Azizullah Channa

NGINEERING ETHICS Assistant

Professor,
IEEM, Mehran
UET, Jamshoro
LEARNING OUTCOME
If you have sincerely participated in the lecture then you would be
able to:
Define sense of Senses of ‘Engineering Ethics
Describe Variety of moral issues
Compare types of Types of inquiry
Present Moral dilemmas & Moral Autonomy
State Kohlberg’s theory & Gilligan’s theory
Distinguish Consensus vs Controversy and Professions vs
Professionalism
Give Professional Ideals and Virtues
Illustrate Uses of Ethical Theories
 WHAT IS ENGINEERING
ETHICS?
The study of moral issues and decisions confronting
individuals and organizations involved in engineering.

The study of related questions about moral ideals, character,

policies and relationships of people and organizations
involved in technological activity.

ETHICS- moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior.

ETHICS AND
ENGINEERING
Where the ethical issues can arise:
Conceptualization, Design, Testing,
Manufacturing, Sales, Service
Supervision and Project Teams
 Project timelines and budgets
 Expectations, opinions, or judgments
Products: Unsafe or Less than Useful
 Designed for obsolescence
 Inferior materials or components
 Unforeseen harmful effects to society
ETHICS AND ENGINEERING
Impacts of an engineer’s ethical decisions:
 The Products & Services (safety and utility)
 The Company and its Stockholders
 The Public and Society (benefits to the people)
 Environment (Earth and beyond)
 The Profession (how the public views it)
 The Law (how legislation affects the profession and industry)
 Personal Position (job, internal moral conflict)
 ETHICS ENGINEERING
1.Ethics is an activity which concerns
ETHICS
1. Like the ethics, engineering ethics
with making investigations and knowing also aims at knowing moral values
about moral values, finding solutions to related to engineering, finding accurate
moral issues and justifying moral issues solutions to the moral problems in
and justifying moral judgments. engineering and justifying moral
judgments of engineering.
2.Ethics is a means of contrasting moral
questions from non-moral problems. 2.Engineering Ethics gives a total view
of the moral problems and how to solve
3.Ethics is also used as a means of these issues specifically related to
describing the beliefs, attitudes and engineering field.
habits related to an individuals or groups
morality. Eg. : Ethics given in the Quran 3.Engineering ethics is also using some
or the Bible or the Bhagavat Gita currently accepted codes and standards
which are to be followed by group of
4.As per the definition of dictionaries – engineers and engineering societies.
„moral principles‟ is about the actions
and principles of conduct of the people. 4.Engineering ethics also concerns with
i.e. ethical or unethical discovering moral principles such as
obligation, rights and ideals in
engineering and by applying them to
take a correct decision.
SENSES OF ETHICS

Ethics is an activity and area of inquiry. It is the activity of

understanding moral values, resolving moral issues and the area
of study resulting from that activity.

When we speak of ethical problems, issues and controversies, we

mean to distinguish them from non moral problems.
SENSES OF ETHICS
(CONT’D)
Ethics is used to refer to the particular set of beliefs, attitudes and
habits that a person or group displays concerning moralities.

Ethics and its grammatical variants can be used as synonyms for

morally correct.
 WHAT IS MORALITY?
The term ‘morality’ concerns with

(a) what ought or ought not to be done in a given situation?

(b) what is right or wrong in handling it?

(c) what is good or bad about the persons, policies and principles involved in it?

If an action is said to be morally right it should had some moral reasons.

MORAL REASONS
Moral reasons include
Respecting others and ourselves,
Respecting the rights of others,
Keeping promises,
Avoiding unnecessary problems to others
Avoiding cheating and dishonesty,
Showing gratitude to others and encourage them to
work
VARIETIES OF MORAL
ISSUES
MICRO-ETHICS This approach stresses more about
some typical and everyday problems which play an
important role in the field of engineering and in the
profession of an engineer

