This document contains a lesson plan for the subject Professional Ethics and Human Values for V semester students in the Department of Biotechnology at Rajalakshmi Engineering College. It lists the syllabus, units, topics covered, textbooks and references. The syllabus is divided into 5 units - Human Values, Engineering Ethics, Engineering as Social Experimentation, Safety, Responsibilities and Rights, and Global Issues. The topics include concepts like integrity, work ethic, moral dilemmas, codes of ethics, risk assessment, safety, employee and professional rights, environmental ethics, and computer ethics. Sample question papers from 2006 and 2007 are also provided.

1. RAJALAKSHMI ENGINEERING COLLEGE
THANDALAM, CHENNAI – 602 105
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
LESSON PLAN (JUNE 2011 – NOV 2011 )
Faculty Name / Code
`
Sub Code / Name
Class
: V.Gayathri / BT17( Senior Lecturer) &
S.Thiruvengadam / BT109 (Senior Lecturer)
: GE 2021-Professional Ethics And Human Values
: V Semester (Sec A / B)
SYLLABUS (Regulation 2008) Total Lect. hrs : 45
UNIT I
HUMAN VALUES
Morals, Values and Ethics – Integrity – Work Ethic – Service Learning – Civic Virtue – Respect for Others –
Living Peacefully – caring – Sharing – Honesty – Courage – Valuing Time – Co-operation – Commitment –
Empathy – Self-Confidence – Character – Spirituality.
UNIT II
ENGINEERING ETHICS
Senses of “Engineering Ethics”' - variety of moral issued - types of inquiry - moral dilemmas - moral
autonomy - Kohlberg's theory - Gilligan's theory - consensus and controversy – Models of Professional Roles
- theories about right action - Self-interest - customs and religion - uses of ethical theories.
UNIT III
ENGINEERING AS SOCIAL EXPERIMENTATION
Engineering as experimentation - engineers as responsible experimenters - codes of ethics - a balanced
outlook on law - the challenger case study
UNIT IV
SAFETY, RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS
Safety and risk - assessment of safety and risk - risk benefit analysis and reducing risk - the three mile island
and Chernobyl case studies.
Collegiality and loyalty - respect for authority - collective bargaining - confidentiality - conflicts of interest occupational crime - professional rights - employee rights - Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) - discrimination.
UNIT V
GLOBAL ISSUES
Multinational corporations - Environmental ethics - computer ethics - weapons development - engineers as
managers-consulting engineers-engineers as expert witnesses and advisors -moral leadership-sample code
of Ethics (Specific to a particular Engineering Discipline).
TEXT BOOKS
T1
T2
Mike Martin and Roland Schinzinger, “Ethics in Engineering”, McGraw-Hill, New York 1996.
Govindarajan M, Natarajan S, Senthil Kumar V. S, “ Engineering Ethics”, Prentice Hall of India, New
Delhi, 2004.
REFERENCES
R1
R2
R3
R4
Charles D. Fleddermann, “Engineering Ethics”, Pearson Education / Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2004
(Indian Reprint now available)
Charles E Harris, Michael S. Protchard and Michael J Rabins, “Engineering Ethics – Concepts and
Cases”, Wadsworth Thompson Learning, United States, 2000 (Indian Reprint now available)
John R Boatright, “Ethics and the Conduct of Business”, Pearson Education, New Delhi, 2003.
Edmund G Seebauer and Robert L Barry, “Fundamentals of Ethics for Scientists and Engineers”,
Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001.

2. GE-1301
MAY / JUNE 2006
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND HUMAN VALUES
QUESTION PAPERS
PART –A
(2MARKS)
1. What are the three different levels of moral development suggested by Kholberg?
The three different levels of moral development as suggested by Kholberg are;
i) Pre-conventional ii) Conventional and iii) Post-conventional.
2. List the different models of professional roles.
i) Engineers as saviours. Ii) Engineer as guardians’ iii) Engineer as bureaucratic
servants iv) Engineer as social servants v) Engineer as social eanablers and catalysts
and vi) Engineer as game player.
3. Mention the five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories.
The five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories are: i) The theory must be
clear and logical. The concept of the theory should be formulated to enhance
applicability. ii) The theory should be consistent with its principles. The principles of
the same theory should not contradict each other. iii) The theory and its defense
should rely only upon facts, truths and correct information. iv) The theory should be
adequately complete so that to provide guidance for our required specific situations.
v) The theory should be well-matched with moral convictions such as judgments and
intutions about concrete situations.
4. Give the limitation of the code.
i)Codes are restricted to general and vague wording. Hence it is impossible to apply
for all situations. ii) The codes are different and conflicting and thereby create the
moral dilemma which one to apply for a particular situation. iii) The codes cannot
serve as a final moral authority for professional conduct. iv) The limitation of codes
are due to their proliferation.
5. What reasons lead to many repetitions of past mistakes?
Lack of established channels of communication, misplaced pride in not asking for
information, embarrassment at failure or fear of litigation and plain neglect often
impede the flow of such information lead to many repetitions of past mistakes.
6. Give Lowrance’s definition for safety and acceptability of mistakes.
William Lowrance defined safety as ‘A thing is safe if its risks are judged to be
acceptable’. That means, a thing is safe for a person if the perceived risk is less.
Similarly a thing is unsafe if the perceived risk is high.
7. List the methods that can be applied when testing is inappropriate.
8. Define whistle-blowing and when it occurs.
Whistle-blowing is the act by and employee informing the public or higher
management of unethical or illegal behaviour by an employer or superviosor.
It occurs to discourage the organization to continue the unethical activity. When
repeated information was ignored and no steps were taken to prevent the activity by
the management or superiors.

3. 9. List any four international rights listed by Donaldson.
Thomas Donaldson in his book ‘The ethics of International Business’ has listed the
following as the International rights:
1. The right to freedom of physical movement
2. The right to ownership of property
3. The right to freedom from torture
4. The right to a fair trial
5. The right to nondiscriminatory treatment
6. The right to physical security
7. The right to freedom of speech and association
8. The right to minimal education
9. The right to political participation
10. The right to subsistence.
10. What you mean by appropriate technology?
Appropriate technology refers to the identification, transfer and implementation of
the most suitable technology for a new set of conditions.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –A
(2MARKS)
11. Define moral autonomy.
Moral autonomy is the ability to think critically and independently about moral
Issues and apply the same to the situations that arise during the professional
engineering practices.
12. What you mean by ‘Profession’?
13. What is ‘Safe Exists’?
14. Define Ethics.
15. What is the meaning of ‘Safety’?
16. Define ‘Risk’.
17. Define Confidentiality.
18. What do you mean by external whistle blowing?
19. List out four examples of Multinational Corporations.
20. Define Computer Ethics.

4. MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –A
(2MARKS)
21. Define Self Confidence.
22. List the types of Human Values.
23. What are the professional responsibilities?
24. What is meant by moral autonomy?
25. What are the functions of code of Ethics?
26. What do you understand by the term authenticity?
27. What are the faulty assumptions about safety?
28. What is meant by voluntary risk?
29. Define conflict resolution.
30. What is contextualism?
MAY / JUNE 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
1. Explain the skills needed to handle problems about moral issues in engineering ethics.
(8)
2. Discuss the different models of professional roles.
(8)
3. State the similarities to view engineering projects as experiments.
(8)
4. How engineering projects differs from standard experimentation?
(8)
5. Discuss on the roles played by the codes of ethics set by professional societies.
6. Explain in detail the effects of information on risk assessment with an example.
(8)
7. Write notes on: Personal risk, Public risk.
(8)
8. Describe the concept of risk –benefit analysis.
(8)
9. Give any four examples of improved safety and explain.
(8)
10. Explain the concept of collegiality and loyalty.
11. Write short notes on Professional rights.
(8)

5. 12. Write short notes on employee rights to privacy and choice of outside activities.
(8)
13. Describe the moral threats posed by the revolutionized communication using
computers to the right to privacy.
(8)
14. Describe the concept of environmental ethics with a case study.
(8)
15. Discuss the three senses of ‘Relative’ values.
(8)
16. Give the philosophical views of nature and discuss them.
(8)
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
17. Explain the scope of Engineering Ethics
18. Discuss the importance of Duty ethics and Virtues in engineering profession.
19. How do you call an Engineer as a responsible Experimenter?
20. Write short notes on Ethical Relativism.
(8)
21. Write short notes on abuses on the codes of ethics.
(8)
22. Explain the various measures for assessing and reducing Risk.
23. Discuss the concept of safety exists in the Chernobyl Case Studies.
24. Define the Collective Bargaining. Explain the role of collective bargaining in
workplace rights and responsibilities.
25. How will you apply confidentiality for avoiding harmful conflicts of interest in
workplace?
26. Is there any relationship among Engineering, Ecology and Economics? Discuss.
27. Explain the issues related to computer ethics and internet with personal experience.

6. MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
28. What is spirituality? How spirituality is promoted in work place? What are spiritual
traits to be developed for excellence in corporate activities?
29. Define virtues. List the types of virtues with suitable example for each.?
30. Discuss the term respect for others?
(10)
(6)
31. Discuss Kohlberg’s model of moral development and Glligan theory of moral
development?
32. Define Self Respect.
(4)
33. List the steps in confronting moral dilemma.
(12)
34. In the Challenger Disaster, examine if and how the principal actors behaved as
responsible experimenters.
35. Compare and contrast engineering experiments with standard experiments.
36. What is the proper role law in Engineering?
(10)
(6)
37. Discuss the notion of safe exit using evacuation plans for communities near nuclear
power plants or chemical processing plants.
38. Discuss on the ways and means of reducing occupational crimes in industries.
(8)
39. Discuss the intellectual property plants.
(8)
40. Write a brief account on Consulting Engineering
(8)
41. Explain Engineers as expert witness and advisors?
(8)
42. Discuss an Engineers involvement in weapons work?
(8)
43. Discuss on the Professional Societies?
(8)

7. GE-1301
MAY / JUNE 2006
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND HUMAN VALUES
QUESTION PAPERS
PART –A
(2MARKS)
1. What are the three different levels of moral development suggested by Kholberg?
The three different levels of moral development as suggested by Kholberg are;
i) Pre-conventional ii) Conventional and iii) Post-conventional.
2. List the different models of professional roles.
i) Engineers as saviours. Ii) Engineer as guardians’ iii) Engineer as bureaucratic
servants iv) Engineer as social servants v) Engineer as social eanablers and catalysts
and vi) Engineer as game player.
3. Mention the five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories.
The five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories are: i) The theory must be
clear and logical. The concept of the theory should be formulated to enhance
applicability. ii) The theory should be consistent with its principles. The principles of
the same theory should not contradict each other. iii) The theory and its defense
should rely only upon facts, truths and correct information. iv) The theory should be
adequately complete so that to provide guidance for our required specific situations.
v) The theory should be well-matched with moral convictions such as judgments and
intutions about concrete situations.
4. Give the limitation of the code.
i)Codes are restricted to general and vague wording. Hence it is impossible to apply
for all situations. ii) The codes are different and conflicting and thereby create the
moral dilemma which one to apply for a particular situation. iii) The codes cannot
serve as a final moral authority for professional conduct. iv) The limitation of codes
are due to their proliferation.
5. What reasons lead to many repetitions of past mistakes?
Lack of established channels of communication, misplaced pride in not asking for
information, embarrassment at failure or fear of litigation and plain neglect often
impede the flow of such information lead to many repetitions of past mistakes.
6. Give Lowrance’s definition for safety and acceptability of mistakes.
William Lowrance defined safety as ‘A thing is safe if its risks are judged to be
acceptable’. That means, a thing is safe for a person if the perceived risk is less.
Similarly a thing is unsafe if the perceived risk is high.
7. List the methods that can be applied when testing is inappropriate.
8. Define whistle-blowing and when it occurs.
Whistle-blowing is the act by and employee informing the public or higher
management of unethical or illegal behaviour by an employer or superviosor.
It occurs to discourage the organization to continue the unethical activity. When
repeated information was ignored and no steps were taken to prevent the activity by
the management or superiors.

