This document discusses codes of ethics and moral values. It explains that codes of ethics serve to protect the public interest, guide professionals, and inspire commitment to ethical standards. Codes help establish shared standards, support responsible conduct, and facilitate education and understanding. They also provide a basis for investigating unethical events. Codes contribute to a positive professional image and allow for self-regulation. However, codes also have limitations and can be subject to abuse if taken too seriously. The document compares the arguments of two philosophers, Michael Davis and Stephen Unger, regarding the role and purpose of professional codes of ethics. It also discusses how moral values, reasoning, and judgments vary across cultures and may change over time.

1. CHAPTER FOUR
CODE OF ETHICS
AND MORAL VALUES

2. Code of Ethics
 Role played by Code of Ethics:
• Protecting the interest of public
• Serving the public
 Guidance
• Main obligation of the professionals
• General Guidance
• Identify the primary responsibilities
 Inspiration
• Expressing one’s profession’s commitment(The act of binding yourself
to the ethics
• Providing the positive stimulus / motivation
(intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action)

3. Shared Standards
Establish the explicit standards
Fair-playing while competing for the clients / users
Support for the responsible professionals
Support for the professionals seeking to act ethically
Take stand on moral issues
Education and Mutual Understanding
Discuss the cases based on the moral issues
Shared understanding among the professionals, public and
government
 Deterrence and Discipline
• Formal basis for investigating the unethical event
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4.  Contributing to the Professional Image
• Codes present a positive image to the public and clients
• The Image that helps an engineer to serve the public and
clients effectively
• Codes provide the power of Self-Regulation (The property of a
person or organization to improve ethically without having any external pressure)
Codes achieve and sustain the trust of public and clients
Abuses and Limitations of the Codes:
Abuses: When the codes are taken too seriously
Limitations: Codes are not a substitute of personal
responsibility and ethical behaviour
• Codes are not a one key to all the solutions
• Codes are specialised
• Codes can have the flaws
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5.  Ethical Relativism  Theory of Relativism (Moral valves(person
to person) of a persons or organization are not absolute. They are relative to
each other)
•Did the profession’s code of ethics create the obligations or
it recorded the obligations which did already exist?
Comparison of the arguments of Michael Davis and Stephen Unger
about the Code of Ethics
Michael Davis: An American philosopher and professor of philosophy
working at “Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA”,
and the pioneer of Professional Ethics (born in 1946)
Michael Davis's arguments about the Code of Ethics:
The
code is to protect each professional from certain
pressures (for example, the pressure to cut corners to save
the money / achieve the economy) by making it reasonably
likely that most other members of the profession will not take
advantage of the good conduct.

6. Michael Davis's arguments about the Code of Ethics:
A code protects members of a profession from certain
consequences while competing. A code is a solution to a
management / coordination problem.
Code of ethics allows an engineer to object to a pressure
to produce substandard work not merely as an ordinary
moral agent, but as a professional. Engineers can say "As
a professional, I cannot ethically put the business
concerns ahead of the Professional Ethics” (quoted by
Michael Davis).
Davis gave four reasons that why the professionals
should support their profession’s code:
First, supporting it will help protect them from being
injured by what others do unethically.

7. Michael Davis's arguments about the Code of Ethics:
Second, supporting the code will also help assure each
engineer a working environment in which it will be easier
than it would otherwise be to resist pressure to do much that
the engineers would rather not do.
Third, the Engineers should support their profession's code
because supporting it will help make their profession a
practice of which they need not feel any embarrassment(to
feel uneasy), shame, or guilt.
And fourth, one has an obligation of fairness to do his part
in generating(Bring into existence) the benefits for all the
Engineers.

8. Comparison of the arguments of Stephen Unger &
Michael Davis about the Code of Ethics
Stephen A Unger: An American executive recruiter and a
regular writer of the articles of ‘leadership’ for a weekly
trade publication “Daily Variety”, working in NY, USA (born
in 1946)
Stephen Unger's arguments about the Code of Ethics:
First, it serves as a collective recognition by the members
of a profession of its responsibilities.
Second, it helps create an environment in which ethical
behavior is the norm (standard).
Third, it serves as a guide or reminder in specific situations
Fourth, the process of developing and modifying the Code
of Ethics can be valuable for a profession.

9. Stephen Unger's arguments about the Code of Ethics:
Fifth, a code serves as an educational tool, providing a focal point
for discussions in the classes and professional meetings.
Finally, a code indicates to others that the profession is seriously
concerned with the responsible and professional conduct.
Compare
the ‘Important Characteristics’ of the “Arguments”
presented by these two Professional Ethicists.
Date for Second Assignment and
Second Quiz is 25th of October 2013

10.  Obligations related to a Particular Role as a
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professional
Sound Professional Codes withstand the Three Tests:
Clear and Coherent
Organised : Basic moral values are applicable to that
profession
Helpful: Provide the helpful and reasonable guidance

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Existing ethical theories may develop and new theories may emerge
As the social, economic, industrial and engineering setups and
standards keep on changing – so are the Ethical Expectations and
Theories
Moral Reasoning and Theories are mostly culturally based:
Most of the Ethical Theories are based on the setups of western world
Westerns focus on the Moral Values and Behaviour of individuals rather
than those of a group
Globalization and Internationalization are causing / pressurizing the
changes
In keeping the balance between “business – government” and
“individuals – society”, international frame-work weakens and vice-versa
i.e. between “business – government” and “international organizations –
governments”
Different international norms may emerge

12. Moral Values and Moral Issues:
Understanding moral values
Resolving moral issues
Justifying moral judgements
Exploring the questions that involve moral issues
Developing a system of Moral Values and Code of Ethics
Defining “Moral Behaviour” and “Right Conduct”:
What is to be morally done in a particular situation
What is morally right and what is morally wrong and how the
situations can be ethically handled
• What is good or bad for the employer, employees, society,
people, policies, laws, etc
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13.  Types of Enquiries:
• Normative: The norms identify the moral values
• Conceptual: Clarify the moral concepts
• Factual: Explore the specific or certain situations and problems
 Types of Moral Judgement:
• Actions: Whether they are morally right or wrong
• People: Whether they are morally responsible or not
• Objective: Whether it is consistent and ethical in reasoning and
decisions
 Typical situations involving Ethical Dilemmas:
• Interest of employer for his business Vs interest and
consideration for the people and society

14. • Sub-standard, unsafe, unhealthy, etc products or services are
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produced
Produced in obsolescence
Extravagant claims for the production of product / service
Interest of one Community or Group Vs Other:
E.g: a power-station or factory producing the local pollution
Impact of war on civilians’ population and their lives
Pertinent Ethical Questions:
What is the extent of an engineer’s responsibility?
When one should obey or not obey the order esp. of the
seniors?

15.  Virtue Ethics:
• Virtues and Vices: Good and Evil Behaviour / Character
 Utilitarianism: Actions which result most good (best) for the most
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good people
Duty Ethics: Actions / results based on nature of the duty carried
out
Rights Ethics: Actions which respect inalienable human rights
Some Ethical Philosophers extend this scope to the animals too
Description of Virtues: Principles of I. E. Australia express the
Virtues as:
Virtuous ways to interact to the others
Desirable features of the reactor’s character
Equity is a core value of virtues
Vices: Immoral acts or practices the esp. social ones