Ethics for Engineers

Ethics for Engineers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF CASES
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
	THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION
	THE VALUE OF TECHNOLOGY
	ENGINEERING ETHICS AND THE LAW
	ON ETHICS AND MORALITY
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 2
Professional Codes of Ethics
	WHY ARE PROFESSIONAL CODES OF ETHICS IMPORTANT?
	THE NSPE CODE
	THE IEEE AND ACM CODES
	CONTRIBUTORY REASONS AND MORAL DILEMMAS
	PROPER ENGINEERING DECISIONS VERSUS PROPER MANAGEMENT DECISIONS
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 3
A Brief History of Engineering
	PREHISTORIC TECHNOLOGY
	ANCIENT ENGINEERING (5000 BC–500 AD)
	MEDIEVAL ENGINEERING (C. 500 AD–1400 AD)
	EARLY MODERN ENGINEERING (C. 1400–1700)
	THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (C. 1700–1900)
	MODERN ENGINEERING (C. 1900–)
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 4
A Methodological Toolbox
	FACTS AND VALUES
	ARE MORAL CLAIMS OBJECTIVE, SUBJECTIVE, OR RELATIVE?
		Ethical Objectivism
		Ethical Nihilism
		Ethical Constructivism
		Ethical Relativism
	APPLIED ETHICS AND ETHICAL THEORIES
		The Theory-Centered Approach
		Casuistry and Particularism
		Domain-Specific Principles
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 5
Utilitarianism and Ethical Egoism
	UTILITARIANISM
	THE RIGHT AND THE GOOD
	HOW SHOULD THE GOOD BE DISTRIBUTED?
	SOME OBJECTIONS TO UTILITARIANISM
	ETHICAL EGOISM
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 6
Duties, Virtues, and Rights
	KANT’S DUTY ETHICS
	THE UNIVERSALIZATION TEST
	MEANS TO AN END AND RESPECT FOR PERSONS
	VIRTUE ETHICS
	SOME OBJECTIONS TO VIRTUE ETHICS
	RIGHTS
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 7
Whistle-blowing: Should You Ever Break with Protocol?
	THE DEFINITION OF WHISTLE-BLOWING
	WHEN IS WHISTLE-BLOWING MORALLY PERMISSIBLE?
	ADVICE TO WHISTLE-BLOWERS
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 8
Conflicts of Interest: When Is It Permissible to Influence the Actions of Others?
	WHAT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST?
	WHY CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS SHOULD ALMOST ALWAYS BE AVOIDED
	INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 9
Cost-benefit Analysis: Do the Ends Justify the Means?
	THE VALUE OF A HUMAN LIFE
	COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS AND UTILITARIANISM
	CAN WE PUT A PRICE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND HISTORIC ARTIFACTS?
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 10
Risk and Uncertainty: How Safe Is Safe Enough?
	THE ENGINEERING DEFINITION OF RISK
	THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
	RISK AND INFORMED CONSENT
	RISK AVERSION
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 11
Privacy: What Is It and Why Should It Be Protected?
	PRIVACY AS A MORAL RIGHT
	PRIVACY AS A MORAL VALUE
	WHAT CAN ENGINEERS DO TO PROTECT PRIVACY?
		Full-Body Scanners
		VPN
		WhatsApp
		Traffic Cameras
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 12
The Problem of Many Hands: Who Is Responsible and Should Anyone Be Blamed?
	WHAT IS RESPONSIBILITY?
	THE PROBLEM OF MANY HANDS
	MORAL RESPONSIBILTY AND COLLECTIVE OUTCOMES
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 13
Technology Assessments and Social Experiments
	TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
	NEW TECHNOLOGIES AS SOCIAL EXPERIMENTS
	SOME CRITICAL QUESTIONS
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 14
A Critical Attitude to Technolgy
	THE IMPERATIVE OF RESPONSIBILITY
	BETWEEN PESSIMISM AND OPTIMISM
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 15
The Ethics of Artifacts
	WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT TECHNOLOGICAL ARTIFACTS?
		The Designer’s Intention
		Unforeseen Use and Side Effects
		The Mediating Role of Technological Artifacts
	CAN ARTIFACTS BE VALUE-LADEN?
	CAN ARTIFACTS BE HYBRID AGENTS?
	TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
CHAPTER 16
Sustainability
	THREE NOTIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY
	THE INSTRUMENTAL VALUE OF SUSTAINABILITY
	THE NONINSTRUMENTAL VALUE OF SUSTAINABILITY
	IMPERCEPTIBLE HARMS AND THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS
	REVIEW QUESTIONS
	REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
	NOTES
APPENDIX A
Professional Codes of Ethics
	The National Society for Professional Engineers (NSPE)
		PREAMBLE
		I. FUNDAMENTAL CANONS
		II. RULES OF PRACTICE
		III. PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS
		AS REVISED JULY 2007
		STATEMENT BY NSPE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
	The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Code of Ethics
	The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Code of Ethics
		PREAMBLE
		1. GENERAL MORAL IMPERATIVES
			1.1 Contribute to society and human well-being.
			1.2 Avoid harm to others.
			1.3 Be honest and trustworthy.
			1.4 Be fair and take action not to discriminate.
			1.5 Honor property rights including copyrights and patent.
			1.6 Give proper credit for intellectual property.
			1.7 Respect the privacy of others.
			1.8 Honor confidentiality.
		2. MORE SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
			2.1 Strive to achieve the highest quality, effectiveness and dignity in both the process and products of professional work.
			2.2 Acquire and maintain professional competence.
			2.3 Know and respect existing laws pertaining to professional work.
			2.4 Accept and provide appropriate professional review.
			2.5 Give comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible risks.
			2.6 Honor contracts, agreements, and assigned responsibilities.
			2.7 Improve public understanding of computing and its consequences.
			2.8 Access computing and communication resources only when authorized to do so.
		3. ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP IMPERATIVES
			3.1 Articulate social responsibilities of members of an organizational unit and encourage full acceptance of those responsibilities.
			3.2 Manage personnel and resources to design and build information systems that enhance the quality of working life.
			3.3 Acknowledge and support proper and authorized uses of an organization’s computing and communication resources.
			3.4 Ensure that users and those who will be affected by a system have their needs clearly articulated during the assessment and design of requirements; later the system must be validated to meet requirements.
			3.5 Articulate and support policies that protect the dignity of users and others affected by a computing system.
			3.6 Create opportunities for members of the organization to learn the principles and limitations of computer systems.
		4. COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE
			4.1 Uphold and promote the principles of this Code.
			4.2 Treat violations of this code as inconsistent with membership in the ACM.
APPENDIX B
Essay Questions
GLOSSARY
INDEX