8. 9. List any four international rights listed by Donaldson.
Thomas Donaldson in his book ‘The ethics of International Business’ has listed the
following as the International rights:
11. The right to freedom of physical movement
12. The right to ownership of property
13. The right to freedom from torture
14. The right to a fair trial
15. The right to nondiscriminatory treatment
16. The right to physical security
17. The right to freedom of speech and association
18. The right to minimal education
19. The right to political participation
20. The right to subsistence.
10. What you mean by appropriate technology?
Appropriate technology refers to the identification, transfer and implementation of
the most suitable technology for a new set of conditions.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –A
(2MARKS)
31. Define moral autonomy.
Moral autonomy is the ability to think critically and independently about moral
Issues and apply the same to the situations that arise during the professional
engineering practices.
32. What you mean by ‘Profession’?
33. What is ‘Safe Exists’?
34. Define Ethics.
35. What is the meaning of ‘Safety’?
36. Define ‘Risk’.
37. Define Confidentiality.
38. What do you mean by external whistle blowing?
39. List out four examples of Multinational Corporations.
40. Define Computer Ethics.

9. MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –A
(2MARKS)
41. Define Self Confidence.
42. List the types of Human Values.
43. What are the professional responsibilities?
44. What is meant by moral autonomy?
45. What are the functions of code of Ethics?
46. What do you understand by the term authenticity?
47. What are the faulty assumptions about safety?
48. What is meant by voluntary risk?
49. Define conflict resolution.
50. What is contextualism?
MAY / JUNE 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
1. Explain the skills needed to handle problems about moral issues in engineering ethics.
(8)
2. Discuss the different models of professional roles.
(8)
3. State the similarities to view engineering projects as experiments.
(8)
4. How engineering projects differs from standard experimentation?
(8)
5. Discuss on the roles played by the codes of ethics set by professional societies.
6. Explain in detail the effects of information on risk assessment with an example.
(8)
7. Write notes on: Personal risk, Public risk.
(8)
8. Describe the concept of risk –benefit analysis.
(8)
9. Give any four examples of improved safety and explain.
(8)
10. Explain the concept of collegiality and loyalty.
(8)
11. Write short notes on Professional rights.
(8)

10. 12. Write short notes on employee rights to privacy and choice of outside activities.
(8)
13. Describe the moral threats posed by the revolutionized communication using
computers to the right to privacy.
(8)
14. Describe the concept of environmental ethics with a case study.
(8)
15. Discuss the three senses of ‘Relative’ values.
(8)
16. Give the philosophical views of nature and discuss them.
(8)
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
17. Explain the scope of Engineering Ethics
18. Discuss the importance of Duty ethics and Virtues in engineering profession.
19. How do you call an Engineer as a responsible Experimenter?
20. Write short notes on Ethical Relativism.
(8)
21. Write short notes on abuses on the codes of ethics.
(8)
22. Explain the various measures for assessing and reducing Risk.
23. Discuss the concept of safety exists in the Chernobyl Case Studies.
24. Define the Collective Bargaining. Explain the role of collective bargaining in
workplace rights and responsibilities.
25. How will you apply confidentiality for avoiding harmful conflicts of interest in
workplace?
26. Is there any relationship among Engineering, Ecology and Economics? Discuss.
27. Explain the issues related to computer ethics and internet with personal experience.

11. MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
28. What is spirituality? How spirituality is promoted in work place? What are spiritual
traits to be developed for excellence in corporate activities?
29. Define virtues. List the types of virtues with suitable example for each.?
30. Discuss the term respect for others?
(10)
(6)
31. Discuss Kohlberg’s model of moral development and Glligan theory of moral
development?
32. Define Self Respect.
(4)
33. List the steps in confronting moral dilemma.
(12)
34. In the Challenger Disaster, examine if and how the principal actors behaved as
responsible experimenters.
35. Compare and contrast engineering experiments with standard experiments.
36. What is the proper role law in Engineering?
(10)
(6)
37. Discuss the notion of safe exit using evacuation plans for communities near nuclear
power plants or chemical processing plants.
38. Discuss on the ways and means of reducing occupational crimes in industries.
(8)
39. Discuss the intellectual property plants.
(8)
40. Write a brief account on Consulting Engineering
(8)
41. Explain Engineers as expert witness and advisors?
(8)
42. Discuss an Engineers involvement in weapons work?
(8)
43. Discuss on the Professional Societies?

12. GE-1301
MAY / JUNE 2006
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND HUMAN VALUES
QUESTION PAPERS
PART –A
(2MARKS)
1. What are the three different levels of moral development suggested by Kholberg?
The three different levels of moral development as suggested by Kholberg are;
i) Pre-conventional ii) Conventional and iii) Post-conventional.
2. List the different models of professional roles.
i) Engineers as saviours. Ii) Engineer as guardians’ iii) Engineer as bureaucratic
servants iv) Engineer as social servants v) Engineer as social eanablers and catalysts
and vi) Engineer as game player.
3. Mention the five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories.
The five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories are: i) The theory must be
clear and logical. The concept of the theory should be formulated to enhance
applicability. ii) The theory should be consistent with its principles. The principles of
the same theory should not contradict each other. iii) The theory and its defense
should rely only upon facts, truths and correct information. iv) The theory should be
adequately complete so that to provide guidance for our required specific situations.
v) The theory should be well-matched with moral convictions such as judgments and
intutions about concrete situations.
4. Give the limitation of the code.
i)Codes are restricted to general and vague wording. Hence it is impossible to apply
for all situations. ii) The codes are different and conflicting and thereby create the
moral dilemma which one to apply for a particular situation. iii) The codes cannot
serve as a final moral authority for professional conduct. iv) The limitation of codes
are due to their proliferation.
5. What reasons lead to many repetitions of past mistakes?
Lack of established channels of communication, misplaced pride in not asking for
information, embarrassment at failure or fear of litigation and plain neglect often
impede the flow of such information lead to many repetitions of past mistakes.
6. Give Lowrance’s definition for safety and acceptability of mistakes.
William Lowrance defined safety as ‘A thing is safe if its risks are judged to be
acceptable’. That means, a thing is safe for a person if the perceived risk is less.
Similarly a thing is unsafe if the perceived risk is high.
7. List the methods that can be applied when testing inappropriate.
The methods for testing inappropriate are: 1. Scenario analysis. 2. Failure modes and
effects analysis, 3. Fault-tree analysis and 4.Even-tree analysis.
8. Define whistle-blowing and when it occurs.
Whistle-blowing is the act by and employee informing the public or higher
management of unethical or illegal behaviour by an employer or superviosor.
It occurs to discourage the organization to continue the unethical activity. When
repeated information was ignored and no steps were taken to prevent the activity by

13. the management or superiors.
9. List any four international rights listed by Donaldson.
Thomas Donaldson in his book ‘The ethics of International Business’ has listed the
following as the International rights:
21. The right to freedom of physical movement
22. The right to ownership of property
23. The right to freedom from torture
24. The right to a fair trial
25. The right to nondiscriminatory treatment
26. The right to physical security
27. The right to freedom of speech and association
28. The right to minimal education
29. The right to political participation
30. The right to subsistence.
10. What you mean by appropriate technology?
Appropriate technology refers to the identification, transfer and implementation of
the most suitable technology for a new set of conditions.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –A
(2MARKS)
51. Define moral autonomy.
Moral autonomy is the ability to think critically and independently about moral
Issues and apply the same to the situations that arise during the professional
engineering practices.
52. What you mean by ‘Profession’?
Profession means “The occupation which one professes to be skilled and follow a
vocation in which professed knowledge of some branch of learning is used in its
application to the affairs of others, or in the practice of an art based upon it”. In
general it is synonym for job or occupation.
53. What is ‘Safe Exists’?
When a product fails it will fail safely, the product can be abandoned safely or the
user escapes safely from the adversity of the product. All the three conditions are
referred as ‘Safe Exists’.
54. Define Ethics.
The term ethics is derived from the Greek word ‘Ethos’, which means customs.
Ethics are the study of the characteristics of morals. It concerned with what is wrong
and what is right.
55. What is the meaning of ‘Safety’?
Safety means being in the safe state. i.e. Protected from harm and danger. It is
defined by William W. Lowrence as “A thing is safe if its risks are judged to be
acceptable”

14. 56. Define ‘Risk’.
Risk can be defined as a potential that is something unwanted and harmful may occur.
It is the possibility of suffering harm or loss.
57. Define Confidentiality.
Confidentiality is the obligation of keeping certain information of employer/client
secret or confidential. It is one of the external responsibilities of Engineer.
58. What do you mean by external whistle blowing?
It is the whistle blowing where in the information is passed outside the organization.
59. List out four examples of Multinational Corporations.
Large corporations having investment and business in number of countries are known
as Multinational or Transnational corporation. Some of them are : Hindustan Lever,
Ford, Toyota, Sony, LG, Smith Kline Beecham, ITC, Ponds etc.
60. Define Computer Ethics.
The study of ethical issues that are associated with computer, its peripheral and
accessesseries and the computing profession is called as computer ethics.
MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –A
(2MARKS)
61. Define Self Confidence.
Having confidence in oneself is called Self Confidence.
62. List the types of Human Values.
63. What are the professional responsibilities? The professional responsibility is an
umbrella virtue that can be grouped into four categories. They are: 1. Self-direction
virtues that are fundamental in exercising moral autonomy and responsibility. 2.
Public-spirited virtues are those focused on the good of clients and the public. 3.
Team-work virtues those are essential in enabling the professionals to work
successfully with other people an 4. Proficiency virtue is the competence.
64. What is meant by moral autonomy?
Moral autonomy is the skill and habit of thinking rationally on ethical issues
based on moral concern.
65. What are the functions of code of Ethics?
The various functions of code of Ethics are:
1. Inspiration
2. Guidance
3. support for responsible conduct
4. Deterring and disciplining unethical professional conduct
5. Education and promotion of mutual understanding
6. Contributing to positive public image of the profession
7. Protecting the status quo and suppressing dissent within the profession
and
8. Promoting business interests through restraint of trade.

