ETC

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Scope and Aims of Engineering Ethics
What is Engineering Ethics?
 Engineering ethics concerns one’s conduct of behaviour and practice when
carrying out engineering work.
 Such work may include consulting, researching, teaching, manufacturing,
servicing and writing.
 The institutionalization of codes of conduct and codes of practice is common
with many professional bodies for their members to observe.
 Bodies like Indian Medical Council, Bar Council haave brought code of ethics
to their respective professional people.
Example : Doctors Profession, Law Profession.
Issues:
Codes of Ethics are concerned with a range of issues, including:
 Academic honesty
 Adherence to confidentiality agreements
 Data privacy
 Handling of human subjects
 Impartiality in data analysis and professional consulting
 Professional accountability
 Resolution of conflicts of interest
 Software piracy, etc.
Aims of Engineering code of ethics:

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A code of ethics enables us to:
 Set out the ideals and responsibilities of the profession
 Exert a de facto regulatory effect, protecting both clients and professionals
 Improve the profile of the profession
 Motivate and inspire practitioners, by attempting to define their raison
d’etre (reason that accounts for)
 Provide guidance on acceptable conduct
 Raise awareness and consciousness of issues
 Improve quality and consistency
On the other hand, we must also consider:
 Whether the so-called standards are obligatory, or are merely an
aspiration
 Whether such a code is desirable or feasible
 Whether ethical values are universal or culturally relativistic
 The difficulty of providing universal guidance given the heterogeneous
nature of the profession
 What the point is of specifying responsibilities, given the limited regulatory
function of a code
Some code of Ethics of Professional
Engineering Societies:
As Engineers we are expected to exhibit the highest standards of honesty and
integrity. Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for all
people. Hence Engineers must perform their duties that requires adherence to
the highest principles of ethical conduct. Engineers in the fulfillment of their
professional duties shall:-

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 Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the people (Example
Narmada dam - Mrs. Medha Pathkar, Mr. Sunderlal Bhauguna and others
effort)
 Perform services only in areas of their competence.
 Issue public statement only in an objective and truthful manner.
 Act for each employer or client as faithfull agents or trustees.
 Avoid deceptive acts - To receive bribes to show favour
 Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically and lawfully so as to
enhance the honour, reputation and usefulness of the profession.
Professional responsibilities of Engineers:
 Confidentiality and proprietary information Conflict of interest.
 Environmental ethics.
 Professional rights
Ethical dilemma's:
 Taking office supplies for home use (paper, pencil, pen, etc.)
 Using phone for personal use on company time
 Putting personal expenses as business expenses.
 Giving false information
Ethical use of Power:
Basis of Power - Guidelines for use
 Treat subordinates fairly
 Maintain credibility
 Be cordial and polite
 Make feasible and reasonable request
 Inform subordinates of rules and penalties
 Warn before punishing

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 Punish in private
Positive Values to be possessed by an
Engineer
 Integrity, honesty
 Truthfulness
 Kind heartedness, humility
 Friendliness
 Faith
 Self respect
 Open mindedness
 Creativity
 Civil sense
 Simplicity
 Forgiveness
 Poise –Equilibrium
 Detachment
 They generate positive thoughts
Ethical Dilemma’ in the Profession:
 Question your motives
 Practice what you preach
 Be your own investigative reporter
 Keep your commitments
 Learn to say “No” to things for which you have no time, talent, or sincere
interest
 Build and maintain your integrity (not to copy in examination)
 One should read a Book “My experiment with truth” an autobiography of
“Mahatma Gandhi to respect and practice values in life”

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References :
Engineering Ethics - by Charles. B. leerdermann

6. 1-Engineering Ethics - Introduction
Engineering is the process of developing an efficient mechanism which quickens and eases the work
using limited resources, with the help of technology. Ethics are the principles accepted by the society,
which also equate to the moral standards of human beings. An engineer with ethics, can help the
society in a better way.
Hence the study of engineering ethics, where such ethics are implemented in engineering by the
engineers, is necessary for the good of the society. Engineering Ethics is the study of decisions, policies
and values that are morally desirable in engineering practice and research.
Morals
The word “Morality” originates from the Latin word “mos” meaning “custom”. Morals are the
principles or habits with respect to right or wrong of one’s own conduct. They are not imposed by
anyone. Morals are what you think is good and bad personally.
Though morals are not imposed, they can be understood as the preaching of our inner self. Depending
on a few factors, our mind filters things as good or bad. These are the ideas that help frame our
personality so that we can distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.
A moral is the code of conduct that you develop over time and set for yourself to follow, just like
Being good to everyone
Speaking only the truth
Going against what you know is wrong
Having chastity
Avoid cheating
Being a nice human being etc.
Morals are always defined by one’s own personality. Morals can be changed according to one’s beliefs
as they are completely dependent on one’s perception towards the ethical values.
Ethics
The word “Ethics” originates from the Greek word “ethos” meaning “character”. Ethics are a set of
rules or principles that are generally considered as standards or good and bad or right and wrong,
which are usually imposed by an external group or a society or a profession or so.
Ethics can be understood as the rules of conduct proposed by a society or recognized with respect to
a particular class of human actions or a particular group or culture. Ethics are dependent on others
definition. They may or may not vary from context to context.
A person who strictly follows a set of ethical principles, may not have any moral at all while a person
who violates ethical principles at times, may maintain a high moral integrity. The ethical theories
include duty ethics, right ethics, and virtue ethics and so on. A best example that can explain ethics is
utilitarianism.

