Professional Ethics - Engineering ethics

This ppt covers the senses of engineering ethics

1. 20HMG05 –Professional Practice and Ethics
UNIT–IIENGINEERING ETHICS
Semester V -ECE

2. Syllabus Focus
Engineering Ethics
Senses of Engineering
Ethics
Variety of moral issues
Types of inquiry
Moral dilemmas
Moral Autonomy
Kohlberg’s theory

Gilligan’s theory
Consensus and Controversy
Models of professional roles
Theories about right action
Self-interest –Customs
and Religion

Uses of Ethical Theories.
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3. SENSES OF ETHICS
Ethics is an activity of
Understanding the moral values
Resolve the moral issues
Justify the moral judgment
Ethics refers to a set of beliefs, attitudes, and habits
that a person or group displays Concerning morality.
Ethics is a purely factual matter about explaining
beliefs and actions related to morality.
Ethics refers to being “morally correct”
People’s action can be spoken as “ethical” or “unethical”
Individuals can be evaluated as “ethical” or “unethical”
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4. WHAT IS ENGINEERING ETHICS
Engineering Ethics is an activity of
Understanding the moral values that ought to guide
the engineering profession
Resolve the moral issues in the profession
Justify the moral judgment concerning the
profession.
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5. MORALITY
Morality is concerned with principles and practices of
morals such as:
What ought or ought not to be done in a given
situation?
What is right or wrong about the handling of a
situation?
What is good or bad about the people, policies,
and ideals involved?
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6. MORAL REASONING
“Engineeringdesignisagoodone”
MeetsSpecifications
TechnicalValue
Specificationshasmoralcontent
MoralReasons
Designedinsuchawaythatasafe,reliableandenvironmentalfriendlyproductcan
beproduced
MoralReasons
Requireustorespectotherpeopleaswellasourselves
tocarefortheirgoodaswellastheirownRespectingpersonsbybeingfairandjust
withthem
respectingtheirrights,keepingpromises
avoidingunnecessaryoffenseandpaintothem,avoidingcheatinganddishonesty
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7. VARIETY OF MORAL ISSUES
Two Approaches to engineering ethics:
Typical, everyday problems that can take on significant
proportions in an engineer’s life
Societal Problems that are often shunted aside and are not
addressed until they unexpectedly resurface.
Codes of ethics:
Early codes:
Codes of personal behavious
Codes of honesty in businesssdealings and fair business practices
Newer Codes:
Responsibility to public interest
Personal Ethics in Work place
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8. HOW DO MORAL PROBLEMS ARISE IN
ENGINEERING
Examples
construction of an equipment
Applying for a permit to operate a nuclear power plant
Chemical plant dumping wastes in a landfill
Advertisements from an electronic company for a product
which is not ready for sale
Engineer might be faced with contrary opinions
Within the firm
From the client
From other firms within the industry
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9. CHALLENGES ON HANDLING MORAL
ISSUES
To what extent can a supervisor be an authoritative
guide to engineer’s conduct ?
What does one do when there are differences of
judgement?
Should one always follow the law to the letter?
Is an engineer to do no more than what the
specifications say, even if there are problems more
serious than those initially anticipated?
How far does an engineer’s responsibility extend into
the realm of influencing the social impact of the projects
he or she participates in?
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10. TYPES OF INQUIRIES
The three types of inquiries, in solving ethical
problems are:
Normative inquiry
Conceptual inquiry
Factual or descriptive inquiry
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11. NORMATIVE INQUIRY
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It seeks to identify and justify the morally- desirable
norms or standards that should guide individuals
and groups.
It also has the theoretical goal of justifying
particular moral judgments.

12. NORMATIVE INQUIRY
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Example:
How far does the obligation of engineers to protect public safety
extend in any given situation?
When, if ever, should engineers be expected to blow whistle on
dangerous practices of their employers?
Whose values ought to be primary in making judgment about
acceptable risks in design for a public transport system or a nuclear
plant?
Is it of management, senior engineers, government, voters or all of
them?
When and why is the government justified in interfering with the
organizations?
What are the reasons on which the engineers show their obligations to
their employees or clients or the public?