MACRO-ETHICS This approach deals with all the

social problems which are unknown and suddenly burst
out on a regional or national level.
 WHERE AND HOW DO MORAL PROBLEMS
ARISE IN ENGINEERING?
In spite of the engineers’ full attention and care,
sometimes the product or project may be unsafe or less
useful.
This may be due to some reasons
1) The product or project may be designed for early
obsolescence
2) Due to under pressure because of running out of time,
budgetary etc
3) By ignorance on the size of the project
4) Because of the large number of a products sold on the
mass market, people may be affected.
TYPES OF INQUIRY
Inquiry means an investigation- Engineering ethics
involves investigations into values, meaning and facts.
1. Normative Inquiries
2. Conceptual Inquiries
3. Factual or Descriptive Inquiries
NORMATIVE INQUIRIES
These are meant for identifying and justifying some norms and
standards of morally desirable nature for guiding individuals as
well as groups.
1. How do the obligations of engineers protect the public safety in
given situations?
2. When should an engineer have to alarm their employers on
dangerous practices?
3. Where are the laws and organizational procedures that affect
engineering practice on moral issues?
4. Where are the moral rights essential for engineers to fulfill their
professional obligations?
CONCEPTUAL INQUIRIES
These are meant for describing the meaning of concepts, principles, and
issues related to Engineering Ethics.

1.What is the safety and how it is related to risk?

2.What does it mean when codes of ethics say engineers should protect the

safety, health and welfare of the public?

3.What is a ‘bribe’?

4.What is a ‘profession’ and ‘professional’?

FACTUAL / DESCRIPTIVE
INQUIRIES
These help to provide facts for understanding and
finding solutions to value based issues.
The engineer has to conduct factual inquiries by using
scientific techniques.
These help to provide information regarding the
business realities such as engineering practice, history
of engineering profession, the effectiveness of
professional societies, the procedures to be adopted
when assessing risks and psychological profiles of
engineers.
 MORAL DILEMMA
Why study engineering ethics?
Engineering ethics is not only teaching moral
behaviour in knowing about immoral and amoral in a
set of beliefs, but also increasing the ability of
engineers and other professionals to face boldly with
the moral problems arising from technological
advancements, changes and other related activities.
MORAL DILEMMA

Dilemmas are certain kind of situations in which

a difficult choice has to be made.
Moral dilemmas have two or more foldings -
moral obligations, duties, rights, goods or ideals
come into disagreement with each other.
One moral principle can have two or more
conflicting applications for a particular given
situation.
 TYPES OF COMPLEXITIES
Vagueness-
Conflicting reasons-
Disagreement-
STEPS / PROCEDURES IN FACING MORAL
DILEMMAS
1) Identifying the relevant moral factors and reasons: i.e. Finding solutions for
(i) the conflicting responsibilities (ii) the competing rights and (iii) the clashing
ideals involved.
2) Collecting and gathering all the available facts which are relevant to the
moral factors while resolving.
3) Ranking the moral considerations or principles on the basis of importance as
applicable to the situation.
4) Considering alternative courses of action for resolving the problems and
tracing the full implications of each. i.e. conducting factual inquiries.
5) Having talked with the colleagues, friend about the problem getting their
suggestions and alternative ideas on resolving that dilemma.
6) Arriving at a careful and reasonable judgment or solution by taking into
consideration of all important moral factors and reasons on the basis of the
facts or truths.
 MORAL AUTONOMY

Autonomy means self-governing or self-determining i.e act

independently.
Moral autonomy means the right or the wrong conduct which is of
independent on ethical issues.
Moral autonomy is concerned with the independent attitude of a
person related to ethical issues.
It helps to improve the self-determination among the individuals.
SKILLS FOR IMPROVING MORAL
AUTONOMY
Ability to distinguish and relate these moral problems with the
problems of law, economics, religions principles etc.

Possess the skills of understanding, clarifying and assessing the

arguments which are against the moral issues.

Ability to suggest the solutions to moral issues, on the basis of facts.

These suggestions must be consistent and must include all the aspects
of the problem.

Must have the imaginative skill to view the problems from all view
points and also be able to suggest a proper alternative solution.

