Richard Jiles

Ethics Essay

EE 394

Review of IEEE Code of Ethics

A code of ethics has its importance in many regards. It ensures that those who have a vast
knowledge of the world around them do not abuse this privilege. They use their knowledge for good,
and not to undermine certain systems around us. Many systems we have in place are for the benefit of
human society and our safety, but there always have and always will be loop holes in these systems. We
must not abuse this to material advantage but instead highlight such weaknesses.
When faced with an ethical decision it is important to make the right choice. Often times it is
better to do the right thing in any situation as any poor decisions you make will come back to you in any
shape or form. Sometimes you will get off lightly, sometimes you entire career will end once an
unethical decision you made has been uncovered in the media. Material wealth is the most compelling
reason for unethical decisions, this is why there are such harsh consequences.
We recently reviewed a case against Volkswagens emissions test results falsification. We found
in this situation that the mentioned car manufacturer had developed software that would change how
the engine was running if it was under test. A group I spoked to all agreed that the ethical thing to do as
a software engineer on that team would be to raise red flags or refuse to work on such a deceiving
system. One would hope in this world such honesty would be rewarded due to public safety concerns.
Our case study mostly pertains to the Integrity of an engineer. Engineers must have the morals
to develop safe systems for the bystanders of invention. We have the responsibility as the creators of
the systems around us to inform people of their properties and issues, to be honest about the creation
and whether it meets and set standards and regulations. Finally we must of the self-discipline to not
accept bribes or material incentive to deceive the public about your work and career.