13. CONCEPTUAL INQUIRY
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It is directed to clarify the meaning of concepts or
ideas or principles that are expressed by words or
by questions and statements.
Examples:
What is meant by safety?
How is it related to risk?
What is a bribe?
What is a profession?
When moral concepts are discussed, normative and
conceptual issues are closely interconnected.

14. FACTUAL OR DESCRIPTIVE INQUIRY
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It is aimed to obtain facts needed for understanding
and resolving value issues.
Researchers conduct factual inquiries using
mathematical or statistical techniques.
The inquiry provide important information on
business realities, engineering practice, and the
effectiveness of professional societies in fostering
moral conduct, the procedures used in risk
assessment, and psychological profiles of engineers.

15. Factual or Descriptive Inquiry
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The facts provide not only the reasons for moral
problems but also enable us to develop alterative
ways of resolving moral problems.
Example
How were the benefits assessed?
What are procedures followed in risk assessment?
What are short-term and long- term effects of drinking
water being polluted?
Who conducted the tests on materials?

16. MORAL DILEMMA
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Dilemmas are situations in which
Moral reasons come into conflict
The application of moral values are problems, and one
is not clear of the immediate choice or solution of the
problems.
Moral reasons could be rights, duties, goods or
obligations.
These situations do not mean that things had gone
wrong, but they only indicate the presence of moral
complexity. This makes the decision making complex.

17. SITUATIONS LEADING TO MORAL
DILEMMA
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The three complex situations leading to moral
dilemmas are:
The problem of vagueness
One is unable to distinguish between good and bad
(right or wrong) principle.
Good means an action that is obligatory.
For example, code of ethic specifies that one should obey
the laws and follow standards.
Refuse bribe or accept the gift, and maintain confidentiality

18. Situations leading to Moral Dilemma
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Theproblemofconflictingreasons
Oneisunabletochoosebetweentwogoodmoralsolutions.
Onehastofixpriority,throughknowledgeorvaluesystem.
Theproblemofdisagreement
Theremaybetwoormoresolutionsandnoneofthem
mandatory.
Thesesolutionsmaybebetterorworseinsomerespectsbut
notinallaspects.
Onehastointerpret,applydifferentmorallyreasons,and
analyzeandrankthedecisions.
Selectthebestsuitable,undertheexistingandthemost
probableconditions.

19. STEPS TO SOLVE DILEMMA
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Identification of the moral factors and reasons.
Collection of all information, data, and facts
Rank the moral options
Generate alternate courses of action to resolve the
dilemma
Discuss with colleagues and obtain their perspectives,
priorities, and suggestions on various alternatives
Decide upon a final course of action, based on priority
fixed or assumed

20. MORAL AUTONOMY
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Moralautonomyisdefinedas,decisionsandactions
exercisedonthebasisofmoralconcernforother
peopleandrecognitionofgoodmoralreasons.
Alternatively,moralautonomymeans‘selfdeterminant
orindependent’.
Theautonomouspeopleholdmoralbeliefsand
attitudesbasedontheircriticalreflectionratherthanon
passiveadoptionoftheconventionsofthesocietyor
profession.
Moralautonomymayalsobedefinedasaskilland
habitofthinkingrationallyabouttheethicalissues,on
thebasisofmoralconcern.

21. MORAL AUTONOMY
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Ifmanagementviewsprofitabilityismoreimportant
thanconsistentqualityandretentionofthe
customersthatdiscouragethemoralautonomy,
engineersarecompelledtoseekthesupportfrom
theirprofessionalsocietiesandoutside
organizationsformoralsupport.