15. 66. What do you understand by the term authenticity?
People are morally autonomous hen their moral conduct and principles of action are
their own. That is, moral belief and attitude must be held on the basis of crtitical
reflection rather than merely on the conviction and convention of the society, church
or authority. This is called as authenticity in one’s commitment to moral values.
67. What are the faulty assumptions about safety?
The faulty assumptions about safety are: 1. The cause of accident is due to the
operator error and negligence. 2. Producing safe product always increases the cost.
3. We learn about the safety after a product has been completed and tested. 4.
Warning about harms are sufficient. Insurance cover is cheaper than planning for
safety.
68. What is meant by voluntary risk?
The risk taken by a person knowingly it is unsafe is called as voluntary risk.
69. Define conflict resolution.
Conflict resolution is the result based on some objective standard and corporate
usually uses general standards for evaluating the results.
70. What is contextualism?
In accordance to Gilligan women try hard to preserve personal relationship will all
people. This context-oriented emphasis on maintaining personal relationship is called
as ethics of care in contrast with ethics of rules and rights.
MAY / JUNE 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
1. Explain the skills needed to handle problems about moral issues in engineering ethics.
(8)
2. Discuss the different models of professional roles.
(8)
3. State the similarities to view engineering projects as experiments.
(8)
4. How engineering projects differs from standard experimentation?
(8)
5. Discuss on the roles played by the codes of ethics set by professional societies.
6. Explain in detail the effects of information on risk assessment with an example.
(8)
7. Write notes on: Personal risk, Public risk.
(8)
8. Describe the concept of risk –benefit analysis.
(8)
9. Give any four examples of improved safety and explain.
(8)

16. 10. Explain the concept of collegiality and loyalty.
(8)
11. Write short notes on Professional rights.
(8)
12. Write short notes on employee rights to privacy and choice of outside activities.
(8)
13. Describe the moral threats posed by the revolutionized communication using
computers to the right to privacy.
(8)
14. Describe the concept of environmental ethics with a case study.
(8)
15. Discuss the three senses of ‘Relative’ values.
(8)
16. Give the philosophical views of nature and discuss them.
(8)
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
17. Explain the scope of Engineering Ethics
18. Discuss the importance of Duty ethics and Virtues in engineering profession.
19. How do you call an Engineer as a responsible Experimenter?
20. Write short notes on Ethical Relativism.
(8)
21. Write short notes on abuses on the codes of ethics.
(8)
22. Explain the various measures for assessing and reducing Risk.
23. Discuss the concept of safety exists in the Chernobyl Case Studies.
24. Define the Collective Bargaining. Explain the role of collective bargaining in
workplace rights and responsibilities.
25. How will you apply confidentiality for avoiding harmful conflicts of interest in
workplace?
26. Is there any relationship among Engineering, Ecology and Economics? Discuss.
27. Explain the issues related to computer ethics and internet with personal experience.

17. MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
28. What is spirituality? How spirituality is promoted in work place? What are spiritual
traits to be developed for excellence in corporate activities?
29. Define virtues. List the types of virtues with suitable example for each.?
30. Discuss the term respect for others?
(10)
(6)
31. Discuss Kohlberg’s model of moral development and Glligan theory of moral
development?
32. Define Self Respect.
(4)
33. List the steps in confronting moral dilemma.
(12)
34. In the Challenger Disaster, examine if and how the principal actors behaved as
responsible experimenters.
35. Compare and contrast engineering experiments with standard experiments.
36. What is the proper role law in Engineering?
(10)
(6)
37. Discuss the notion of safe exit using evacuation plans for communities near nuclear
power plants or chemical processing plants.
38. Discuss on the ways and means of reducing occupational crimes in industries.
(8)
39. Discuss the intellectual property plants.
(8)
40. Write a brief account on Consulting Engineering
(8)
41. Explain Engineers as expert witness and advisors?
(8)
42. Discuss an Engineers involvement in weapons work?
(8)
43. Discuss on the Professional Societies?
(8)

18. PROFESSIONAL ETHICS - Question Bank
Professional Ethics
1. Define Engineering Ethics.
2. Why is it important for engineering students to study engineering ethics?
3. What are the ethical principles for students?
4. List the approaches to engineering ethics
5. Where and how do moral problems arise in engineering?
6. List the types of inquiry
7. What are the moral rights essential for engineers to fulfill their professional obligations?
8. What is a profession and professional?
9. What does it mean when codes of ethics say engineers should protect the safety, health and welfare of
the public?
10. Why study engineering ethics?
11. What are moral dilemmas?
12. What do you mean by moral autonomy?
13. Differentiate profession and professionalism.
14. What do code of ethics exhibit?
15. Why does engineering have to be viewed as an experimental process?
16. State some issues on engineering ethics.
17. How do engineering ethics differ from general ethics?
18. What are the objectives of ethics?
19. What are the roles of engineers in engineering societies?
20. What are the characteristics of a good engineer?
21. Explain the scope of engineering ethics.
22. Define morality.
23. How do moral problems arise in engineering?
24. What is the need of moral autonomy in the field of engineering ethics?
25. What are the attributes of a profession?
26. What are the pleasures offered by engineering?
27. What is meant by professional responsibility?
28. How can professionalism be achieved?
29 What is the significance of ethics in engineering profession?
29. What are the basic goals of engineering ethics?
30. Define engineering ethics.
31. What are the applications of engineering ethics in decision making?
32. Define ethics and morals
33. What is the purpose of studying engineering ethics?
34. How ethics in engineering differ from ethics of engineers?
35. Mention the various senses of ethics.
36. Differentiate moral and ethics.
37. What are moral reasons?

19. 38. Give any four technical judgments of an engineer.
39. Give any four moral aspects of an engineer.
40. What are the technical functions of an engineer that require involvement in ethical decisions?
41. Differentiate between Micro-ethics and Macro-ethics in engineering.
42. Explain briefly how moral issues are related to:
� Organization
� Environment
� Society
43. Explain how an engineer’s morality is related to:
(i). Finance
(ii). Competitor
(iii). Government.
44. What are the three types of inquiries in engineering ethics?
45. What is normative inquiry? Give an example.
46. What are conceptual inquiries?
47. Define factual inquiries.
48. Under what situation moral dilemma occurs?
49. What are moral dilemmas?
50. What are the types of moral dilemmas?
51. What is conflicting reasons or role conflict?
52. What do you mean by problems of disagreement?
53. What are the steps for confronting moral dilemmas?
54. What are the factors influencing the moral concern.
55. What is moral autonomy?
56. What are the three levels of moral development in Kohlberg’s theory?
57. What is conventional level of moral development?
58. What are the difficulties in Kohlberg’s theory?
59. What are the concepts of Pre-conventional level and conventional level in Gilligan’s theory?
60. How one is able to become morally responsible?
61. What is Gilligan theory?
62. What are consensus and controversy?
63. What is the relationship between moral autonomy and authority?
64. Define profession and professionalism.
65. Mention the two basic criteria for the Professional engineers.
66. What are professional responsibilities?
67. Explain professional organization
68. What are the obstacles or impediments to responsibility in profession?
69. Define engineer as savior.
70. Is professionalism based on virtues?
71. What are the types of virtues?
72. What are the types of theories about virtues?
73. What do you mean by public spirited virtues?
74. What is moral integrity?
75. What are the components of self respect?
76. What is accountability?
77. What do you mean by ethical egoism?
78. What is honesty in beliefs?
79. What is honesty in acts?
80. What is honesty in speech?
81. Differentiate self esteem and self respect.
82. What are the senses of responsibility?
83. Differentiate casual responsibility and legal responsibility.

20. 84. What are the Rawls two principles?
85. What is ethical egoism?
86. What is paradox of happiness?
87. Define ethical pluralism and ethical relativism.
88. Write any three uses of ethical theories.
89. What are self-direction virtues?
90. What are public spirited virtues, team work virtues and proficiency virtues?
91. Who are right ethics followers?
92. Discuss the need for moral autonomy in the field of engineering ethics.
93. Discuss the skills for improving the moral autonomy.
94. What are the steps involved in confronting moral dilemmas?
95. Discuss Kohlberg’s theory of moral autonomy.
96. Discuss Gilligan’s theory of moral autonomy.
97. Discuss Heinz’s dilemma with reference to the above theories.
98. Discuss consensus and controversy.
99. Discuss the responsibility of professional as a professional virtue.
100. Discuss the senses of responsibility.
101. Discuss the challenger disaster with reference to O rings.
102. Explain the theories of right action
103. Write a short note on self-interest and ethical egoism.
104. Discuss the uses of ethical theories.
105. What are the salient features of implementing the code of ethics or stressing towards the
responsibility of engineers?
106. What are the responsibilities of engineers for serving the society as responsible engineers?
107. What are the conditions that are essential for a valid informed consent?
108. The engineers have the vision as guardians of the public interest-explain.
109. “Engineers should have imaginative foresight and thought for the future”- discuss.
110. Discuss the conscientious commitment of an engineer to live by moral values.
111. What are the skills required for improving moral autonomy of engineers and professionals?
112. How did Gilligan recast Kohlberg’s levels of moral development? Or how did Gilligan view the three levels
of moral development initiated by Kohlberg?
113. Discuss the ethical issues faced by the engineers working in industry.
114. Enumerate the steps to resolve problems of disagreement in solving moral problems in engineering
companies.
115. Explain the vital role of consensus and controversy while considering moral autonomy in engineering
ethics?
116. How can professionalism be achieved?
117. “Engineers are obliged to bring integrity and competence to what ever work they undertake”-discuss.
118. What are the general types of inquiries involved in engineering inspection? Give details.
119. What are the skills required for improving moral autonomy of engineers and professionals?
120. State the important uses of ethical theories.
Engineering as Social Experimentation
121. What are the logics of engineering as social experimentation?
122. How Titanic tragedy could be brought under engineering as social experimentation?
123. What are the basic similarities between engineering experiments and standard experiments?
124. What are the various reasons for the repeated recurrences of tragedies like that of Titanic incident?
125. What are the important differences between engineering and standard experiments?
126. What are the factors that make it appropriate to view engineering projects as experiments?
127. What is monitoring?
128. What is the responsibility of a manager?

