What is Ethics?
Ethics
Metaethics
Normative Ethics
Applied Ethics
Morality encompasses the first-order beliefs and practices about good and evil by which we guide our behaviour. Ethics is the second-order, reflective consideration of our moral beliefs and practices (Hinman, 2003; Baura, 2006) Meta-ethics: What is the meaning of good? Normative Ethics: It develops theories and models for how we ought to treat each other. Applied Ethics: It centers on the resolution of scientific ethical problems.
Metaethics
Normative Ethics
Professional Ethics
Accounting ethics
Engineering ethics
Who is a Professional?
Criteria to consider someone as a professional (Sociological) -- Extensive training -- Vital knowledge and skills -- Control of services -- Autonomy in the workplace -- Know the ethical regulations (Harris, C., et al., 2003, pp.2-3)
Professional responsibilities for engineers *** Concern for public safety *** Technical Competence *** Timely communication of positive and negative results to management
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All these objectives can be brought under three categories. Emotional engagement Intellectual engagement Particular engagement ---Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) ethics code-1946 --- National Institute of Engineering Ethics (NIEE) --- National Society of Professional Engineers-1912 --These ethical codes may serve as the formal basis for investigating unethical behaviour.
Who is an Engineer?
Operating diesel locomotive??? Received degree in mechanical engineering and got license to work on diesel engines. Genetic engineers??? Physicists do some works as engineers do??? Scientists?? What is engineering?Engineering will be what engineers at the time in question typically do that members of other occupation dont (Davis, 2001, p.386)
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-- Mr. Vivek (hardware manager-cum-engineer) and Mr.
Chandran (software manager-cum-engineer) need to report to Mr. Hariprasad -- Mr. Vivek is responsible for designing and testing the electronic circuits along with his engineering staff. -- Mr. Chandran has assigned the task of designing and testing the software along with his engineering staff. -- Mr. Vivek gave 03 information to the CEO i) the email announcement of transfer was false ii) the product is still not ready to transfer iii) A product recall may occur unless adequate testing is completed.
Utilitarianism
The morality of an action is decided based on the
assessment of its consequences. Jerry Bentham: maximized pleasure and minimized pain J.S.Mill: to maximize happiness & to minimize pain. Utilitarian Decision: Mr. Vivek needs to pay a huge price for telling the CEO that Mr. Hariprasad is wrong in his announcement. This may ruined the relationship between Mr.Vivek and Mr.Hariprasad. It may affect the relationship between the CEO of the company and Mr. Hariprasad. However, suppressing the information and not telling the CEO may cost the company to bear a huge amount of money as a compensation fee. Further, the customer will get affected by it.
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Using utilitarianism, Mr. Vivek is obliged to tell the CEO that the product is not ready to transfer to the manufacturing department. Duty Ethics: Immanuel Kant is propounded this theory. On his view, an action is moral: If it is conducted for the sake of duty If its maxim can be willed as a universal law If it treats human beings respectfully. --- Kant said that we need to treat others as an end, but never simply as a means to an end. --- For a maxim to be considered universal, it must be consistent, impartial, and fair
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Duty Ethics Decision: Mr. Vivek is bound by duty to protect the quality of the products his company produces The maxim of producing high quality products that are not recalled may be considered universal. Company customers deserve to receive high quality products as it is advertised. --- Using duty ethics, Mr. Vivek is obliged to tell the CEO that the product is not ready to transfer to manufacturing unit. The consequences of this action are immaterial. Rights Ethics: Rights and duties are inalienably related with each other. One can claim his/her rights only when (s)he does his/her duties.
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Negative duty (Misuse of right to free speech act) Positive duty (Right to get the basic health care) Natural rights (The supreme reality sanctions- come to us with our birth, e.g. ability to think, reflecting on our decisions, etc.) Human rights (consciously earned by performing duties) Right Ethics Decisions: Mr. Vivek has the rights to tell the CEO that Mr. Hariprasad is wrong about the product, much as Mr. Hariprasad had the right to announce product completion by e-mail. The concept of product recall is immaterial to this discussion. Using rights ethics, Mr. Vivek is obliged to tell the CEO that the product is not ready to transfer to manufacturing unit.
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Virtue Ethics: Aristotle advocates this theory. It says morality is not related to action, but to virtue. Virtue is a quality of soul involving both feeling and action to seek the mean in all the things related to us. Virtue leads to happiness. Virtue Ethics Decision: Mr. Viveks concern were about the faulty product and the consequences after its use by public His courage(virtue) requires to tell the CEO about Mr. Hariprasads decision (otherwise, it will be like RAY-Yamaha) He seeks the mean between Mr. Hariprasad underestimation of the danger of a recall and overestimation of this danger.
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It was understood that- president will take the credit, earned name and fame through media, good publicity, etc. The ethical dilemma was the space center wanted to launch the shuttle but they need engineers approval. Joseph Kilminster (Vice-PRESIDENT) requested Jerald Mason to reconsider his decision (agreed later) Mason--- Lund to reexamine the issue. It is so because the vice president is ready to sign besides he needs the Lunds approval. Think like a manager rather than an engineer Lund changed his mind and signed the document. In the next day the shuttle was exploded during the lift-off time and 07 astronauts killed.
Moral Questions
Should Lund have reserved his decision and approved the launch? Should it be rational for an engineer to think like a manager when public is at stake? Manager vs. Engineer M: trained to handle people E: trained to handle things Lund was advised to focus on people rather than things How best to handle his boss, the space center, and his own engineers? He was to act much as he would have acted had he never earned a degree in engineering.
Reading Materials
Baura, G.D. (2006). Engineering Ethics: An Industrial Perspective. London: Elsevier Publication. Davis, M. (2001). The Professional Approach to Engineering Ethics: Five Research Questions. Science and Engineering Ethics. Davis, M. (1991).Thinking Like an Engineer: The Place of a Code of Ethics in the Practice of a Profession. Philosophy and Public Affairs. Harris Jr. C.E. et al. (1996). Engineering Ethics: What? Why? How? And When?. Journal of Engineering Education. Unger, S.H.(2000). Examples of Real World Engineering Ethics Problems. Sci. & Eng. Ethics
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Contact at: satyasundar@iitm.ac.in