Introduction to Ethical and Legal Dimensions of Engineering

1. ME-302 Ethical & Legal Dimensions of
Engineering
Course Instructor:
Dr. Ahmad Nawaz

2. Lecture No 1
Introduction to Ethical and Legal Dimensions
of Engineering

3. Objectives of the Lecture
•Course Description
•Course Objectives
•Engineering Ethics

4. Course Description
• Course Title: Ethical and Legal Dimensions of Engineering
• Course Code: ME 302
• Credit Hours: 2 - 0

5. Recommended Books
1. Charles E. Harris, JR. Concepts and Cases Engineering
Ethics, ISBN-13: 978-1-337-55450-3
2. Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger, Ethics in Engineering,
4th Edition, ISBN-13: 978-0072831153, 2004.
3. D.L. Marston, Law for Professional Engineers, 5th Ed.,
McGraw-Hill Ryerson, ISBN-13: 978-1260135909, 2019.

6. Course Contents

7. Course Assessment and Grading Criteria
• Midterm Examination: 25%
• Final Examination: 50%
• Sessional (Quizzes): 10%
• Sessional (Presentation): 15%
• An attendance of 75% is mandatory to sit in the final examination

8. Course Objectives
• This course introduces contemporary and controversial ethical
issues facing the business community.
• Topics include moral reasoning, moral dilemmas, law and
morality, equity, justice and fairness, ethical standards, and
moral development.
• Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate an
understanding of their moral responsibilities and obligations as
members of the workforce and society.

9. Scope of the Course:
• Engineers create products and processes to improve food
production, shelter, energy, communication, transportation,
health, and protection against natural calamities—and to
enhance the convenience and beauty of our everyday lives.
• They make possible spectacular human triumphs once only
dreamed of in myth and science fiction.
• Most technology, however, has double implications: As it
creates benefits, it raises new moral challenges.
• The major scope of this course is to understand the importance
of accepting and sharing moral responsibility within the
corporate setting in which today most engineering takes place,
and also the need for a basic congruence between the goals of
responsible professionals, professions, and corporations.

10. Why Engineering Ethics?

11. Cont.…

12. The Importance of Ethics
• From designing a mere chicken coop Vs an extensive Space
shuttle programs
• From the use of SUVs Vs a normal Sedan
• An Engineer working in a plant releasing toxic wastes
• A flaw in the architect’s design
• Tactics of a contractor to maximize his profits
• Tactics of an industrialist to maximize his profits

13. Ethics
• Ethics is synonymous with morality.
• What is morality? Dictionaries tell us that morality is about right
and wrong, good and bad.
• But such definitions are incomplete, for these words also have
double meanings.
• Thus, to start a car, a person ought to put the key in the ignition;
that is the right thing to do. But is it the right thing to do if its not
your car?
• It refers to moral values that are sound or reasonable, actions
or policies that are morally required (right), morally permissible
(all right), or otherwise morally desirable (good).

14. Morality
Generally, it can be stated as
• Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or
good and bad behavior.
To be specific
• It concerns respect both for others & ourselves being fair & just,
meeting obligations and respecting rights and not causing
unnecessary harm by dishonesty and cruelty.
• In addition, it involves the ideals of character study such as
integrity, gratitude and willingness to help people in distress
and it implies minimizing sufferings to animals and damage to
the environment.

15. “Engineering Ethics”
“Bringing the engineering profession within
the framework of morality.”

16. Cont.…

17. • “It is the study of decisions, policies and values that are morally
desirable in engineering practice and research.”
• Engineering ethics consists of a system of moral principles that
apply to the practice of engineering. The field examines and
sets the obligations by engineers to society, to their clients, and
to the profession.
Cont.…

18. Personal vs Professional Ethics

19. Situations of Ethical Issues

20. Engineer’s Ethical Decision has a far
reaching Impact on:

21. Herbert Hoover (Views on Engineering)

22. Mistakes(Made by engineers) can be
costly

23. Three worths were high lighted in the previous definition
• Human worth.
• Animal worth.
• Ecological worth

24. Ethics, Morals and the Law

25. Questions???