21. 129. What is the responsibility of a scientist?
130. How do you describe informed consent?
131. What are the conditions for valid consent?
132. What is the specific role of informed consent in engineering experimentation?
133. What are the salient features of informed consent in engineering experimentation?
134. What are the moral responsibilities of engineers to society?
135. What is conscientiousness in terms of engineers as responsible experimenters?
136. Bring out the role of conscientiousness in professional engineering.
137. How engineering could be regarded as preventive technology?
138. What are the attitudes followed in ‘defensive engineering’?
139. What are the general features of morally responsible engineers?
140. What are the possible threats and obstacles to an engineer?
141. What is the responsibility of an engineer?
142. Mention the role or moral autonomy in professional engineering.
143. How professional societies are actively associated with moral autonomy of engineers?
144. What is accountability?
145. What is the primary reason that caused the failure of space shuttle praogramme Challenger?
146. Name the aerospace experts and scientists who were associated with the launching of Challenger.
147. What is the statement of Jerry Mason in the Challenger case?
148. How exactly the tragic collapse of Challenger space shuttle took place?
149. Name some of the safety issues concerned with the launching of Challenger.
150. Mention about the significance of teleconference held before the launching of Challenger.
151. What are the roles played by cods of ethics?
152. What is the responsibility of a stockholder?
153. What are the different types of the industrial standards?
154. What are the advantages of following industrial standards?
155. Define code of ethics.
156. What are the positive aspects of code of ethics?
157. Name some of the important code of ethics published by engineering societies.
158. What are the benefits derived by engineers out of ethics?
159. Mention a few limitations of ethical codes.
160. What is the responsibility of a consumer?
161. Give two examples for ‘learning from the past.’
162. What is the significance of industrial codes?
163. What is the proper role of law in engineering?
Engineer’s Responsibility for Safety
164. What is safety?
165. What is meant by risk?
166. How risk is identified?
167. Is risk accepted?
168. What is an accident?
169. What are the three types of accidents?
170. How do you assess safety?
171. What is safe design?
172. How useful is knowledge of risk to designers?
173. What are the tests for safety?
174. Risk benefit-explain.
175. Is risk accepted by public?
176. Define hazard.

22. 177. How risk is reduced?
178. What is risk management?
179. How the risk evaluation is done?
180. Name the methods to control risk?
181. How is risk accounted?
182. Give an example for improved safety.
183. Name the steps involved in design for safety.
184. What are the ways in which risks are identified?
185. Give any two action plan that would ensure safe design.
186. What is risk retention?
187. Define risk transfer.
Responsibilities and Rights
188. Define loyalty.
189. What is collegiality?
190. Mention the core elements of collegiality.
191. What do you understand by ‘respect’?
192. What is the meaning of commitment?
193. Define connectedness?
194. What are the two senses of loyalty?
195. What are institutional authority and expert authority?
196. What is obligation of loyalty?
197. What is misguided loyalty?
198. Discuss professionalism and loyalty
199. When an engineer is right in withholding identification loyalty?
200. Differentiate authority and power.
201. What is moral right?
202. Distinguish between human moral rights and special moral rights.
203. What is accepting authority?
204. State the paramount obligations.
205. What is collective bargaining?
206. Who is a faithful agent?
207. What are the consequences of collective bargaining in public service?
208. What is confidentiality?
209. What is trade secret?
210. What is patent?
211. How can one escape from patent violation?
212. What are gifts and bribes?
213. Explain insider information
214. Explain occupational crime.
215. What is price fixing? Is it illegal?
216. Is employees’ life protected?
217. What are professional rights?
218. What is the basic right of professional conscience?
219. What is institutional recognition of rights?
220. What is right of conscientious refusal?
221. Limited right-explain.
222. How engineers are made happy?
223. What are the two basic rights of professional conscience?
224. Explain rights ethics.
225. What is duty ethics?

23. 226. What is utilitarianism?
227. What is whistle blowing?
228. List the four man features of whistle blowing.
229. Discuss external, internal and open whistle blowing.
230. What re the different views about whistle blowing?
231. What re the moral guidelines for whistle blowing?
232. Are whistle blowers protected?
233. Is whistle blowing a right?
234. What are employee rights?
235. What is employee bill of rights?
236. What is discrimination?
237. What is sexual harassment?
238. Explain the following abbreviations: FAA, BART, NSPE, EPA, AFL, CIO, GATT, WTO, NASA, WIPO.
239. What is IPR?
240. What are the main areas of IPR?
241. What is WIPO?
242. Distinguish between confidential and privileged information.
243. How patents differ from trade secrets?
244. Do you see any special moral issue raised by anonymous whistle blowing?
245. Present your view on collective action by unions aimed at employers and disloyalty on the part of the
employees.
246. Write short note on utility patent.
247. Differentiate design patent and plant patent.
248. What is copyright? Whose rights are protected?
249. What is bootlegging?
250. What is meant by occupational crime?
Global Issues
251. What are global issues?
252. Distinguish between ethical relativism and descriptive relativism.
253. What are the roles of international rights in multinational companies?
254. Differentiate between technology transfer and appropriate technology.
255. Mention some typical examples for appropriate technology.
256. Mention the causes of Bhopal tragedy.
257. What re the important concepts of environmental ethics?
258. How Cinema’s rice oil is associated with the violation of environmental ethics?
259. What is sentient centered ethics?
260. Mention about the salient features of eco centric ethics.
261. What are the characteristic features of human centered environmental ethics?
262. What are the computer abuses?
263. What are the roles of power relationships in computer ethics?
264. What s biased software?
265. What is embezzlement?
266. What are hackers?
267. What re the professional issues that are related with computer ethics?
268. What are the moral values of engineer’s involved in weapons development?
269. How engineers justify their involvements in weapons works?
270. List out the various problems of defense industry.
271. How do you evaluate that engineers are best suited to be managers?
272. Define an ethical climate.
273. Briefly give the contribution of Martin Marietta Corporation of US in the promotion of ethical climate.
274. Name the special features of an ethical corporate climate.

24. 275. Name the important areas that highlight the responsibilities of consulting engineers.
276. What are the prerequisites of engineers to act as expert witness and advisers?
277. Mention the important responsibilities of engineers as expert witness in the court.
278. Define hired guns.
279. How engineers could act as morally creative leaders?
280. What is honesty in beliefs?
281. What is honesty in acts?
282. What is honesty in speech?
283. What does compromise mean?
284. What are the senses of responsibility?
285. What is sense of dignity?
286. What are moral principles?
287. What are human values?
288. What are the different types of values?
289. What are ethical values?
290. Distinguish values from ethics and culture.
291. What is integrity?
292. Define work ethics.
293. What is service learning?
294. Mention some civic virtues.
295. Write a note on caring and sharing.
296. Write a note on honesty.
297. What is courage as a value?
298. Write a note on time management.
299. Write a note on co-operation and commitment.
300. What is empathy?
301. Write a note on self-confidence.
302. What is character as a human value?
303. What is Spirituality?

25. GE 1301 Engineering Ethics
UNIT I: Engineering Ethics / Introduction
Short Questions
1. Discuss the need to focus on Professional Ethics.
2. Define Personal and Professional Ethics.
3. What is meant by moral autonomy?
4. Classify the types of inquiry.
5. Define the terms “Profession” and “Professionalism”.
6. What are the basic concepts of right action?
7. What do you understand by self-interest and ethical egoism?
8. Explain the levels of moral development suggested by Kohlberg?
9. What are the steps needed in confronting moral dilemmas?
10. Which are the practical skills that will help to produce effective independent thought about
moral issues?
11. What are the three virtues of religion?
12. What are the professional responsibilities?
13. What is the ethical duty of a manager toward his fellow engineer?
14. Explain what is meant by moral integrity.
15. What is self-respect?
16. Explain the concepts of Rule Utilitarianism and Rational Desires.
17. Explain Kant’s view of duty ethics.
18. What are the membership criteria for being an engineer?

26. Long Questions
1. Discuss any two case studies on professional disagreements an engineer may encounter and
discuss how you would act in that situation.
2. Discuss the scope and aims of engineering ethics.
3. Discuss the theories pertaining to Moral Autonomy with specific reference to consensus and
controversy.
4. What is meant by professional responsibility and discuss the theories about virtues.
5. Where and how do moral problems arise in engineering?
6. What is virtue ethics? Explain the meaning of virtue and the “golden mean” of Aristotle.
7. What are the theories about morality? Explain briefly about each theory.
Problems
1. How different are personal ethics and business ethics? Is this difference true for you personally?
2. What are the roots of your personal ethics?
3. What changes would have to be made for engineering to be a profession more like medicine or
law?
4. In which ways do law, medicine, and engineering fit the social-contract and the business models
of a profession?
5. What do duty and rights ethics tell us about the Challenger case?

27. UNIT I
HUMAN VALUES
Morals, Values and Ethics – Integrity – Work Ethic – Service Learning – Civic Virtue – Respect for Others –
Living Peacefully – caring – Sharing – Honesty – Courage – Valuing Time – Co-operation – Commitment –
Empathy – Self-Confidence – Character – Spirituality.
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS - Question Bank
Professional Ethics
1. Define Engineering Ethics.
2. Why is it important for engineering students to study engineering ethics?
3. What are the ethical principles for students?
4. List the approaches to engineering ethics
5. Where and how do moral problems arise in engineering?
6. List the types of inquiry
7. What are the moral rights essential for engineers to fulfill their professional obligations?
8. What is a profession and professional?
9. What does it mean when codes of ethics say engineers should protect the safety, health and welfare of
the public?
10. Why study engineering ethics?
11. What are moral dilemmas?
12. What do you mean by moral autonomy?
13. Differentiate profession and professionalism.
14. What do code of ethics exhibit?
15. Why does engineering have to be viewed as an experimental process?
16. State some issues on engineering ethics.
17. How do engineering ethics differ from general ethics?
18. What are the objectives of ethics?
19. What are the roles of engineers in engineering societies?
20. What are the characteristics of a good engineer?
21. Explain the scope of engineering ethics.
22. Define morality.
23. How do moral problems arise in engineering?
24. What is the need of moral autonomy in the field of engineering ethics?
25. What are the attributes of a profession?
26. What are the pleasures offered by engineering?
27. What is meant by professional responsibility?
28. How can professionalism be achieved?
29 What is the significance of ethics in engineering profession?

