Continue..All these objectives can be brought under threecategories.

Emotional engagement

Intellectual engagement

Particular engagement

---Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

(IEEE) ethics code-1946

--- National Institute of Engineering Ethics (NIEE)

--- National Society of Professional Engineers-1912

--These ethical codes may serve as the formal

basis for investigating unethical behaviour.


10/31

Who is an Engineer?

Operating diesel locomotive???Received degree in mechanical engineering

and got license to work on diesel engines.

Genetic engineers???

Physicists do some works as engineers do???

Scientists??

What is engineering?Engineering will be what

engineers at the time in question typically do thatmembers of other occupation dont (Davis, 2001,

p.386)


11/31

Engineering Ethics & Some EthicalTheories

Utilitarianism

Duty Ethics

Rights Ethics

Virtue EthicsA fictional Situation:

-- A company, 01 CEO, 04 VPs (Executive Committee)

-- The VP of Engineering: manages the design andtesting of new product (Mr. Hariprasad)

-- The VP of Operation: is responsible for managing the

manufacture and delivery of products


12/31

Continue..-- Mr. Vivek (hardware manager-cum-engineer) and Mr.

Chandran (software manager-cum-engineer) need to

report to Mr. Hariprasad

-- Mr. Vivek is responsible for designing and testing the

electronic circuits along with his engineering staff.

-- Mr. Chandran has assigned the task of designing and

testing the software along with his engineering staff.

-- Mr. Vivek gave 03 information to the CEO

i) the email announcement of transfer was falseii) the product is still not ready to transfer

iii) A product recall may occur unless adequate testing is

completed.


13/31

Utilitarianism The morality of an action is decided based on the

assessment of its consequences.

Jerry Bentham: maximized pleasure and minimized pain

J.S.Mill: to maximize happiness & to minimize pain.

Uti l i tar ian Decisio n:

Mr. Vivek needs to pay a huge price for telling the CEO

that Mr. Hariprasad is wrong in his announcement.

This may ruined the relationship between Mr.Vivek and

Mr.Hariprasad. It may affect the relationship between the

CEO of the company and Mr. Hariprasad.

However, suppressing the information and not telling the

CEO may cost the company to bear a huge amount of

money as a compensation fee. Further, the customer will

get affected by it.


14/31

Continue.. Using utilitarianism, Mr. Vivek is obliged to tell the CEO that

the product is not ready to transfer to the manufacturingdepartment.

Duty Ethics:

Immanuel Kant is propounded this theory.

On his view, an action is moral:

If it is conducted for the sake of duty

If its maxim can be willed as a universal law

If it treats human beings respectfully.

--- Kant said that we need to treat others as an end, but never

simply as a means to an end.

--- For a maxim to be considered universal, it must be

consistent, impartial, and fair


15/31

Continue.. Duty Ethics Decis ion:

Mr. Vivek is bound by duty to protect the quality of the

products his company produces

The maxim of producing high quality products that are not

recalled may be considered universal.

Company customers deserve to receive high quality products

as it is advertised.

--- Using duty ethics, Mr. Vivek is obliged to tell the CEO that

the product is not ready to transfer to manufacturing unit. The

consequences of this action are immaterial.

Rights Ethics:

Rights and duties are inalienably related with each other.

One can claim his/her rights only when (s)he does his/her

duties.


16/31

Continue.. Negative duty (Misuse of right to free speech act)

Positive duty (Right to get the basic health care)

Natural rights (The supreme reality sanctions- come to us

with our birth, e.g. ability to think, reflecting on our decisions,

etc.)

Human rights (consciously earned by performing duties)

Right Ethics Decis ion s:

Mr. Vivek has the rights to tell the CEO that Mr. Hariprasad is

wrong about the product, much as Mr. Hariprasad had the

right to announce product completion by e-mail. The concept

of product recall is immaterial to this discussion. Using rights

ethics, Mr. Vivek is obliged to tell the CEO that the product is

not ready to transfer to manufacturing unit.


17/31

Continue..Virtue Ethic s:

Aristotle advocates this theory.

It says morality is not related to action, but to virtue.

Virtue is a quality of soul involving both feeling and action to

seek the mean in all the things related to us.

Virtue leads to happiness.

Virtue Ethics Decisio n:

Mr. Viveks concern were about the faulty product and the

consequences after its use by public

His courage(virtue) requires to tell the CEO about Mr.

Hariprasads decision (otherwise, it will be like RAY-Yamaha)

He seeks the mean between Mr. Hariprasad underestimation

of the danger of a recall and overestimation of this danger.


18/31

Five Questions about Engineering

ethicsWhat is engineering ethics?Why should it be emphasized in engineering

education?

How should it be taught?

When should it appear in the students

education?

Teaching engineering ethics is part of teaching

engineering.


19/31

Why should it be emphasized inengineering education?Long list of Disasters, tragedies, scandals

Something should be done to protect all these bad things

to happen- eruption of engineering ethics

Conscience is not enough to practice engineering andtake a decision

Engineering code of ethics

Learning from some of the unfortunate mistakes

Despite a few engineers misfortune immoral decisions,national surveys usually place engineers near the top of

the list in regard to the public confidence in the ethics of

profession (The Gallup Poll Monthly, 1992, p.3).