7. Utilitarianism is the philosophy which explains that the happiness or pleasure of a greatest number of
people in the society is considered as the greatest good. According to this philosophy, an action is
morally right if its consequences leads to happiness of the people and wrong if the action leads to
their unhappiness. This theory moves beyond the scope of one’s own interests and takes into account
the interests of others.
Engineering Ethics - Moral Issues
A moral issue can be understood as an issue to be resolved not only by considering the technical stuff
but also by keeping moral values in mind. To be more precise, let us consider the definition in general.
“Moral issue is a working definition of an issue of moral concern is presented as any issue with the
potential to help or harm anyone, including oneself.”
Macro-ethics
This approach deals with social problems which are unknown. However, these problems may
unexpectedly face the heat at both regional and national levels.
Examples
Let us now understand a few examples related to moral issues.
Example 1
After a recent collapse of a structure in which many people died, an Engineer came to know about a
bridge which is marginally safe. He informed his superior who asked him to stay calm and not to
discuss with anyone, while waiting for the next year budget sessions to get some financial help for the
repair required. What should the engineer do?
Example 2
What should an Engineer who observes his colleague copying confidential information unauthorized,
do immediately? If he chooses to stop his friend, what if this gets repeated without his notice? If he
chooses to report the management, what if his friend loses the job? Which is morally correct?
Example 3
An engineer who develops a proto-type for the project, loses it due to a mishap exactly the day before
the submission. Is it morally correct to outsource the prototype of the project and reduce the risks of
job insecurity? What should he do?
These are the few examples just to understand the kind of moral dilemmas. There might be one or
more correct answers at times. There can be some other way around to deal with the issue, which
one can’t easily notice. However, the decisions have to be made by following a slow and clear process
in order to avoid further problems and also to solve this in a manner that leads to no regrets.
2-Responsibility of an engineer
If we say that Mahesh was responsible, as a person and as an engineer, we might mean several things:
He met his responsibilities (obligations); he was responsible (accountable) for doing so; he acted
responsibly (conscientiously); and he is admirable (praiseworthy). Let us clarify these and related

8. senses of responsibility, beginning with obligations—the core idea around which all the other senses
revolve.
1. Obligations. Responsibilities are obligations—types of actions that are morally mandatory. Some
obligations are incumbent on each of us, such as to be honest, fair, and decent. Other obligations are
role responsibilities, acquired when we take on special roles such as parents, employees, or
professionals. Thus, a safety engineer might have responsibilities for making regular inspections at a
building site, or an operations engineer might have responsibilities for identifying potential benefits
and risks of one system as compared with another.
2. Accountable. Being responsible means being morally accountable. This entails having the general
capacities for moral agency, including the capacity to understand and act on moral Professionalism
reasons. It also entails being answerable for meeting particular obligations, that is, liable to be held to
account by other people in general or by specific individuals in positions of authority. We can be called
on to explain why we acted as we did, perhaps providing a justification or perhaps offering reasonable
excuses. We also hold ourselves accountable for meeting our obligations, sometimes responding with
emotions of self-respect and pride, other times responding with guilt for harming others and shame
for falling short of our ideals. Wrongdoing takes two primary forms: voluntary wrongdoing and
unintentional negligence. Voluntary wrongdoing occurs when we knew we were doing wrong and
were not coerced. Sometimes it is caused by recklessness, that is, flagrant disregard of known risks
and responsibilities. Other times it is a result of weakness of will, whereby we give in to temptation or
fail to try hard enough. In contrast, unintentional negligence occurs when we unintentionally fail to
exercise due care in meeting responsibilities. We might not have known what we were doing, but we
should have known. Shoddy engineering because of sheer incompetence usually falls into this
category.
3. Conscientious: integrity. Morally admirable engineers such as Mahesh accept their obligations
and are conscientious in meeting them. They diligently try to do the right thing, and they largely
succeed in doing so, even under difficult circumstances. In this sense, being responsible is a virtue—
an excellence of character. Of course, no one is perfect, and we might be conscientious in some areas
of life, such as our work, and less conscientious in other areas, such as raising a child.
4. Blameworthy/Praiseworthy. In contexts where it is clear that accountability for wrongdoing is at
issue, “responsible” becomes a synonym for blameworthy. In contexts where it is clear that right
conduct is at issue, “responsible” is a synonym for praiseworthy. Thus, the question “Who is
responsible for designing the antenna tower?” might be used to ask who is blameworthy for its
collapse or who deserves credit for its success in withstanding a severe storm.
3- Steps in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Reasonable solutions to ethical dilemmas are clear, informed, and well-reasoned. Clear refers to moral
clarity—clarity about which moral values are at stake and how they pertain to the situation. It also
refers to conceptual clarity—precision in using the key concepts (ideas) applicable in the situation.
Informed means knowing and appreciating the implications of morally-relevant facts. In addition, it
means being aware of alternative courses of action and what they entail. Well-reasoned means that
good judgment is exercised in integrating the relevant moral values and facts to arrive at a morally
desirable solution. These characteristics of reasonable solutions also enter as steps in resolving ethical