28. 29. What are the basic goals of engineering ethics?
30. Define engineering ethics.
31. What are the applications of engineering ethics in decision making?
32. Define ethics and morals
33. What is the purpose of studying engineering ethics?
34. How ethics in engineering differ from ethics of engineers?
35. Mention the various senses of ethics.
36. Differentiate moral and ethics.
37. What are moral reasons?
38. Give any four technical judgments of an engineer.
39. Give any four moral aspects of an engineer.
40. What are the technical functions of an engineer that require involvement in ethical decisions?
41. Differentiate between Micro-ethics and Macro-ethics in engineering.
42. Explain briefly how moral issues are related to:
� Organization
� Environment
� Society
43. Explain how an engineer’s morality is related to:
(i). Finance
(ii). Competitor
(iii). Government.
44. What are the three types of inquiries in engineering ethics?
45. What is normative inquiry? Give an example.
46. What are conceptual inquiries?
47. Define factual inquiries.
48. Under what situation moral dilemma occurs?
49. What are moral dilemmas?
50. What are the types of moral dilemmas?
51. What is conflicting reasons or role conflict?
2. List the different models of professional roles.
i) Engineers as saviours. Ii) Engineer as guardians’ iii) Engineer as bureaucratic
servants iv) Engineer as social servants v) Engineer as social eanablers and catalysts
and vi) Engineer as game player.
3. Mention the five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories.
The five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories are: i) The theory must be
clear and logical. The concept of the theory should be formulated to enhance
applicability. ii) The theory should be consistent with its principles. The principles of
the same theory should not contradict each other. iii) The theory and its defense
should rely only upon facts, truths and correct information. iv) The theory should be
adequately complete so that to provide guidance for our required specific situations.
v) The theory should be well-matched with moral convictions such as judgments and
intutions about concrete situations.
4. Give the limitation of the code.
i)Codes are restricted to general and vague wording. Hence it is impossible to apply
for all situations. ii) The codes are different and conflicting and thereby create the
moral dilemma which one to apply for a particular situation. iii) The codes cannot
serve as a final moral authority for professional conduct. iv) The limitation of codes

29. are due to their proliferation.
GE-1301
MAY / JUNE 2006
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND HUMAN VALUES
QUESTION PAPERS
PART –A
(2MARKS)
1. What are the three different levels of moral development suggested by Kholberg?
The three different levels of moral development as suggested by Kholberg are;
i) Pre-conventional ii) Conventional and iii) Post-conventional.
2. List the different models of professional roles.
i) Engineers as saviours. Ii) Engineer as guardians’ iii) Engineer as bureaucratic
servants iv) Engineer as social servants v) Engineer as social eanablers and catalysts
and vi) Engineer as game player.
3. Mention the five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories.
The five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories are: i) The theory must be
clear and logical. The concept of the theory should be formulated to enhance
applicability. ii) The theory should be consistent with its principles. The principles of
the same theory should not contradict each other. iii) The theory and its defense
should rely only upon facts, truths and correct information. iv) The theory should be
adequately complete so that to provide guidance for our required specific situations.
v) The theory should be well-matched with moral convictions such as judgments and
intutions about concrete situations.
4. Give the limitation of the code.
i)Codes are restricted to general and vague wording. Hence it is impossible to apply
for all situations. ii) The codes are different and conflicting and thereby create the
moral dilemma which one to apply for a particular situation. iii) The codes cannot
serve as a final moral authority for professional conduct. iv) The limitation of codes
are due to their proliferation.
5. What reasons lead to many repetitions of past mistakes?
Lack of established channels of communication, misplaced pride in not asking for
information, embarrassment at failure or fear of litigation and plain neglect often
impede the flow of such information lead to many repetitions of past mistakes.
6. Give Lowrance’s definition for safety and acceptability of mistakes.
William Lowrance defined safety as ‘A thing is safe if its risks are judged to be
acceptable’. That means, a thing is safe for a person if the perceived risk is less.
Similarly a thing is unsafe if the perceived risk is high.
7. List the methods that can be applied when testing is inappropriate.
8. Define whistle-blowing and when it occurs.
Whistle-blowing is the act by and employee informing the public or higher
management of unethical or illegal behaviour by an employer or superviosor.
It occurs to discourage the organization to continue the unethical activity. When
repeated information was ignored and no steps were taken to prevent the activity by

30. the management or superiors.
9. List any four international rights listed by Donaldson.
Thomas Donaldson in his book ‘The ethics of International Business’ has listed the
following as the International rights:
31. The right to freedom of physical movement
32. The right to ownership of property
33. The right to freedom from torture
34. The right to a fair trial
35. The right to nondiscriminatory treatment
36. The right to physical security
37. The right to freedom of speech and association
38. The right to minimal education
39. The right to political participation
40. The right to subsistence.
10. What you mean by appropriate technology?
Appropriate technology refers to the identification, transfer and implementation of
the most suitable technology for a new set of conditions.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –A
(2MARKS)
71. Define moral autonomy.
Moral autonomy is the ability to think critically and independently about moral
Issues and apply the same to the situations that arise during the professional
engineering practices.
72. What you mean by ‘Profession’?
73. What is ‘Safe Exists’?
74. Define Ethics.
75. What is the meaning of ‘Safety’?
76. Define ‘Risk’.
77. Define Confidentiality.
78. What do you mean by external whistle blowing?
79. List out four examples of Multinational Corporations.
80. Define Computer Ethics.
MAY / JUNE 2007
81. Define Self Confidence.
82. List the types of Human Values.
PART –A
(2MARKS)

31. 83. What are the professional responsibilities?
84. What is meant by moral autonomy?
85. What are the functions of code of Ethics?
86. What do you understand by the term authenticity?
87. What are the faulty assumptions about safety?
88. What is meant by voluntary risk?
89. Define conflict resolution.
90. What is contextualism?
MAY / JUNE 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
1. Explain the skills needed to handle problems about moral issues in engineering ethics.
(8)
2. Discuss the different models of professional roles.
(8)
3. State the similarities to view engineering projects as experiments.
(8)
4. How engineering projects differs from standard experimentation?
(8)
5. Discuss on the roles played by the codes of ethics set by professional societies.
6. Explain in detail the effects of information on risk assessment with an example.
(8)
7. Write notes on: Personal risk, Public risk.
(8)
8. Describe the concept of risk –benefit analysis.
(8)
9. Give any four examples of improved safety and explain.
(8)
10. Explain the concept of collegiality and loyalty.
11. Write short notes on Professional rights.
(8)
12. Write short notes on employee rights to privacy and choice of outside activities.
(8)
13. Describe the moral threats posed by the revolutionized communication using
computers to the right to privacy.
(8)

32. 14. Describe the concept of environmental ethics with a case study.
(8)
15. Discuss the three senses of ‘Relative’ values.
(8)
16. Give the philosophical views of nature and discuss them.
(8)
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
17. Explain the scope of Engineering Ethics
18. Discuss the importance of Duty ethics and Virtues in engineering profession.
19. How do you call an Engineer as a responsible Experimenter?
20. Write short notes on Ethical Relativism.
(8)
21. Write short notes on abuses on the codes of ethics.
(8)
22. Explain the various measures for assessing and reducing Risk.
23. Discuss the concept of safety exists in the Chernobyl Case Studies.
24. Define the Collective Bargaining. Explain the role of collective bargaining in
workplace rights and responsibilities.
25. How will you apply confidentiality for avoiding harmful conflicts of interest in
workplace?
26. Is there any relationship among Engineering, Ecology and Economics? Discuss.
27. Explain the issues related to computer ethics and internet with personal experience.
MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
28. What is spirituality? How spirituality is promoted in work place? What are spiritual
traits to be developed for excellence in corporate activities?
29. Define virtues. List the types of virtues with suitable example for each.?
30. Discuss the term respect for others?
31. Discuss Kohlberg’s model of moral development and Glligan theory of moral
development?
(10)
(6)

33. 32. Define Self Respect.
(4)
33. List the steps in confronting moral dilemma.
(12)
34. In the Challenger Disaster, examine if and how the principal actors behaved as
responsible experimenters.
35. Compare and contrast engineering experiments with standard experiments.
36. What is the proper role law in Engineering?
(10)
(6)
37. Discuss the notion of safe exit using evacuation plans for communities near nuclear
power plants or chemical processing plants.
38. Discuss on the ways and means of reducing occupational crimes in industries.
(8)
39. Discuss the intellectual property plants.
(8)
40. Write a brief account on Consulting Engineering
(8)
41. Explain Engineers as expert witness and advisors?
(8)
42. Discuss an Engineers involvement in weapons work?
(8)
43. Discuss on the Professional Societies?
(8)
GE-1301
MAY / JUNE 2006
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND HUMAN VALUES
QUESTION PAPERS
PART –A
(2MARKS)
1. What are the three different levels of moral development suggested by Kholberg?
The three different levels of moral development as suggested by Kholberg are;
i) Pre-conventional ii) Conventional and iii) Post-conventional.
2. List the different models of professional roles.
i) Engineers as saviours. Ii) Engineer as guardians’ iii) Engineer as bureaucratic
servants iv) Engineer as social servants v) Engineer as social eanablers and catalysts
and vi) Engineer as game player.
3. Mention the five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories.
The five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories are: i) The theory must be
clear and logical. The concept of the theory should be formulated to enhance
applicability. ii) The theory should be consistent with its principles. The principles of
the same theory should not contradict each other. iii) The theory and its defense
should rely only upon facts, truths and correct information. iv) The theory should be
adequately complete so that to provide guidance for our required specific situations.
v) The theory should be well-matched with moral convictions such as judgments and

34. intutions about concrete situations.
4. Give the limitation of the code.
i)Codes are restricted to general and vague wording. Hence it is impossible to apply
for all situations. ii) The codes are different and conflicting and thereby create the
moral dilemma which one to apply for a particular situation. iii) The codes cannot
serve as a final moral authority for professional conduct. iv) The limitation of codes
are due to their proliferation.
5. What reasons lead to many repetitions of past mistakes?
Lack of established channels of communication, misplaced pride in not asking for
information, embarrassment at failure or fear of litigation and plain neglect often
impede the flow of such information lead to many repetitions of past mistakes.
6. Give Lowrance’s definition for safety and acceptability of mistakes.
William Lowrance defined safety as ‘A thing is safe if its risks are judged to be
acceptable’. That means, a thing is safe for a person if the perceived risk is less.
Similarly a thing is unsafe if the perceived risk is high.
7. List the methods that can be applied when testing is inappropriate.
8. Define whistle-blowing and when it occurs.
Whistle-blowing is the act by and employee informing the public or higher
management of unethical or illegal behaviour by an employer or superviosor.
It occurs to discourage the organization to continue the unethical activity. When
repeated information was ignored and no steps were taken to prevent the activity by
the management or superiors.
9. List any four international rights listed by Donaldson.
Thomas Donaldson in his book ‘The ethics of International Business’ has listed the
following as the International rights:
41. The right to freedom of physical movement
42. The right to ownership of property
43. The right to freedom from torture
44. The right to a fair trial
45. The right to nondiscriminatory treatment
46. The right to physical security
47. The right to freedom of speech and association
48. The right to minimal education
49. The right to political participation
50. The right to subsistence.
10. What you mean by appropriate technology?
Appropriate technology refers to the identification, transfer and implementation of
the most suitable technology for a new set of conditions.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –A
(2MARKS)