Able to tolerate while giving moral judgments and decisions which

may cause trouble. i.e. they have to understand the difficulties in
making moral decisions.
 SKILLS FOR IMPROVING MORAL
AUTONOMY

Must have adequate knowledge and understanding

about the use of ethical language so as to defend or
support their views with others.
Must have some better knowledge in
understanding the importance of suggestions and
better solutions while resolving moral problems
and also about the importance of tolerance on some
critical situations.
Must understand the importance of maintaining the
moral honesty.
KOHLBERG’S THEORY
Moral Autonomy is based on the
psychology of moral development.
The first psychological theory was developed
by Jean Piaget
On the basis of Piaget’s theory, Lawrence
kohlberg developed three main levels of moral
development
Which is based on the kinds of reasoning and
motivation adopted by individuals with regard to
moral questions.
STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Pre-conventional Level:
It is nothing but self-centered attitude.
In this level, right conduct is very essential for an
individual which directly benefits him
According to this level, individuals are motivated by their
willingness to avoid punishment, or by their desire to satisfy their
own needs
This level is related to the moral development of children
and some adults who never want to go beyond a certain
limit.
STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Conventional Level:
As per this level the rules and norms of one’s
family or group or society has been accepted as
the final standard of morality.
When individuals are under this level,
always want to satisfy others and also to meet
the expectations of the society and not their self
interest.
No adult tries to go beyond this level.
STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Post- Conventional Level:
This level is said to be attained when an individual
recognizes the right and the wrong on the basis of a set
of principles which governing rights and the general
good which are not based on self- interest or social
conventions.
These individuals are called “autonomous”, because
they only think for themselves and also they do not
agree that customs are always correct.
They want to live by general principles which
are universally applied to all people.
KOHLBERG’S THEORY OF MORAL
DEVELOPMENT

Each level is based on the degree to which a person

conforms to conventional standards of society

Each level has two stages that represent different

degrees of sophistication in moral reasoning .
CRITICISMS OF KOHLBERG’S THEORY
Research has not supported Kohlberg’s belief that the
development of abstract thinking in adolescence invariably leads
people to the formation of idealistic moral principles
Some cross-cultural psychologists argue that Kohlberg’s stories and
scoring system reflect a Western emphasis on individual rights,
harm, and justice that is not shared in many cultures.
Kohlberg’s early research was conducted entirely with male
subjects, yet it became the basis for a theory applied to both males
and females.
GILLIGAN’S THEORY
Pre-conventional Level
This is the same as Kohlberg’s first level in that the person is
preoccupied with self centered reasoning, caring for the needs
and desires of self.
Conventional
Here the thinking is opposite in that, one is preoccupied with not
hurting others and a willingness to sacrifice one’s own interests
in order to help or nurture others (or retain friendship).
Post-conventional Level
Achieved through context-oriented reasoning, rather than by
applying abstract rules ranked in a hierarchy of importance.
Here the individual becomes able to strike a reasoned balance
between caring about other people and pursuing one’s own self-
interest while exercising one’s rights.
CAROL GILLIGAN’S
MODEL
Feels Kohlberg’s model is based on an ethic of
individual rights and justice, which is a more common
perspective for males
Gilligan’s model of women’s moral development is based
on an ethic of care and responsibility.
However, when subjects are carefully matched, there do
not seem to be systematic gender differences in moral
reasoning
CONSENSUS AND
CONTROVERSY
Consensus – Agreement
Controversy – Disagreement
PROFESSIONS AND
PROFESSIONALISM
What is a profession?
‘JOB’ or ‘OCCUPATION’ that meets the following
criteria from which a person earns his living.
 Knowledge
 Organization
 Public good

Who is a professional? 
Obviously a member of a profession.
DIFFERING VIEWS ON
PROFESSIONALS
‘Only consulting engineers who are basically independent
and have freedom from coercion can be called as
professionals.’ -Robert L.Whitelaw
‘Professionals have to meet the expectations of clients and
employers. Professional restraints are to be imposed by only
laws and government regulations and not by personal
conscience.’ -Samuel Florman
‘Engineers are professionals when they 1) attain standards
of achievement in education, job performance or creativity
in engineering and 2) accept the most basic moral
responsibilities to the public as well as employers, clients,
colleagues and subordinates.’ -Mike Martin & Roland
Schinzinger
 MODELS OF PROFESSIONAL
ENGINEERS
SAVIOR: a person who saves someone or
something (especially a country or cause) from
danger
GUARDIAN: Engineers know, the directions in
which and pace at which, technology should
develop.
BUREAUCRATIC SERVANT: The engineer as
the loyal organization person uses special skills to
solve problems.
 MODELS OF PROFESSIONAL
ENGINEERS
SOCIAL SERVANT: Engineers, in co-operation with management, have
the task of receiving society’s directives and satisfying society’s desires.

