ENG 410: Professional and Ethical Practice: Dr. Adel Ben Mnaouer

ENG 410: Professional and Ethical Practice
Lecture 2
Dr. Adel Ben Mnaouer
Office: B2-11
Email: [email protected] Phone : (04) 709 6146

Outline:
• From Codes to Cases
• Moral Considerations
• Moral Reasoning & Case Analysis

Clicker Question
What do you think ?
In the literature that comes with a product a
manufacturer places a warning such as “This product
may contain unexpected flaws and might not
operate correctly under all conditions.”
Does this solve the ethical problems for the company?

A.Yes
B. Sort of
C. No (there is no right answer)
Part 1: From Codes to
Cases
Going Beyond The Code
The code of ethics for engineers gives us a

good set of guides to follow.
But knowing what the codes say and what

exactly to do in a given situation is not
always obvious.
The primary reason is that really hard ethical

situations require moral reasoning and
conflict resolution.
Where we will begin
To start our exploration into case analysis, we
will simply begin by looking at some cases.
Our goal is to engage in a form of moral
reasoning about the cases, which involves:
Taking note of which codes of engineering ethics
apply.
Identifying conflicts.
Making a choice of what to do.
All of this will lead us to a discussion of moral

considerations and moral reasoning.
Ethical Frameworks
Rights Approach
• Which option best respects the rights of all who have a stake?
Utilitarian Approach
• Which option will produce the most good and do the least harm?
Justice Approach
• Which option treats people as I want to be treated?
Ethic of Care Approach

• Which option is best for those most in need?
Virtue Approach
• Which option leads me to act as a responsible person?
Case 1: Protecting the
safety of society
Photographed by David Hermeyer
Your employer asks you to design a bridge that will

cost only $1 million. After doing a study you
determine the following:
a)An ideal bridge can be built for $1.5 million.
b)Given the design constraints, a bridge built for $1
million will collapse in a moderate earthquake.
c)A bridge built for $1.25 million will survive a
moderate earthquake, but will collapse in an
infrequent extreme earthquake.
Case 1: Protecting the Safety of
Society
Suppose your employer says, “if we don’t
build the bridge for $1.25 million, then
we are going to have to lay off half of the
staff, including you.”
He further asks you to go ahead with the

next stage of the project.
What do you do?

http://www.leydenscience.org/bridges/college.htm
Clicker Question
What do you think is the primary conflict:
A.Your duty to your fellow employees vs. your duty to
your boss
B. Your duty to society vs. your loyalty to your own
career
C. Uncertainty about the maximum magnitude of an
earthquake vs. the need to ensure a safe structure.
D.Your duty to be honest to clients vs. your duty to
complete the project
What is the conflict?
• The code of ethics for engineers requires:
– You to take the safety of society as being of paramount
importance.
• However, you also feel a personal sense of loyalty to

your company and fellow co-workers. You don’t want
anyone to lose their job.
• The conflict is between your duty to society and your

loyalty to your own career and the welfare of your
other fellow employees.
What is more important?
The conflict is between your future
employment and the employment of others
in your company, and the welfare of society.
In a case like this the welfare of society

comes first.
We have to take into account the fact that

your duty to protect the public is greater
than your duty to your own career, and that
of your fellow employees.
Case 2: Telling the Truth In Public
Statements
You are asked by the government to verify that a certain
nuclear reactor will not leak toxic substances into the
neighboring ocean.
After doing a study you discover that:
a)The nuclear reactor very likely will leak within the

coming 8 years.
b)The nuclear reactor cannot be fixed unless it is shut
down immediately.
c)Both the ocean and the neighboring community are at
risk.
Case 2: Telling the Truth In Public
Statements
Suppose that upon receiving your report,
government officials ask you to modify your report
so as to reflect that the nuclear facility is actually
safe.
They claim that altering the report will protect the
public in the area, preventing panic while the
government attempts to shut down and fix the
facility.
What do you do?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Diablo_canyon_nuclear_power_plant.jpg
What is the Conflict?
The code of ethics requires that you
Safeguard the public’s welfare.
But it also requires that you
Tell the truth when making public statements

concerning your area of engineering.
To solve this conflict, you must

correctly understand what each code is telling you, and
choose to act on the obligation that is of priority.
What is the Conflict?
• What does protecting the public mean?
– Making sure that they are safe
• What does issue public statements in an objective

and truthful manner mean.
– Telling the public the nuclear reactor is not safe.
• But the government is asking you to alter your report

in order to protect the public.
What is the conflict?
• Your obligation is to safeguard public safety and to
tell the truth in your role as an engineer. This means
that you cannot alter data as an engineer, and that
you must tell the truth about the nuclear reactor.
• The government is calling on you as a citizen to alter

documents as a way to protect your fellow citizens.
• The conflict is between your obligations as an

engineer and your obligations as a citizen.
What is more important?
Role conflicts are hard!!!
No easy answer!!!
This is where thinking about other moral considerations

matters.
What about the public’s right to know?
What about the government’s obligation to tell the truth?
In this case your duty as an engineer to tell the truth

when making public statement trumps your civic duty to
be loyal to your government.

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ENG 410: Professional and Ethical Practice

Dr. Adel Ben Mnaouer

Email: [email protected] Phone : (04) 709 6146

• From Codes to Cases

• Moral Reasoning & Case Analysis

Does this solve the ethical problems for the company?

The code of ethics for engineers gives us a

But knowing what the codes say and what

The primary reason is that really hard ethical

All of this will lead us to a discussion of moral

Ethic of Care Approach

Your employer asks you to design a bridge that will

He further asks you to go ahead with the

What do you do?

• However, you also feel a personal sense of loyalty to

• The conflict is between your duty to society and your

In a case like this the welfare of society

We have to take into account the fact that

After doing a study you discover that:

a)The nuclear reactor very likely will leak within the

But it also requires that you

Tell the truth when making public statements

To solve this conflict, you must

– Making sure that they are safe

• What does issue public statements in an objective

– Telling the public the nuclear reactor is not safe.

• But the government is asking you to alter your report

• The government is calling on you as a citizen to alter

• The conflict is between your obligations as an

No easy answer!!!

This is where thinking about other moral considerations

In this case your duty as an engineer to tell the truth

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