35. 91. Define moral autonomy.
Moral autonomy is the ability to think critically and independently about moral
Issues and apply the same to the situations that arise during the professional
engineering practices.
92. What you mean by ‘Profession’?
93. What is ‘Safe Exists’?
94. Define Ethics.
95. What is the meaning of ‘Safety’?
96. Define ‘Risk’.
97. Define Confidentiality.
98. What do you mean by external whistle blowing?
99. List out four examples of Multinational Corporations.
100.
Define Computer Ethics.
MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –A
101.
Define Self Confidence.
102.
List the types of Human Values.
103.
What are the professional responsibilities?
104.
What is meant by moral autonomy?
105.
What are the functions of code of Ethics?
106.
What do you understand by the term authenticity?
107.
What are the faulty assumptions about safety?
108.
What is meant by voluntary risk?
109.
Define conflict resolution.
110.
(2MARKS)
What is contextualism?
MAY / JUNE 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)

36. 1. Explain the skills needed to handle problems about moral issues in engineering ethics.
(8)
2. Discuss the different models of professional roles.
(8)
3. State the similarities to view engineering projects as experiments.
(8)
4. How engineering projects differs from standard experimentation?
(8)
5. Discuss on the roles played by the codes of ethics set by professional societies.
6. Explain in detail the effects of information on risk assessment with an example.
(8)
7. Write notes on: Personal risk, Public risk.
(8)
8. Describe the concept of risk –benefit analysis.
(8)
9. Give any four examples of improved safety and explain.
(8)
10. Explain the concept of collegiality and loyalty.
11. Write short notes on Professional rights.
(8)
12. Write short notes on employee rights to privacy and choice of outside activities.
(8)
13. Describe the moral threats posed by the revolutionized communication using
computers to the right to privacy.
(8)
14. Describe the concept of environmental ethics with a case study.
(8)
15. Discuss the three senses of ‘Relative’ values.
(8)
16. Give the philosophical views of nature and discuss them.
(8)
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
17. Explain the scope of Engineering Ethics
18. Discuss the importance of Duty ethics and Virtues in engineering profession.
19. How do you call an Engineer as a responsible Experimenter?
20. Write short notes on Ethical Relativism.
(8)

37. 21. Write short notes on abuses on the codes of ethics.
(8)
22. Explain the various measures for assessing and reducing Risk.
23. Discuss the concept of safety exists in the Chernobyl Case Studies.
24. Define the Collective Bargaining. Explain the role of collective bargaining in
workplace rights and responsibilities.
25. How will you apply confidentiality for avoiding harmful conflicts of interest in
workplace?
26. Is there any relationship among Engineering, Ecology and Economics? Discuss.
27. Explain the issues related to computer ethics and internet with personal experience.
MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
28. What is spirituality? How spirituality is promoted in work place? What are spiritual
traits to be developed for excellence in corporate activities?
29. Define virtues. List the types of virtues with suitable example for each.?
30. Discuss the term respect for others?
(10)
(6)
31. Discuss Kohlberg’s model of moral development and Glligan theory of moral
development?
32. Define Self Respect.
(4)
33. List the steps in confronting moral dilemma.
(12)
34. In the Challenger Disaster, examine if and how the principal actors behaved as
responsible experimenters.
35. Compare and contrast engineering experiments with standard experiments.
36. What is the proper role law in Engineering?
(10)
(6)
37. Discuss the notion of safe exit using evacuation plans for communities near nuclear
power plants or chemical processing plants.
38. Discuss on the ways and means of reducing occupational crimes in industries.
(8)
39. Discuss the intellectual property plants.
(8)
40. Write a brief account on Consulting Engineering
(8)
41. Explain Engineers as expert witness and advisors?
(8)

38. 42. Discuss an Engineers involvement in weapons work?
(8)
43. Discuss on the Professional Societies?
GE-1301
MAY / JUNE 2006
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND HUMAN VALUES
QUESTION PAPERS
PART –A
(2MARKS)
1. What are the three different levels of moral development suggested by Kholberg?
The three different levels of moral development as suggested by Kholberg are;
i) Pre-conventional ii) Conventional and iii) Post-conventional.
2. List the different models of professional roles.
i) Engineers as saviours. Ii) Engineer as guardians’ iii) Engineer as bureaucratic
servants iv) Engineer as social servants v) Engineer as social eanablers and catalysts
and vi) Engineer as game player.
3. Mention the five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories.
The five widely used tests for evaluating ethical theories are: i) The theory must be
clear and logical. The concept of the theory should be formulated to enhance
applicability. ii) The theory should be consistent with its principles. The principles of
the same theory should not contradict each other. iii) The theory and its defense
should rely only upon facts, truths and correct information. iv) The theory should be
adequately complete so that to provide guidance for our required specific situations.
v) The theory should be well-matched with moral convictions such as judgments and
intutions about concrete situations.
4. Give the limitation of the code.
i)Codes are restricted to general and vague wording. Hence it is impossible to apply
for all situations. ii) The codes are different and conflicting and thereby create the
moral dilemma which one to apply for a particular situation. iii) The codes cannot
serve as a final moral authority for professional conduct. iv) The limitation of codes
are due to their proliferation.
5. What reasons lead to many repetitions of past mistakes?
Lack of established channels of communication, misplaced pride in not asking for
information, embarrassment at failure or fear of litigation and plain neglect often

39. impede the flow of such information lead to many repetitions of past mistakes.
6. Give Lowrance’s definition for safety and acceptability of mistakes.
William Lowrance defined safety as ‘A thing is safe if its risks are judged to be
acceptable’. That means, a thing is safe for a person if the perceived risk is less.
Similarly a thing is unsafe if the perceived risk is high.
7. List the methods that can be applied when testing inappropriate.
The methods for testing inappropriate are: 1. Scenario analysis. 2. Failure modes and
effects analysis, 3. Fault-tree analysis and 4.Even-tree analysis.
8. Define whistle-blowing and when it occurs.
Whistle-blowing is the act by and employee informing the public or higher
management of unethical or illegal behaviour by an employer or superviosor.
It occurs to discourage the organization to continue the unethical activity. When
repeated information was ignored and no steps were taken to prevent the activity by
the management or superiors.
9. List any four international rights listed by Donaldson.
Thomas Donaldson in his book ‘The ethics of International Business’ has listed the
following as the International rights:
51. The right to freedom of physical movement
52. The right to ownership of property
53. The right to freedom from torture
54. The right to a fair trial
55. The right to nondiscriminatory treatment
56. The right to physical security
57. The right to freedom of speech and association
58. The right to minimal education
59. The right to political participation
60. The right to subsistence.
10. What you mean by appropriate technology?
Appropriate technology refers to the identification, transfer and implementation of
the most suitable technology for a new set of conditions.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
111.
PART –A
(2MARKS)
Define moral autonomy.
Moral autonomy is the ability to think critically and independently about moral
Issues and apply the same to the situations that arise during the professional
engineering practices.

40. 112.
What you mean by ‘Profession’?
Profession means “The occupation which one professes to be skilled and follow a
vocation in which professed knowledge of some branch of learning is used in its
application to the affairs of others, or in the practice of an art based upon it”. In
general it is synonym for job or occupation.
113.
What is ‘Safe Exists’?
When a product fails it will fail safely, the product can be abandoned safely or the
user escapes safely from the adversity of the product. All the three conditions are
referred as ‘Safe Exists’.
114.
Define Ethics.
The term ethics is derived from the Greek word ‘Ethos’, which means customs.
Ethics are the study of the characteristics of morals. It concerned with what is wrong
and what is right.
115.
What is the meaning of ‘Safety’?
Safety means being in the safe state. i.e. Protected from harm and danger. It is
defined by William W. Lowrence as “A thing is safe if its risks are judged to be
acceptable”
116.
Define ‘Risk’.
Risk can be defined as a potential that is something unwanted and harmful may occur.
It is the possibility of suffering harm or loss.
117.
Define Confidentiality.
Confidentiality is the obligation of keeping certain information of employer/client
secret or confidential. It is one of the external responsibilities of Engineer.
118.
What do you mean by external whistle blowing?
It is the whistle blowing where in the information is passed outside the organization.
119.
List out four examples of Multinational Corporations.
Large corporations having investment and business in number of countries are known
as Multinational or Transnational corporation. Some of them are : Hindustan Lever,
Ford, Toyota, Sony, LG, Smith Kline Beecham, ITC, Ponds etc.
120.
Define Computer Ethics.
The study of ethical issues that are associated with computer, its peripheral and
accessesseries and the computing profession is called as computer ethics.
MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –A
121.
Define Self Confidence.
Having confidence in oneself is called Self Confidence.
(2MARKS)

41. 122.
List the types of Human Values.
123.
What are the professional responsibilities? The professional responsibility is an
umbrella virtue that can be grouped into four categories. They are: 1. Self-direction
virtues that are fundamental in exercising moral autonomy and responsibility. 2.
Public-spirited virtues are those focused on the good of clients and the public. 3.
Team-work virtues those are essential in enabling the professionals to work
successfully with other people an 4. Proficiency virtue is the competence.
124.
What is meant by moral autonomy?
Moral autonomy is the skill and habit of thinking rationally on ethical issues
based on moral concern.
125.
What are the functions of code of Ethics?
The various functions of code of Ethics are:
1. Inspiration
2. Guidance
3. support for responsible conduct
4. Deterring and disciplining unethical professional conduct
5. Education and promotion of mutual understanding
6. Contributing to positive public image of the profession
7. Protecting the status quo and suppressing dissent within the profession
and
8. Promoting business interests through restraint of trade.
126.
What do you understand by the term authenticity?
People are morally autonomous hen their moral conduct and principles of action are
their own. That is, moral belief and attitude must be held on the basis of crtitical
reflection rather than merely on the conviction and convention of the society, church
or authority. This is called as authenticity in one’s commitment to moral values.
127.
What are the faulty assumptions about safety?
The faulty assumptions about safety are: 1. The cause of accident is due to the
operator error and negligence. 2. Producing safe product always increases the cost.
3. We learn about the safety after a product has been completed and tested. 4.
Warning about harms are sufficient. Insurance cover is cheaper than planning for
safety.
128.
What is meant by voluntary risk?
The risk taken by a person knowingly it is unsafe is called as voluntary risk.
129.
Define conflict resolution.
Conflict resolution is the result based on some objective standard and corporate
usually uses general standards for evaluating the results.
130.
What is contextualism?
In accordance to Gilligan women try hard to preserve personal relationship will all
people. This context-oriented emphasis on maintaining personal relationship is called
as ethics of care in contrast with ethics of rules and rights.
MAY / JUNE 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)

42. 1. Explain the skills needed to handle problems about moral issues in engineering ethics.
(8)
2. Discuss the different models of professional roles.
(8)
3. State the similarities to view engineering projects as experiments.
(8)
4. How engineering projects differs from standard experimentation?
(8)
5. Discuss on the roles played by the codes of ethics set by professional societies.
6. Explain in detail the effects of information on risk assessment with an example.
(8)
7. Write notes on: Personal risk, Public risk.
(8)
8. Describe the concept of risk –benefit analysis.
(8)
9. Give any four examples of improved safety and explain.
(8)
10. Explain the concept of collegiality and loyalty.
11. Write short notes on Professional rights.
(8)
12. Write short notes on employee rights to privacy and choice of outside activities.
(8)
13. Describe the moral threats posed by the revolutionized communication using
computers to the right to privacy.
(8)
14. Describe the concept of environmental ethics with a case study.
(8)
15. Discuss the three senses of ‘Relative’ values.
(8)
16. Give the philosophical views of nature and discuss them.
(8)
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
17. Explain the scope of Engineering Ethics
18. Discuss the importance of Duty ethics and Virtues in engineering profession.
19. How do you call an Engineer as a responsible Experimenter?
20. Write short notes on Ethical Relativism.
(8)
21. Write short notes on abuses on the codes of ethics.
(8)
22. Explain the various measures for assessing and reducing Risk.

