Introduction to Engineering Introduction To Ethics I

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Introduction to EngineeringIntroduction To
Ethics I

• Agenda
• Introduce and Define Ethics
• Develop a Process for Responding To
• Ethical Problems

Reference Martin Schinzinger, Introduction To
Engineering Ethics, p. 1-22
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Ethical Expectations of Professionals

• A survey of 200 business executives asked them to
  list the most ethical professionals in their
  experience.
• Make a list of who you would expect to be the top
  three

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Defining Ethics

• Ethics - synonyms for morally correct or
  justified - set of justified moral principles of
  obligation, rights, and ideals
• Ethics - particular beliefs or attitudes
  concerning morality
• Ethics - area of study or inquiry an activity
  of understanding moral values, resolving moral
  issues, and justifying moral judgments

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What are moral values? What is morality?

• Dictionary concerns right and wrong, good and
  bad, the rules that ought to be followed.
• Morality about reasons centered in respect for
  other people as well as ourselves, reasons that
  involve their good as well as our own.

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How are ethics and law related?
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Developing a Well-Reasoned Response to a Moral
Dilemma

• Moral dilemmas are situations in which two or
  more moral obligations, duties, rights, goods, or
  ideals come into conflict with one another.
• How does one decide whether a response is
  well-reasoned? What criteria apply? Can we
  reliably judge?

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Responses can be judged on these criteria

1. Whether the response addresses each of the issues
   and points of ethical conflict presented in the
   case or problem
2. Whether each interested partys legitimate
   expectations are considered
3. Whether the consequences of acting are
   recognized, specifically described (not just
   generally mentioned), and incorporated into the
   decision and
4. Whether each of the duties or obligations of the
   protagonist are described and grounded in moral
   considerations.

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Approach to Applying the Criteria

• Case
• Heinzs wife is dying. A cure is available from
  a druggist in Heinzs town, who is the one who
  discovered the drug, but the druggist charges
  much more that it costs him to make it, and much
  more than Heinz can afford to pay. Heinz cant
  raise the money and the druggist will not agree
  to let him pay later.

Dilemma Whether Heinz should steal the drug to
save his wifes live.
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Heinz Case

• Issues or points of conflict
• Interested Parties
• (others not mentioned in case may have a
  stake)
• Consequences
• (identify those that have a good probability
  of occurring)
• Obligations
• (primarily protagonist toward various
  interested parties)

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Your Re-Considered Response Does he steal?
(Yes or No)

• Does it fit your understanding of the
• Issues or points of conflict
• Interested Parties
• Consequences
• Obligations

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Following slide for instructor use only. Goes
between Slides 2 and 3.
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Results of Executive Survey on Most Ethical
Professionals.

• Engineers 34
• CPAs 24
• Doctors 17
• Lawyers 8
• Dentists 7
• Bankers 1
• Dont Know 9