ENGR 1200 Engineering Methods

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ENGR 1200Engineering Methods

• Ethical Theories
• (Adapted from Charles B. Fledderman, Engineering
  Ethics, 2nd Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson
  Prentice-Hall, 2004)

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Utilitarianism

• Actions are good if they maximize human
  well-being.
• Focus is the good of society rather than that of
  particular individual.
• Example construction of public works
• Example national nuclear-waste repository
• Basis of cost-benefit and risk-benefit analysis
• Objections to utilitarianism
• Seeking the good for the many may be very
  detrimental to some individuals
• Depends upon knowledge of knowing what actions
  lead to the greatest public good, but this often
  requires educated guesswork.

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Cost-benefit analysis

• Project benefits and costs are assessed, and only
  those projects with the highest ratio of benefits
  to cost are implemented.
• Assessment of costs may be relatively
  straightforward, but assessment of benefits may
  not, especially when the benefits come at the
  expense of something whose value cannot be
  quantified.
• Example cellular-telephone towers in scenic
  areas
• Must consider as well who reaps the benefits and
  who pays the costs.
• Example nuclear power plants sending electrical
  power over long distances to cities

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Duty Ethics and Rights Ethics

• Actions are good if they respect the rights of
  the individual. Benefits to society as a whole
  are not the only moral consideration.
• Duty ethics advocated by Immanuel Kant
  (1724-1804)
• Ethical actions are those that can be enumerated
  in a list of duties that express respect for
  persons as individuals and as autonomous moral
  agents
• Be honest
• Do not cause suffering to others
• Be fair
• Rights ethics advocated by John Locke
  (1632-1704)
• Persons have fundamental, inherent rights that
  must be respected.
• US Declaration of Independence is a forthright
  statement of rights ethics.

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Duty Ethics and Rights Ethics

• Duty and rights ethics have difficulties that
  must be recognized.
• Rights of one group may conflict with those of
  another. How are these to be prioritized?
• Application of duty and rights ethics does not
  always lead to the good for society as a whole.
• Examples
• Recent decision by US Supreme Court in Kelo vs.
  New London
• Restrictions on indoor smoking
• Community restrictions on individuals use of
  their land or property

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Virtue Ethics

• Virtue ethics is concerned with what kind of
  people we should be.
• Virtue ethics focuses on character
• Virtues
• Responsibility
• Honesty
• Competence
• Loyalty
• Reliability
• Vices
• Dishonesty
• Disloyalty
• Laziness
• Unreliability

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Virtue Ethics

• Virtue ethics may appear to be not particularly
  applicable to business or professional decisions,
  but personal ethics and corporate ethics would
  appear to be inseparably linked.
• However, there are undeniably cases in which
  persons who exhibit personal virtue have been
  implicated in evil corporate actions.
• Traits such as loyalty and honesty are
  descriptive of persons can they be descriptive
  of corporations? Can businesses and corporations
  be moral agents?

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What theory(ies) should be applied?

• Example a chemical plant near a city
  discharging hazardous waste into groundwater.
• Utilitarianism
• May be unethical, since this may cause harm to
  the community as a whole
• May be be ethical, since the benefits to the
  community (employment, retail sales, tax base)
  outweigh the risks.
• Duty and rights ethics unethical, since it is a
  duty not to harm others and because others have a
  right to not be harmed
• Virtue ethics unethical, because what kind of a
  person would knowingly allow harm to others?

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What theory(ies) should be applied?

• Example a national nuclear waste repository
• Utilitarianism ethical the benefits to society
  of nuclear technology (nuclear medicine,
  electrical power from nuclear sources) justify
  constructing this repository.
• Duty and rights ethics unethical (?) cannot put
  at risk those who live near routes where nuclear
  wastes will be transported.
• Virtue ethics would I be a moral individual if I
  allow high-level nuclear wastes generated for my
  benefit to be transported through someone elses
  community?

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Codes of Ethics for Engineers

• Example NSPE Code of Ethics
• http//www.nspe.org/ethics/
• Fundamental canons
• Engineers, in the fulfillment of their
  professional duties, shall
• Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of
  the public.
• Perform services only in areas of their
  competence.
• Issue public statements only in an objective and
  truthful manner.
• Act for each employer or client as faithful
  agents of trustees.
• Avoid deceptive acts.
• Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly,
  ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the
  honor, reputation, and usefulness of the
  profession.