9. dilemmas. By “steps” we do not mean single-file movements, but instead activities that are carried
out jointly and in repeating patterns. Thus, a preliminary survey of the applicable moral values and
relevant facts might be followed by conceptual clarification and additional fact gathering, which in
turn evince a more nuanced understanding of the applicable values and the implications of the
relevant facts. In discussing the example, we will illustrate the importance of professional codes of
ethics in identifying and highlighting applicable moral reasons. A chemical engineer working in the
environmental division of a computer manufacturing firm learns that her company might be
discharging unlawful amounts of lead and arsenic into the city. The city processes the sludge into a
fertilizer used by local farmers. To ensure the safety of both the discharge and the fertilizer, the city
imposes restrictive laws on the discharge of lead and arsenic. Preliminary investigations convince the
engineer.
1. Moral clarity: Identify the relevant moral values.
The most basic step in confronting ethical dilemmas is to become aware of them! This means
identifying the moral values and reasons applicable in the situation, and bearing them in mind as
further investigations are made. These values and reasons might be obligations, rights, goods, ideals
(which might be desirable but not mandatory), or other moral considerations. Exactly how we
articulate the relevant values reflects our moral outlook. Another resource is talking with colleagues,
who can help sharpen our thinking about what is at stake in the situation. Butthe most useful resource
in identifying ethical dilemmas in engineering are professional codes of ethics, as interpreted in light
of one’s ongoing professional experience. Like most codes of ethics, the code of ethics of the American
Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) indicates the engineer has at least three responsibilities in the
situation. One responsibility is to be honest: “Issue statements or present information only in an
objective and truthful manner.” A second responsibility is to the employer: “Act in professional
matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, avoiding conflicts of interest and
never breaching confidentiality.” A third responsibility is to the public, and also to protect the
environment: “Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public and protect the
environment in performance of their professional duties.” In the case at hand, the members of the
public most directly affected are the local farmers, but the dangerous chemicals could affect more
persons as lead and arsenic are drawn into the food chain. Additional moral considerations, not cited
in the code, include duties to maintain personal and professional integrity, and rights to pursue one’s
career.
2. Conceptual clarity:
Be clear about key concepts. Professionalism requires being a faithful agent of one’s employer, but
does that mean doing what one’s supervisor directs or doing what is good for the corporation in the
long run? These might be different things, in particular when one’s supervisor is adopting a short-term
view that could harm the long-term interests of the corporation. Again, what does it mean to “hold
paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public” .
3- Other ways
1) Gather the relevant facts and identify the problems
Do I have all the facts relevant to the situation?
Am I making assumptions? If so, could facts be identified to replace these assumptions?
Is it really your problem? Can anybody else help?

10. 2) Identify the affected parties
Who are the individuals, organisations and key stakeholders affected?
In what way are they affected?
Are there conflicts between different stakeholders?
Who are your allies?
3) Consider the ethical issues involved
Have you referred to ICAEW's Code of Ethics?
What are the professional, organisational and personal ethics issues?
Would these ethical issues affect the reputation of the accountancy profession?
Would these ethical issues affect the public interest?
4) Identify which fundamental principles are affected
What are the threats to compliance with the fundamental principles of:
Integrity
Objectivity
Professional competence and due care
Confidentiality
Professional behaviour
Have you considered the following threats?
Self interest
Self-review
Advocacy
Familiarity
Intimidation
If so, are the treats to compliance with the fundamental principles clearly insignificant?
Are there safeguards which can eliminate or reduce the threats to an acceptable level? Safeguards
can be created by:
Profession, legislation and regulation
Work environment
Individual
5) Refer to the employing organisation's internal procedures
Does your organisation's policies and procedure provide guidance on the situation?

11. How can you escalate concerns within the organisation? Who should be involved, in what role and at
what stage?
Does the organisation have a whistleblowing procedure?
At what point should you seek guidance from external sources such as ICAEW
6) Consider and evaluate alternative courses of action
You should consider:
Your organisation's policies, procedures and guidelines
Applicable laws and regulation
Universal values and principles generally accepted by society
Consequences
Test your proposed course of action. Ask yourself the following questions:
Have all the consequences associated with the proposed course of action been discussed and
evaluated?
Is there any reason why the proposed course of action should not stand the test of time?
Would a similar course of action be undertaken in a similar situation?
Would the suggested course of action stand to scrutiny from peers, family and friends?
7) Implement the course of action and monitor its progress
When faced with an ethical issue, it may be in your best interests to document your thought processes,
discussions and the decisions taken. Written records will be useful if you need to justify your course
of action.