Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Engineering Ethics
Lecture Notes
Gunadarma University
The Goal
Environmental ethics
Engineering, Ecology and Economics
Ethical frameworks
Global Issues
Multinational corporations
Computer ethics and the internet
Weapon development
Course Outline (continued)
Pre-conventional Level
Whatever benefits oneself or
avoids punishment
Conventional Level
Uncritical acceptance of society’s
rules
Post-conventional Level
Moral autonomy
Moral Autonomy
What is a “profession”?
What is “ethics”?
What is “professional ethics”?
Ethical theories
Thinking about professional ethics
Professional values
Codes of Ethics
Do you agree?
Itis always wrong to intentionally take an
innocent life?
The right course of action is to weigh the
consequences of action and choose the
action that leads to the greatest good for
the greatest number?
Two Valid Moral Positions
The first is “Kantianism”
Kant: Right or wrong regardless of
consequences
The second is “Utilitarianism”
Utilitarianism: Right or wrong depending
on consequences
Most people agree with both positions
Dilemma
The hijacked plane with 200 people is
approaching a building with 50,000 people
Vote! Will you shoot down the plane?
You cannot subscribe to both principles in
the case.
A true moral dilemma
Which position has the greatest weight in
the circumstances?
Orientation
Aim to show several different ways to think
through a problem in professional ethics,
rather than merely describe what
professionals say are their problems
(sociology of ethics).
“Profession”
“Ethics”
“Professional Ethics”
Profession
All professions are occupations, but not all
occupations are professions
Can take a broad or narrow view of what is a
“profession”
A “self-regulated occupational group capable of
legally prohibiting others (including incompetent
or unethical members) from practising” is a
narrow view
Profession
Group identity
Shared education, training --
requirements for admission
Special uncommon knowledge
Knowledge used in the service of others…
positive social need
Involves individual judgment, (some) autonomy
in decisions
Adherence to certain values
Penalties for substandard performance
Profession
Matter of degree … there are many “emerging
professions”.
Obstacle in the way of the OHS professional is
the diverse nature of practice with competing co-
professionals.
You are not a professional until you are a member
of a group of colleagues who have articulated a
set of standards and values and can enforce
them, at the very least, by exclusion from the
group.
What is a professional?
* from Martin. M. & Schinzinger, R. Ethics in Engineering (3rd Ed.) (New York: McGraw-Hill,
1996, pp. 2-3.
Ethics and Engineering
Where the ethical issues can arise:
Conceptualization, Design, Testing,
Manufacturing, Sales, Service
Supervision and Project Teams
Projecttimelines and budgets
Expectations, opinions, or judgments