43. 23. Discuss the concept of safety exists in the Chernobyl Case Studies.
24. Define the Collective Bargaining. Explain the role of collective bargaining in
workplace rights and responsibilities.
25. How will you apply confidentiality for avoiding harmful conflicts of interest in
workplace?
26. Is there any relationship among Engineering, Ecology and Economics? Discuss.
27. Explain the issues related to computer ethics and internet with personal experience.
MAY / JUNE 2007
PART –B
(4-16 MARKS)
28. What is spirituality? How spirituality is promoted in work place? What are spiritual
traits to be developed for excellence in corporate activities?
29. Define virtues. List the types of virtues with suitable example for each.?
30. Discuss the term respect for others?
(10)
(6)
31. Discuss Kohlberg’s model of moral development and Glligan theory of moral
development?
32. Define Self Respect.
(4)
33. List the steps in confronting moral dilemma.
(12)
34. In the Challenger Disaster, examine if and how the principal actors behaved as
responsible experimenters.
35. Compare and contrast engineering experiments with standard experiments.
36. What is the proper role law in Engineering?
(10)
(6)
37. Discuss the notion of safe exit using evacuation plans for communities near nuclear
power plants or chemical processing plants.
38. Discuss on the ways and means of reducing occupational crimes in industries.
(8)
39. Discuss the intellectual property plants.
(8)
40. Write a brief account on Consulting Engineering
(8)
41. Explain Engineers as expert witness and advisors?
(8)

44. 42. Discuss an Engineers involvement in weapons work?
(8)
43. Discuss on the Professional Societies?
(8)

46. UNIT-II – ENGINEERING AS SOCIAL EXPERIMENTATION
Engineering as experimentation
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why does engineering have to be viewed as an experimental process?
“Engineers should have Imaginative Foresight and thought for the Future” – Discuss.
“The role of engineering as an experimentation in the process of designing a product” – Justify.
What are the main aspects that are virtual for combining engineering works to make it suitable
as experiments?
5. What are the constraints which occur in the model design which control engineering as
experimentation?
6. “Just like the results of the experiments, the final outcome of engineering projects too are
generally uncertain” – Discuss.
7. What are the factors which may impede the flow of information for repeated mistakes in
design?-Explain with case studies.
8. What are the aspects in which engineering differs from standard experiments?
9. Why isn’t engineering possible to follow a random selection in product design?
10. What is meant by “Informed consent” when bringing an engineering product to market?
11. What is engineering experimentation?
12. Compare medicine and engineering with respect to experimenter’s knowledge and experimenter.
13. What are the conditions that are essential for a valid Informed Consent?
Engineers as responsible experiments
14. What are the responsibilities of engineers for serving the society as a responsible experimenter?
15. What is meant by conscientiousness of an engineer with respect to moral obligation?
16. Discuss the conscientious commitment of an engineer to live by moral values.
17. The engineers have the vision as guardians of the public interest-Explain.
18. Explain the importance of relevant factual information to the fulfilment of engineers moral
obligations.
19. What is meant by “Moral Autonomy”?
20. How does the consideration of engineering as a social experimentation help to keep a sense of
autonomous participation is a person’s work?
21. What are the salient features that differentiate Casual Influence from Moral Accountably in
engineering?
Codes of ethics
22. What do the “codes of ethics” exhibit?
23. What are the salient features of implementing the “code of ethics” (or) stressing towards the
responsibility of engineers?
24. What are the different roles and functions of “CODES”?
25. What are the inspirations and guidance provided by the “code of ethics” for achieving the
obligations by engineers?
26. Name some of the engineering societies which published “codes of ethics”
27. How do the “code of ethics” provide discipline among the engineers?
28. What are the different ways and means of the “code of ethics” help the engineers?
29. What are the Limitations of “code of ethics”?

47. Balanced outlook on Law
30. What does the Balanced Outlook on Law stress in directing engineering practice?
31. What is the importance of Industrial Standards?
32. Explain with simple example the purpose of Industrial Standards.
33. Discuss the various problems being faced by the engineering and general public by Law in
Engineering?
34. Explain in detail the powerful support and proper role of law in engineering.
35. How are the rules and regulations to be constructed for responsible experimentation or safe
execution by engineers?
The Challengers case study
36. Briefly discuss the space shuttle challenger accident. What are the ethical problems involved in
this?
37. Account in detail the “Challenger Disaster” and examine how the main actors or engineers
behaved as responsible experimenters within the frame work of the engineering-experimental
model?
38. The astronauts on the “Challenger mission” were aware of the dangerous nature of riding a
complex machine such as the space shuttle, so they can be thought of as having given informed
consent to participating in a dangerous enterprise.- What role did informed consent play in this
case?
39. Analyze the factual, conceptual and moral issues in the space shuttle Challenger case?
40. How would you classify the space shuttle Challenger case accident? Why?

48. Unit – III - Engineer’s Responsibility for Safety
Safety and risk
1. Are the engineers responsible to educate the public for safe operation of the equipment?
How?
2. What kind of responsibility should the engineer have to avoid mistakes that may lead to accident
due to the design of their product?
3. “Safety should be an integral part of design”-Discuss.
4. State the industrial definition on ‘Safety;
5. What are the basic concepts of industrial safety with regard to the product and their usages?
6. What are the factors that influence the perception of risk? – Explain in detail.
7. What is meant by ‘Risk’ in industrial working situations? – Explain in detail.
8. What is the use of knowledge of risk acceptance to engineers?
Assessment of safety and risk
9. What are the factors an engineer should know before accessing any product?
10. Compare safety and risks.
11. What is meant by a disaster?
12. What are the increased costs of products if design is un-safe?
13. How does the manufacturer understood the risk in a product help?
14. Mention any two ways to determine/quantify the risk.
15. What are the positive uncertainties in determining risks?
16. Explain clearly how stressing on high safety and low risks lead to higher primary costs?
17. How does the knowledge of uncertainties in design help the engineers to access the risk of a
product?
Risk benefit analysis
18. a) What is the necessity for using risk benefit analysis?
b) What is meant by risk benefit analysis – Explain?
c) What are the informations that could be received from the Risk benefit analysis?
19. Explain in detail about the criteria the engineer has to investigate in order to minimize the risk in
any product.
20. a) What are the difficulties faced is accessing personal risks? What are the various conceptual
difficulties exist in Risk benefit analysis of safety?
b) What are the ethical implications of risk benefit analysis and how to weigh them?
21. Give some example of improved safety in product manufacturing.
22. What are the factors affecting the risk acceptability?
23. What is the use of knowledge of risk acceptance to an engineer?
24. What is the knowledge required to access the risk?
25. ‘Through checking and testing of both the prototype and final product is essential to ensure
safety’ – Discuss the responsibility of design engineer in this regard with suitable example.
26. What are the drawbacks in prototype testing and destructive testing for ensuring safety?

49. 27. Explain the analytical methods available in testing the safety of an engineering product.
28. Explain the method of “Fault Tree Analysis”. What are its advantages and limitations?
29. Draw a Fault Tree Diagram for an accident, which involves a person falls out of a bus during
accident?
30. How can the quantifiable losses in social welfare resulting from a fatality be estimated? Give
some examples.
31. What are the problems, which affect the public accountability for risk?
32. How the engineer does acts to safeguard the public from risk?
33. Account for some faulty assumptions about safety and state the related reality with respect to the
assumptions with suitable examples.
Reducing risk
34. Give some examples of laws with respect to safety and liability in favour of the
i) Buyer and ii) Producer
35. What is meant by ‘Strict Liability’?
Safe exit
36. What is meant by “safe exit” in industries?
37. What are the issues arisen in creating a ‘safe exit’?
38. Give some examples of safe exit.
The Three Mile Island and Chernobyl case studies
39. Compare the reasons for Nuclear Reactor accident occurred in Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.
40. What are the problems (or) difficulties that may arise in shifting the operators and sophisticated
equipments in the event of an accident?
41. Explain the responsibility of engineers in the design of the product (or) project in the design
stage itself before the event of an accident.
42. What is the other unexpected cost loss to be incurred in the major industrial accident apart from
the association of cost?
43. What are the safeties pre-cautions and measures to be taken in the plant design of Nuclear power
Industry on public interest?

50. UNIT- IV : Responsibilities and Rights
Short Questions
1. “A person who is loyal has respect for authority”. Discuss.
2. “Professional rights can lead to conflicts of interest”. Explain.
3. What is meant by “whistle blowing”?
4. List any two limitations of “whistle blowing”.
5. List the moral rights of a salaried engineer.
6. What is meant by loyalty and collegiality?
7. Define the word “confidentiality”.
8. Write short notes on occupational crime.
9. Define Utilitarianism.
10. Differentiate copyright and patent.
11. What is meant by “discrimination”?
12. State the benefits of collective bargaining.
13. Discuss the relationship between professional responsibility and loyalty to company.
14. Define “privileged information” and “proprietary information”.
15. What is the right of professional conscience?
16. What is “reverse discrimination”?
Long Questions
1. How are “conflicts of interest” solved?
2. Discuss in detail about the “employee rights”.
3. What is the importance of loyalty and collegiality in team work?
4. What are the procedure to be followed for “whistle blowing”? How can this be avoided?
5. Discuss the ways and means of reducing occupational crime in industries.
6. What is institutional authority? How do you correlate institutional authority, expert authority,
and power?
7. Explain the meaning of faithful agent in relation to public service.
8. Discuss the right of conscientious refusal.
9. Explain what is needed by the right to recognition.
10. Define and elucidate on Intellectual Property Rights.
11. What is respect for authority? How far should it be recognized by salaried professionals as
morally justified?