---- LIC building of Chennai, India


20/31

What should be the common goals

of engineering ethicseducation?To stimulate the ethical imagination of students

To assist students to recognise ethical issues

Conflict of interest vs. conflict of commitment

conflicting roles vs. conflicting obligationsTo help students to analyze the key ethical concepts and

principles that are relevant to the particular profession

Public health & safety, usefulness, efficiency, quality, cost-risk-

benefit analysis, damaging the environment, truthfulness, etc.To help students to deal with ethical disagreement,

ambiguity, and vagueness.

To encourage students to take ethical responsibility

seriously


21/31

Significance of teaching engineeringethics (EE)Make the engineers understood that ethical responsibility

should be a central concern of engineering profession and

practices.

Teaching EE can increase student knowledge of relevant

standards.

Knowledge of standards includes more than just knowing

what is written in codes or handbooks.

Danger of partial knowledge on codes of ethics

Teaching EE helps students to improve their ethical

judgments

Teaching EE can accelerate the students ethical will-

power.


22/31

How should it be taught?

By using case studiesBy adopting different modes of ethical analysis

-- Drawing the line (Gift giving and bribery)

--Conflict of interest (obligation towards employee & public

safety and welfare)--Trade secrets and Industrial Espionage

By analyzing different concepts those found recursively in

EE.

When should it be taught?

Before earning a particular degree

Before granting license to an engineer

Etc..


23/31

The Challenger Disaster

January 27, 1986 (the day before the space shuttleexplosion)

Robert Lund: Vice-president of Engineering at Morton

Thiokol

Jerald Mason (Boss of Robert Lund)Jerald Mason communicated tospace centre

Expecting the postponementthe space centers safety

record was good

Good: needs the approval of all technical people

Lund did not agree for its launch


24/31

The reasons for its denialThe temperature at the launch site was freezingThe ice was forming on the boosters

The worryO-Rings sealing on the booster segments

O-rings were not perfect.

The technical explanation says, at a certain temperature,the rings could lose so much resiliency that one could fail

to seal properly. If a ring failed in flight the shuttle could

explode.

07 astronauts at stake

Lund was surprised- notice for the launch of shuttle

The committee did not say anything to Lund, and why

should they?


25/31

Continue..

It was understood that- president will take the credit,earned name and fame through media, good publicity, etc.

The ethical dilemma was the space center wanted to

launch the shuttle but they need engineers approval.

Joseph Kilminster (Vice-PRESIDENT) requested JeraldMason to reconsider his decision (agreed later)

Mason--- Lund to reexamine the issue. It is so because

the vice president is ready to sign besides he needs the

Lunds approval.

Think like a manager rather than an engineer

Lund changed his mind and signed the document.

In the next day the shuttle was exploded during the lift-off

time and 07 astronauts killed.


26/31

Moral Questions

Should Lund have reserved his decision and approvedthe launch?

Should it be rational for an engineer to think like a

manager when public is at stake?

Manager vs. EngineerM: trained to handle people

E: trained to handle things

Lund was advised to focus on people rather than things

How best to handle his boss, the space center, and hisown engineers?

He was to act much as he would have acted had he

never earned a degree in engineering.


27/31

Why do we obey theprofessional code?

Oath, Vow, Pledge, etc.

Quasi-contract (against violation, there will be legal

action)

It is an obligation for a professional to abide the codes of

professional ethics while doing the professional tasks.

Interpreting the code of ethics

Does public include the 07 astronauts?

Some case studies for you to reflect upon them.


28/31

Real World Problems

Infants Under Pressure (Sam Wilson & MedTechcompany)

Using Other Peoples Software (Jim Warren &

NewSoft company)

Not Lighting Up (Will Morgan & a state university

of USA)

Air Bags (Bob Baines & an automobile company)

Flight is also Risky (Ralph Sims & SuperComcompany)


29/31

For next class.

Can one be made rational by having just a few

information about his/her professional code of

ethics?

Can one be considered as moral being by virtueof his/her mere understanding of good and bad

actions?


30/31

Reading Materials

Baura, G.D. (2006). Engineering Ethics: An IndustrialPerspective. London: Elsevier Publication.

Davis, M. (2001). The Professional Approach to

Engineering Ethics: Five Research Questions. Science and

Engineering Ethics.

Davis, M. (1991).Thinking Like an Engineer: The Place of

a Code of Ethics in the Practice of a Profession.

Philosophy and Public Affairs.

Harris Jr. C.E. et al. (1996). Engineering Ethics: What?

Why? How? And When?. Journal of Engineering Education.

Unger, S.H.(2000). Examples of Real World Engineering

Ethics Problems. Sci. & Eng. Ethics


31/31

THANK YOU

Contact at:

[email protected]

Date post:	10-Feb-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	vigambetkar
View:	381 times
Download:	4 times

Professional Ethics (Lecture-1).ppt

Documents