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DARLINGTON S. Y. DAVID, 2MELVIN M. KOLLIE
1,2
College of Engineering, University of Liberia, Liberia.
Email: 1drdavid.dsy@outlook.com, 2melvingauss@gmail.com
Abstract - There is an increasing multiplicity in approaches to teaching engineering ethics due to increasing discontent with
the prevailing approach which uses studies focused on ethical dilemmas confronting individual engineers. There has been a
claim for a greater consideration of the organizational, environmental and societal context in which engineers work and for a
shift in focus from micro ethics issues concerning individuals to macro issues of concern to the engineering profession.
Besides, there has been a demand that engineers focus on societal decision making about technology and their role in
strategy development. Drawing on the work of Royal Academy of Engineering where John Turnball (ethics and
employability), Rob Lawlor (professionalism), Rob Lawlor & Helen Morley (codes of ethics), and Natasha McCarthy
(engineering responsibility), spoke distinctively of Engineering ethics. This paper provides a framework for understanding
different approaches to engineering ethics. In moving towards an integrated approach, it is argued that a key issue
confronting engineers is how to change the economic and social context in which they work so that it enables rather than
constrains the development of sustainable engineering solution. It is also argued that an integrated approach should focus on
integrating the different levels of analysis into accounts of ethical issues.
Keywords - Engineering society, engineering ethics, ethical issues, engineering and sustainability, ethical standards
Proceedings of ISER 78th International Conference, Hong Kong, 27th-28th September 2017
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Engineering Ethics: An Integrated Approach
before face problem like human – induced climate Ethics in the Profession, states: “knowing engineering
change, the capacity to produce and share so much ethics is much a part of knowing how to engineer as
data about our world, our lives and our finances, had knowing how to calculate stress or design circuit …
a human population of about 7 billion people, all need insofar as engineering is a profession, knowing how
food, water, shelter, education, employment and to calculate stress or design circuit is in part knowing
healthcare. In a competitive global markets, engineers what the profession allows, forbids, or requires”.
must constantly innovate to create new solution and
invent new ways of solving – problems; there is a In fact, good engineers and technologists must be
need to use an integrated approach as a tool to proficient in several areas: they must be able to
resolving ethical issues in relation to the society and competently deliver technical information orally and
the environment. in writing to a variety of audiences; they must
persuade potential clients to accept proposals; they
A focus on sustainability can provide an extremely must demonstrate effective teamwork skills that allow
useful ‘bridge ‘to integrate and link the harder for productive work; they must be honest with clients
technical/material dimensions of Engineering and the and uphold the integrity of the engineering
softer human/social dimensions in a robust, coherent profession. In short, ethics is another element of the
and easily understandable manner. Thus a focus on “soft skills” gab bag that engineers must master
sustainability and Engineering within the context of through academic practice.
sustainable development automatically moves
teaching and research in an explicitly Engineering and technology thus provide a context
interdisciplinary manner in which it is hard to engage for ethical deliberation and decision – making. A
with social and ethical aspect of Engineering. The good engineer or technologist is also to some degree,
need for integrated approach in relation to the scope an ethicist. To understand moral problems, we must
of Engineering Ethics is shown in Table 1. see them in context. To understand problems of
engineering ethics, we must understand the
engineering context. Engineering ethics is lettered
with major cases routinely used in applied ethics
courses to illustrate various issues – this allow for an
in – depth consideration of the context problem.
Using cases provide both a vehicle for ethical
problem identification and in a concrete instance for
moral deliberation. Through cases we learn to
recognize the presence of ethical problems and to
develop an integrated approach as well as analytical
skills necessary to resolve them. Offering ethics in
TABLE 1. Scope of Engineering Ethics technical courses can enhance the entrée: students can
begin to understand the rationale behind design
An integrated approach in ethical issues are needed decision and can project into the future, to see the
for research methods, current ethical standards for potential consequences of those designs. An integral
engineers, application of engineering ethics, approach assures faculty that ethics content is not lost
accountability of engineers, ethics in engineering in a general education jungle, that students clearly see
conflict, and corporate interest and public interest. the relationship between ethics and engineering. In
order to hold paramount the safety, health, and
III. An INTEGRATED APPROACH TO welfare of the public, engineers must be morally
TEACHING ENGINEERING ETHICS committed and equipped to grapple with the ethical
dilemmas they confront. Ethics can help ensure that
This section discusses advantages associated with our students develop methods for practicing the
teaching engineering ethics using an integrated technical and ethical problem – solving skills
approach and offer concrete suggestion for technical required to operate professionally in a world
instructors, focusing on applied approach, rather than constantly remade by new technologies. Engineers
the abstraction of moral philosophy. We also looked need to understand their impact in social and
at different approaches to engineering ethics and environmental contexts. Both locally and globally
problems associated with each. While stand alone knowing and embracing their ethical responsibility.