51. Unit-V– GLOBAL ISSUES
Multinational Corporations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What meant by the Global Issues?
Define ‘Multinational Corporation’ with examples.
Mention some Multinational Companies and their establishment of business.
In Multinational Corporations, what are the benefits enjoyed by the Host Company?
What are the normal problems or issues that may arise in Multinational Corporation?
What is meant by “Relative Values” in Multinational Corporation issues?
What are the different forms of relativism in existence of the formation of a Multinational
Corporation?
8. What is known as Ethics Relativism with respect to Multinational Corporation?
9. What does the Descriptive Relativism state? Give your answer in context with Multinational
Corporation.
10. How does any Multinational Corporation function with respect to the International Human
Rights?
11. What are the important International Human Rights to be respected by any Multinational
Corporation?
12. What are the different ways available for any Multinational Corporation to promote morally
justifiable measures?
13. What is known as technology transfer?
14. What are the organizations that can take the responsibility for technology transfer?
15. What is meant by “appropriate technology”?
16. How can the appropriateness be examined in the transfer of appropriate technology with respect
to Multinational Corporation?
17. What are the cautions to be observed by a Multinational Corporation in the transfer of
appropriate technology?
18. Give an account of ‘Bhopal disaster’?
19. What are the reasons for the disaster occurred in Bhopal? Discuss Environmental Ethics.
Environmental Ethics
20. Why is Environmental Ethics so important to create environmental awareness to the general
public?
21. What does an environmental ethic educate?
22. Discuss the effects of damage to the entire system of the society due to Environmental
pollution.
23. Give an account of anti-ecological attitudes of public in environmental activities.
24. What are the duties of an engineer in his role as experience? What sort of queries he should
respond?
25. What are the serious environmental issues concerned to the engineers?

52. 26. Quote some examples of disaster through which environment has been spoiled totally?
27. What is meant by Acid rain? How they are deposited on ground?
28. What are the ill effects of Acid Rain?
29. What are the general effects of Acid Rain?
30. Quote some examples of pollution that spoils the environment.
31. What are the ethical and democrative controls to be taken for better and clean environment?
32. What are the ethical issues or questions that arise in environmental protection?
33. What are the responsibilities of an engineer in planning his respective project as an engineering
or social experimentation?
34. What does the “Right Ethics” stress for a livable environment?
Computer ethics
35. What is meant by computer Ethics?
36. Discuss the attempt made by Emment. Ethics in defining computer ethics.
37. What is the need to have computer ethics as a branch in engineering ethics?
38. What is meant by policy vacuum in computer ethics?
39. What are the different categories of problems exist in computer ethics?
40. What is the difficulty in applying an ethical theory to generate appropriate policy in computer
ethics?
41. What is meant by conceptual work in computer ethics?
42. What are the quires that may arise while formulating a policy for protecting computer programs?
43. How are the computer ethics problems classified? Explain.
44. How are computers used as the Instrument of unethical behaviour?
45. How do the autonomous functions of computer create negative implications?
46. What are the problems, computer in workplace may create?
47. What are the aspects of logical security of the hardware in computer?
48. Computer ethics involves privacy – Discuss.
49. What are the problems arise in case of protecting privacy in computers?
50. Discuss the functioning of anonymity and privacy as (a) helpful and (b) undesirable of computer
aided activities with suitable examples.
51. Discuss the controversial areas of computer ethics concerned with intellectual property rights.
52. How does the professional organization can help in ethical responsibilities?
53. Give an account on ‘Global information ethics’ are ‘Global laws’ with reference to ethical issues
on computer.
54. How does the ‘Global information’ provide global education?
Weapon Development
55. How do the engineers involve development of military weapons?
56. Why do the engineers refuse to do war works sometimes? Explain with relative arguments.
57. Why do engineers try to avoid weapon work?
58. What are the problems faced by the defence industry in the development of weapons?
59. How do you say “weapons work is expensive” to the nation?
60. Discuss in short the interlink between ‘Technology and War’.

53. Engineers as Managers
61. Engineers shine better as manager-Discuss.
62. What are the implication arising in manager acting as professionals?
63. What are the responsibilities laid over manager related to the other employees?
64. How do ethicists argue for the social responsibilities of a manager-engineer?
65. What is basic ethical and moral responsibility of a manager-engineer?
66. How can the engineer-manager help to promote ethical climate?
67. What are the different ways to create an ethical climate?
68. How can engineers be used effectively for managing conflicts in technological companies?
69. What are the important forms of conflict that may arise for an engineering project manager?
70. Given an account of the “Principle for Conflict Resolution”.
71. “In conflict, focus must be only on interest and not on position” – Discuss.
Consulting engineers
72. Who are referred as consulting engineer?
73. How do the consulting engineers involve in company’s advertising?
74. Enumerate the ways and means how deceptive advertisements are being made. Give some
examples.
75. What are the rules framed by NSPE in case of professional advertisements?
76. What is meant by competitive biddings in an engineering profession?
77. What is the effect in competitive bidding by allowing an engineer in getting involved?
78. What is meant by contingency fee with respect to engineer? What are the ethical issues related to
contingency fee?
79. What is the major responsibility for consulting civil engineers for designing a project related to
safety and client needs?
80. How do engineers resolve disputes or disadvantages in a long term engineering project? What is
the role of consulting engineers in this aspect?
Engineers as expert witness and advisors
81. How do the engineers act as expert witness?
82. What is meant by forensic engineering?
83. How does the witness of the engineers considered for judgement?
84. Explain the functioning of the engineer when hired by lawyers.
85. What is the role of an engineer as expert witness?
86. Differentiate ‘eyewitness’ and ‘expert witness’ in the legal system.
87. Why do lawyers mainly depend on engineers in Specific cases?
88. Who is referred to as ‘hired gun’? Explain with a suitable example.
89. What is referred as abuse kind of qualification of the engineer as expert witness.
90. What is meant by contingency fee arrangement on hiring an engineer as witness? Explain the
consequences.
91. Write short notes on (a) Ego bias (b) Sympathy bias.
92. Briefly explain the role of engineer as expert advisers in policy making.
93. What are the factors involved in objective study while forming strategies in policy making.
94. How does technical complicity lead to moral complicity in the function of engineers as expert
advisers?
95. Mention some of the normative models of engineering advisers. What is necessity to use these
models?
96. What are the characteristics the engineers should have to act as expert advisers?

54. Moral leadership
97. What is meant by moral leadership?
98. Who are referred to as moral leaders?
99. Why engineers and technologists are considered as best moral leaders?
100. How do professional societies help in conflicts involving engineers in moral issues?
101. Mention some professional societies which get involved in resolving ethical problems in
engineering. How do these societies function is such moral issues?
102. Explain the function of engineers in providing moral leadership in communities and
communal problems.
103. Briefly explain the importance of the role of engineers as moral leaders in communities.
104. Are engineers permitted to do voluntary technical service? What does the code of ethics
state in this regard.
Sample code of conduct
105. What does the code of ethics express?
106. Give an account on code of ethics at ethical choices and behaviour.
107. How does the code of ethics achieve its goals?
108. Explain the origin and development of the codes of the Engineering Societies.
109. Mention some of the organizations or professional societies who framed their codes of
ethics.
110. How do the professional societies protect the employee through their codes?
111. What are the ‘rules of practice’ framed in the code of ethics for engineers to perform their
professional duties more satisfactory?
112. What expectations from the engineers are raised to serve for the highest standards of
professional obligations?

55. Ethical theories and Moral Dilemma
I. Resolving:
• Identifies the moral aspects and reasons in dilemma
• Conceptual understanding, resolving the moral dilemma
• Provides guidance in prioritizing and solving the moral problems
• Finds alternative course of action and evolves a systematic framework for comparisons with
others
• Evolves framework for moral reasoning, discussion and arguments
• It helps in balancing and controlling of mind to enable us to act better in all aspects of life.
II. Justifying:
• The general obligations of professional towards the technological development
III. Interconnections with Morality:
• It helps in justifying and expressing the professional obligation with morality
• Enables to understand and differentiate the morality with that of professional morality.
For Example Safety:
1. Obligation of safety concern through the codes and laws
2. Obligation through the codes of ethics of Professional bodies
3. Obligation towards the contractual agreements
4. Assurance towards the public safety at the time of their enterance to the profession

56. VALUES Vs PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
1.
•
•
Self respect and Ethical Egoism:
Self respect – personal good
It is balanced and restrained by moral responsibilities
•
Ethical Egoism: (Thomas Hobbes and Ayn Ran)
- Maximize one’s own good
- It satisfies his own interest even at the cost of others
- It is supported by Adam Smith and Milton – Society benefits when individual pursues
their private good.
- It contradicts Moral – One should respects other’s rights and care for others
2. Customs and Ethical Relativism:
• Decides the one’s moral values
• Ethical Pluralism – alternative to moral perspectives – reasonable may not be
accepted by all the persons
• Ethical relativism – actions are morally right when approved by the customs or laws
• Merits:
1. Customs and Laws are clear, unambiguous
2. It sets moral standards
3. Is subjective at the cultural levels
4. It is descriptive relativism
5. is a moral relativism
6. it is not possible to measure the moral values
7. it cannot be compared especially with legal standards.
3. Religion and Divine Command ethics:
•
•
Moral values are influenced by religious beliefs
C.J.Ducasse – Main social character of religion
-
•
•
•
to motivate to right actions
to sustain convictions
to promote tolerance
to respect moral concern of others
to be humane
Religions sets higher standards than the moral standards: - Christianity – Love
your neighbours as you love yourself – Jainism – Love animals as you love
yourself
Some of the guidelines and practices of religion are in line with the Law like
woman rights
Emphasizes virtues – Christianity: hope, faith, love Islam: excellence Hinduism:
conscience, righteousness
Conflicts between Morality and Religion:
Religion: Divine is supreme and he commands. Right acts are commanded and wrong
doings are forbidden.
If no God exists then there will be no morality.

57. The unanswered questions are:
• How to know the God exist or not?
• What are the God’s commands?
• Why only certain command not all?
In spite of conflicts, the religious beliefs provide reasonable guidelines and leads to good
reasoning in case of moral dilemma and conflicts.

58. III Unit: Engineers as Social Experimenters
Engineering as Social Experimentation – Experimentation for social benefits and its ethical
implications and the risk factor is the highest and it is long term planning.
Experimentation: How it influences or affects the society?
What is the impact on Individual, Society,
Nation, Global and Cultural systems?
Reasons why it is called as social
experimentation?