SOCIAL ENABLER AND CATALYST: Engineers play a vital role

beyond mere compliance with orders. They help management and society
understand their own needs and to make informed decisions.

GAME PLAYER: Engineers are neither servants nor masters of anyone.

They play by the economic game rules that happen to be in effect at a
given time.
TYPES OF ETHICAL
THEORIES
TYPES BASED ON
Virtue ethics-Virtues and vices
Utilitarianism-Most good for most people
Duty ethics-Duties to respect persons
Rights ethics-Human Rights
 FOUR MAIN VIRTUES

Prudence: to think about a moral problem clearly

and completely
Temperance: control attraction to positive
emotions
Fortitude: control aversion for negative emotions
Justice : choose according to truth and fairness.
PROFESSIONAL
RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibilities based on
SELF DIRECTION VIRTUES
PUBLIC SPIRITED VIRTUES
TEAMWORK VIRTUES
PROFICIENCY VIRTUES
UTILITARIANISM
Three approaches:
Cost/benefit – quantifiable approach. Maximize
positive utilities (benefits) against negative utilities
(costs).
Act utilitarian – ‘Will the course of action produce
more good than any alternative course of action that I
could take’?
Rule utilitarian – ‘Would utility be maximized if
everyone did the same thing in the same
circumstances’? Adoption of commonly accepted
rules.
DUTY ETHICS (IMMANUEL
KANT’S VIEW)
be honest
keep promises
do not inflict sufferings on other people
be fair
make reparation when you have been unfair
how gratitude for kindness extended by others
seek to improve own intelligence and character
develop one’s talents
don’t commit suicide
 RIGHTS ETHICS (JOHN LOCKE –
1632-1704)
Everyone has inherent moral rights
Everyone has rights that arise from EXISTING
Other rights arise as a Consequence.
Duties arise because people have rights, not vice
versa.
Any act that violates an individual’s moral rights
is ethically unacceptable.
Rights ethics was highly individualistic.
 EVALUATION OF ETHICAL
THEORIES
The theory must be clear and formulated with concepts that are
coherent and applicable.
It must be internally consistent in that none of its tenets contradicts
any other.
Neither the theory nor its defense can rely upon false information.
It must be sufficiently comprehensive to provide guidance in
specific situations.
It must be compatible with our most carefully considered moral
convictions about concrete situations.
USES OF ETHICAL
THEORIES
Ethical theories aid in identifying the moral considerations or reasons that
constitute a dilemma.
They provide a precise sense of what kinds of information are relevant to
solving moral development.
They sometimes, offer ways to rank the relevant moral considerations in order
of importance and provide a rough guidance in solving moral problems.
The theories help us identify the full moral ramifications of alternative courses
of action, urging a wide perspective on the moral implications of the options
and providing a systematic framework of comparing alternatives.
The theories augment the precision with which we use moral terms and they
provide frame works for moral reasoning when discussing moral issues with
colleagues.
By providing frame works for development of moral arguments, the theories
strengthen our ability to reach balanced and insightful judgments.
USES OF ETHICAL THEORIES

Ethical theories have so many uses. Out of them, the

following three are the most
Understanding moral dilemmas.
Justifying professional obligations and ideas and
Relating ordinary and professional morality
SENSES OF
RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibility is a moral virtue
Responsibility is moral obligation
Responsibility is about general moral capacities of people
Responsibility means accountability and liability for actions
Responsibility means blameworthiness
USES OF ETHICS
When students enter the professional world, they will
be expected to follow an explicit or implicit ethical
code.
To responsibly confront moral issues raised by
technological activity
How to deal with ethical dilemmas in their professional
lives?
To achieve moral autonomy

* Confront - challenge