Professional Ethics by S.

Arunachalam AP/EEE
St.Joseph's
INQUIRIES
TYPES OF INQUIRIES
 Normative inquiries

AP/EEE St.Joseph's
Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam
 Conceptual inquiries

 Factual inquiries
NORMATIVE INQUIRIES

 Identity the values that guide the individuals

and groups from taking a decision
 Identifying and Establishing the morally
desirable norms or standards that are used as

AP/EEE St.Joseph's
Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam
guide to assess something as good or bad

EXAMPLES

 Why must some engineering information kept

confidential?
 How an engineer can protect public safety in a given
situation?
 When should an engineer attempt a whistle blowing?
CONCEPTUAL INQUIRIES

 Useful in clarifying the meaning of concepts,

principles and issues in engineering ethics.
 Clarify key ideas

AP/EEE St.Joseph's
Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam
EXAMPLES

 What is safety?
 What is meant by risk?

 What is a bribe?

 When a gift becomes a bribe?

FACTUAL INQUIRIES
 Descriptive or exploratory inquiries
 Provide facts required for understanding and
resolving value issues
 Understand the business, social and political

AP/EEE St.Joseph's
Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam
realties in which the company operates
 Understand the background that generates a
moral problem
EXAMPLES
 What is the validity of a patented product?
 What are the procedures involved in risk
assessments?
 What are laws enforced in IPR recently?
INQUIRIES ARE COMPLIMENTARY AND
INTERRELATED

Consider a young engineer who became convinced

that the level of pollutants her company is pouring
into the stream is dangerously high, given that the

AP/EEE St.Joseph's
Professional Ethics by S.Arunachalam
children are using the river downstream for
swimming. She expresses her vies to her
immediate supervisor, who says her fears are
unfounded because the pollutants has caused no
complaints in the past.

Is she required to do more?