Professional Documents
Culture Documents
3 Lecture
3 Lecture
3 Lecture
1
Material till slide 15 (previous one) taken
from Engineering Ethics by Charles B.
Fleddermann (Book 1)
Material in the next slides taken from
Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases by
Charles E. Harris, Jr. et al (Book 2)
2
Types of ethics or morality
Common morality
Personal morality
Professional ethics
3
Preventive ethics
What is the meaning of preventive ethics?
4
Preventive ethics
5
Aspirational ethics
What are aspirational ethics?
6
Positive engineering
What could be examples of positive
engineering?
7
Professionalism and Code of Ethics
Chapter 2 of Book 1
8
Brief case study
9
Code of ethics
We can develop a framework for
understanding ethical problems
One part of the framework is code of ethics
developed by professional engineering
organizations
These can guide engineers and give them
insight into ethical problems
10
Engineering as a profession
Attributes of a profession
11
Engineering as a profession
Note the words judgement and discretion in
attribute 1 in previous slide
12
Engineering as a profession
We will consider engineering as a profession
13
Codes of ethics
Codes express the rights, duties and
obligations of members of the profession
14
Codes of ethics
Provide a framework for ethical judgement
for a professional
Can only serve as starting point for ethical
decision making
15
Codes of ethics
Is not a recipe for ethical behaviour
Is never a substitute for sound judgement
Is not a legal document
You cannot be arrested for violating its
provisions, though expulsion from society may
result
16
Codes of ethics
There are objections to code as well
Engineers not aware of codes
Have never read it
Do not consult it
There can be internal conflicts in codes
How?
17
Understanding Ethical Problems
Book 1, Chapter 3
18
Case study
19
Case study
20
Understanding Ethical Problems
In order to answer the question in the last
slide
We need a framework for analysing ethical
problems
What can be an example of such a framework?
We also need to understand moral theories
As a means for analysing ethical cases
21
Ethical Thought
How does ethical thought originate?
22
Ethical theories
What is a moral theory?
It defines terms in uniform ways and links ideas
and problems together in consistent ways
Same as scientific theories, which also organize
ideas, define terms, and facilitate problem
solving
23
Four ethical theories
Differ according to what is held to be the
most important moral concept
Utilitarianism
Duty ethics
Rights ethics
Virtue ethics
24
Four ethical theories
Utilitarianism
Example of dam building
25
Four ethical theories
Utilitarianism
WIPP example
26
Four ethical theories
Utilitarianism
WIPP example
27
Four ethical theories
Utilitarianism
WIPP example
28
Four ethical theories
Virtue ethics
29
Personal vs. corporate morality
Virtue ethics
30
Personal vs. corporate morality
Virtue ethics
31
Which theory to use
32
Which theory to use
33
Which theory to use
34