22. KOHLBERG THEORY
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Kohlberg suggested there are three levels of moral
development, based on the type of reasoning and
motivation of the individuals in response to moral
questions
Pre-conventional
Conventional
Post-conventional

23. KOHLBERG THEORY
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Pre-Conventional
Right conduct for an individual is regarded as whatever
directly benefits oneself.
At this level, individuals are motivated by obedience or the
desire to avoid punishment or to satisfy their own needs
All young children exhibit this tendency.
Conventional
People respect the law and authority
Post Conventional
People begin to account for the differing values, opinions
and beliefs of other people.

24. KOHLBERG THEORY
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The following is one example of the dilemmas Kohlberg
presented.
"Heinz Steals the Drug” In Europe, a woman was near
death from a special kind of cancer.
There was one drug that the doctors thought might save
her.
It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same
town had recently discovered.
The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was
charging ten times what the drug cost him to make.
He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for
a small dose of the drug.

25. KOHLBERG THEORY
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The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone
he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get
together about $ 1,000 which is half of what it cost.
He told the druggist that his wife was dying and
asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later.
But the druggist said: "No, I discovered the drug
and I'm going to make money from it. "
So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's
store to steal the drug- for his wife.
Should the husband have done that?

26. KOHLBERG THEORY
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Kohlbergwasnotinterestedsomuchintheanswer
tothequestionofwhetherHeinzwaswrongor
right,butinthereasoningforeachparticipant's
decision.
Theresponseswerethenclassifiedintovarious
stagesofreasoninginhistheoryofmoral
development

27. KOHLBERG THEORY
Level 1. Pre-conventional Morality
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Level 1. Pre- conventional Morality
Stage 1 -Obedience and Punishment
Theearlieststageofmoraldevelopment
isespeciallycommoninyoungchildren,butadults
arealsocapableofexpressingthistypeof
reasoning.Atthisstage,childrenseerulesasfixed
andabsolute.Obeyingtherulesisimportant
becauseitisameanstoavoidpunishment.

28. KOHLBERG THEORY
Level 1. Pre-conventional Morality
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Stage 2 -Individualism and Exchange
At this stage of moral development,
children account for individual points of view and
judge actions based on how they serve individual
needs. In the Heinz dilemma, children argued that
the best course of action was the choice that best-
served Heinz’s needs. Reciprocity is possible, but
only if it serves one's own interests.

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Stage4-MaintainingSocialOrder
Atthisstageofmoraldevelopment,
peoplebegintoconsidersocietyasawholewhen
makingjudgments.
Thefocusisonmaintaininglawandorder
byfollowingtherules,doingone’sdutyand
respectingauthority
KOHLBERG THEORY
Level 2. Conventional Morality

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Stage 3 -Interpersonal Relationships
This is often referred to as the "good boy- good
girl" orientation, this stage of moral development is
focused on living up to social expectations and
roles. There is an emphasis on conformity, being
"nice," and consideration of how choices influence
relationships.
KOHLBERG THEORY
Level 2. Conventional Morality

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Stage5-SocialContractandIndividualRights
Atthisstage,peoplebegintoaccountforthe
differingvalues,opinionsandbeliefsofotherpeople.
Rulesoflawareimportantformaintainingasociety,but
membersofthesocietyshouldagreeuponthesestandards.
Stage6-UniversalPrinciples
Kolhberg’sfinallevelofmoralreasoningis
baseduponuniversalethicalprinciplesandabstract
reasoning.Atthisstage,peoplefollowtheseinternalized
principlesofjustice,eveniftheyconflictwithlawsand
rules.
KOHLBERG THEORY
Level 3. Post conventional Morality

32. GILLIGAN’S THEORY
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GilliganobservesthatKohlberg'sstageswere
derivedexclusivelyfrominterviewswithmales,and
shechargesthatthestagesreflectadecidedlymale
orientation.
Formales,advancedmoralthoughtrevolvesaround
rules,rights,andabstractprinciples.
Theidealisformaljustice,inwhichallparties
evaluateoneanother'sclaimsinanimpartialmanner.
Thisconceptionofmorality,Gilliganargues,failsto
capturethedistinctlyfemalevoiceonmoralmatters.