courses in ethics certainly have values, including The engineering ethics education must displays
ethics in the technical curriculum helps students dialogue surrounding its content and delivery, and
understand the relevance of ethics to their own field should include stimulation of the moral imagination,
of study and closely ties it to core course materials. recognize ethical issues and promote ethical
Inherent to Engineering – Ethics and Engineering go obligation and professional responsibility in
together. Indeed, ethics is endemic to engineering, as engineering students. We look at four major strategies
Michael Davis, at Illinois’s Center for the Study of or approaches as educators using the ABBET criteria
Proceedings of ISER 78th International Conference, Hong Kong, 27th-28th September 2017
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Engineering Ethics: An Integrated Approach
– Micro ethics, Macro or Meta ethics, Heuristics and Heuristics. This approach is the presentation of a
Casuistry, followed by brief criticism of each. procedure with simplified ethical dilemmas whereby
a student applies a step – wise procedure to determine
Micro – ethics. This is referred to as a minimalist ethical resolution. Firstly, the problem with this
approach. This approach references a formulation of approach is its typical use of over – simplified ethical
principles from a specific or general engineering dilemmas that easily map to the heuristic. Yet, ethical
profession whereby the engineering students applies dilemmas most often are complex. Often there are
the code to ethical dilemmas encountered. multiple layers of ethical dilemmas in real
Referencing the NSPE Code for Engineers generally engineering cases that increases the complexity of the
or their professional Society’s code specifically issue. Secondly, the heuristics often use moral
(Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, etc.), the language that is not developed or explicated.
engineering student is told what his profession would
or should do. Weaknesses emerging from this Casuistry. This approach endeavors to present
approach are one; engineering students will approach students with particular cases (actual or imagined)
ethical dilemmas dependent upon the moral decisions whereby students induce moral principles from
of others. This weakness appears to deny their paradigm cases that can be applied to cases of a
personal professional and ethical obligation and facts similar sort. In this approach, two weaknesses can be
to promote their moral autonomy by examining highlighted. First, often this approach results in the
beliefs as an individual and professional. Secondly, exclusive consideration of high profile ‘disaster’
while the micro – ethics approach emphasizing cases that involve engineering. However, this
professional moral codes helps to identify broad approach may lead to students inferring that ethical
ethical responsibility as a professional, the approach dilemmas are limited to the catastrophic and divorced
obscures the complexity of moral dilemmas. from the ‘every’ working of a professional engineer.
Macro/Meta – ethics. This approach seeks to presents Second, this approach assumes a moral consensus
classical ethical theories from the history of moral among those considering the case. Yet, in a pluralistic
philosophy that the engineering student can reference and global culture of conflicting values, this approach
when encountering moral dilemmas. These seems practical in controversial cases and obscures
approaches may chose perspective to create polarities the articulation of principles that may actually resolve
to display the divergence or present various the case or explain why case is viewed as
alternatives to deepen the students’ ethical horizon by paradigmatic.
displaying the moral significance of duty, virtue, A more integrated approach may allow us to focus on
justice, liberty and consequentialism. This approach the relationship between social structure and human
often results in engineering education occurring in action and the manner in which structures both
lower – division ethics classes. Very likely, a student constrain and enable action Ritzer’s framework can
may omit or obscure theoretical abstraction of the be used to look at different approach to Engineering
moral principle that provide little assistance in Ethics (Table 3)
resolving contemporary ethical dilemmas generally or
for engineers specifically. Identifying which theories
to include and omit become difficult. Sociology is a
multi – paradigm discipline and Ritzer (2001) wants
to move towards an integrated approach. Ritzer
provides a framework for distinguishing different
paradigms as a basis for developing an integrated
paradigm (Table 2).
Proceedings of ISER 78th International Conference, Hong Kong, 27th-28th September 2017
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Engineering Ethics: An Integrated Approach
Proceedings of ISER 78th International Conference, Hong Kong, 27th-28th September 2017
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