33. GILLIGAN’S THEORY
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Gilligansays
moralitycentersnotonrightsandrulesbuton
interpersonalrelationshipsandtheethicsof
compassionandcare.
Theidealisnotimpersonaljusticebutmore
affiliativewaysofliving.
Women'smorality,inaddition,ismore
contextualized;itistiedtoreal,ongoing
relationshipsratherthanabstractsolutionsto
hypotheticaldilemmas.

34. GILLIGAN’S THEORY
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Understandingtheneeds,interests,andwelfareof
anotherperson,andunderstandingtherelationship
betweenoneselfandthatotherrequiresastance
towardthatpersoninformedbycare,love,
empathy,compassion,andemotionalsensitivity.
Itinvolves,forexample,theabilitytoseetheother
asdifferentinimportantwaysfromoneself,asa
beingexistinginherownright,ratherthanviewing
herthroughasimpleprojectionofwhatonewould
feelifonewereinhersituation

35. GILLIGAN’S THEORY
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ForKohlbergthemodeofreasoningwhichgenerates
principlesgoverningrightactioninvolvesformal
rationalityalone.Emotionsplayatmostaremotely
secondaryroleinboththederivationandmotivationfor
moralaction.
ForGilligan, bycontrast,moralitynecessarilyinvolves
anintertwiningofemotion,cognition,andaction,not
readilyseparable.Knowingwhattodoinvolves
knowingothersandbeingconnectedinwaysinvolving
bothemotionandcognition.

36. CONSENSUS AND CONTROVERSY
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Consensusmeansagreement.
ControversymeansDisagreement.
Theethicsmaketheengineersrealizethe
importanceoftoleranceamongthemincaseof
disagreementwhileapplyingmoralautonomy.

37. OCCUPATION VS. PROFESSION
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Professioncanonlybeappliedtocertainoccupationswhich
meetthefollowingcriteria–
Knowledge:Theworkinvolvesexercisingsophisticatedskills
,theoreticalknowledgeandjudgmentanddiscretionthatis
notentirelyroutineorsubjecttomechanization.
Organization:Specialsocietiesandorganizationscontrolled
bymembersoftheprofessionareallowedbythepublicto
playamajorroleinsettingstandardsforadmissiontothe
profession.
PublicGood:Theoccupationservessomeimportantaspects
ofpublicgoodasindicatedinthecodesofethics.

38. MODELS OF PROFESSIONAL ROLES
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Savior:The representative engineer is a savior who
will redeem society from poverty, inefficiency, waste
and drudgery of manual labor.
Guardian: The representative engineer knows the
directions in which and pace at which, technology
should develop. Accordingly they should be given
positions of high authority based on their expertise
in determining what is in the best interest of the
society.

39. Models of Professional Roles
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Bureaucraticservant:Theroleofengineeristobea
servantwhoreceivesandtranslatesthedirectivesofthe
managementintoconcreteachievements.
Socialservant:Theroleofengineers’liesinobedient
servicetoothersbuttheirtruemasterissociety.
Socialenablerorcatalyst:Ultimatepowerlieswiththe
management.Nevertheless,theengineerplaysavital
rolebeyondmerecompliancewithorders.
GamePlayer:Engineersareneitherservantsnormasters.
Theyplaybytheeconomicgamerulesthathappenthat
happentobeineffectatagiventime.

40. Syllabus Focus
Engineering Ethics
Senses of Engineering
Ethics
Variety of moral issues
Types of inquiry
Moral dilemmas
Moral Autonomy
Kohlberg’s theory

Gilligan’s theory
Consensus and Controversy
Models of professional roles
Theories about right action
Self-interest –Customs
and Religion

Uses of Ethical Theories.
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Unit -II -Engineering Ethics / PPE / Sem V

41. THEORIES ABOUT RIGHT ACTION
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Utilitarianism
Duty Ethics
Rights Ethics
Virtue Ethics

42. UTILITARIANISM - JOHN STUART MILL (1806- 1873)
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Considers a balance of good & bad consequences
for everyone affected (society)
Actions are good that serve to promote human well-
being
Cost-Benefit analysis is an application
Consideration of most benefit to the most people
outweighs needs of a few individuals

43. DUTY ETHICS IMMANUEL KANT (1724- 1804)
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Therearedutiesthatshouldbeperformed(e.g..
Dutytotreatothersfairlyornottoinjureothers)
regardlessofwhethertheseactsdothemostgood
ornot.

44. RIGHTS ETHICS JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704)
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People have fundamental rights (like life, liberty, &
property) that others have a duty to respect.

45. TESTING ETHICAL THEORIES
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Five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories:
The theory must be clear
It must be consistent
Neither the theory nor its defense can rely upon false
information
It must be sufficiently comprehensive to provide guidance
in specific situations of interest to us.
It must be compatible with our most carefully considered
moral convictions about concrete situations

46. SELF-INTEREST AND ETHICAL EGOISM
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Itisbeinggoodandacceptabletooneself.
Itispursuingwhatisgoodforoneself.
Itisveryethicaltopossessself-interest.
Aviewthattriestoreducemoralitytothepursuitof
self-interestiscalledethicalegoism.
“Ethical“becauseitisatheoryaboutmoralityand
“egoism”becauseitsaysthatthesoledutyofeach
ofusistomaximizehisorherowngood.

47. CUSTOMS AND ETHICAL RELATIVISM
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Variouscultureinourpluralisticsocietyleadtotolerance
forvariouscustoms,beliefsandoutlooks.
Ethicalpluralismistheviewthattheremaybealternative
perspectivesthatarereasonable,butnooneofwhich
mustbeacceptedcompletelybyallrationalandmorally
concernedpersons.
Ethicalrelativismsaysthatactionsaremorallyrightwhen
theyareapprovedbylaworcustom;theyarewrong
whentheyviolatelawsorcustoms.
Moralrationalismistheviewthatmoraljudgmentsshould
bemadeinrelationtofactorsthatmayvaryfromcaseto
case.

48. RELIGION
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Religions have played major roles in shaping moral
views and moral values.
Each religion lays stress on certain high moral
standards.
Hinduism holds polytheistic view and virtues of devotion and
surrender to high order.
Christianity believes in one deity and emphasizes on virtues
of love, faith and hope.
Islam on one deity and adherence to ishanand prayer.
But many religious sects have adopted poor moral
standards.
People are killed in the name of religion.

49. DIVINE COMMAND ETHICS
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As per this principle, the right action is defined by
the commands by God.
It implies that to be moral, a person should believe
in god and an action is right only if it is commanded
by God.

50. USES OF ETHICAL THEORIES
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Ethical theories are useful :
for justifying moral obligations.
for resolving moral dilemmas.
in relating professional and ordinary morality.

51. BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Text Book
Mike Martin and Roland Schinzinger , Ethics in
Engineering, McgrawHill, New York, 1996.
Reference Books
M.Govindarajan, S.Natarajan, V.S.SenthilKumar,
Engineering Ethics, PHI, 2004.
Charles D.Fleddermann, Engineering Ethics, Prentice
Hall, New Mexico, 1999.
R.S.Naagarazan, Professional Ethics and Human Values,
New Age International Publishers, 2006.

52. REVIEW QUESTIONS
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1.What is engineering ethics?
2.What are the situations when moral dilemmas arise?
3.What are the steps needed to confront moral dilemmas?
4.What are the types of inquiry?
5.What are the two aspects of honesty?
6.Explain the concept of corporate responsibility.
7.What is code of conduct? Explain the purpose of Moral leadership.
8.List the criteria to achieve professionalism.
9.List the models of professional roles.
10.What are the virtues fulfilled under professional responsibility?
11.How Gilligan views the three levels of moral development?
12.Criticize Kohlberg’s theory.
13.Explain the concept of engineering as experimentation.
14.Briefly describe the concepts of Moral autonomy and moral dilemma.
15.Describe different types of inquiries in engineering ethics.