Introduction to Engineering and Profession Ethics Lecture8-Engineering Ethics- Dr.Khaled Bakro د. خالد بكرو

1. Lecture 8
Dr. Khaled Bakro
Engineering Ethics
Introduction to Engineering
and Profession Ethics

2. Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to
Determine whether engineering is a profession.
Understand what codes of ethics are, and
Examine some codes of ethics of professional
engineering societies.

3. Patent, Trademark, and Copyright(1)
 In the early days, trade information and invention were kept
in the family and passed on from one generation to the next.
For example, when a plow maker came up with a better
design, he kept the details of the design to himself and
shared the specifications of the new invention only with his
family, including son(s), brother(s), and so on.
 The new designs and inventions stayed in the family to
protect the business and to prevent others from duplicating
the inventor’s design. However, new designs and inventions
need to be shared if they are to bring about improvements in
everyone’s lives.

4. Patent, Trademark, and Copyright(2)
 At the same time the person(s) who comes up with a new
idea should benefit from it. Traded information and
invention, if not protected, can be stolen. So you can see
that, in order for a government to promote new ideas and
inventions, it must also provide means for protecting others
from stealing someone’s new ideas and inventions, which
are considered intellectual property.
 Patents, trademarks, service marks, and copyrights are
examples of means by which intellectual property is
protected by United States laws.

5. Laws, Morals, Ethics:
What’s the Difference?
Laws: A set of rules for personal or corporate
behavior; civil and/or criminal penalties apply
Morals: A set of standards for (personal) behavior
Ethics: A set of standards for (professional)
behavior
Morals and ethics are voluntary in some sense
Like laws, they are open to many interpretations

6. What is the Basis for
Ethical and Moral Standards?
Innate and intrinsic?
A product of culture?
Based on religious beliefs?
Developed from logical reasoning?
Based on concepts? On consequences?

7. Example Moral Standard:
The Categorical Imperative
(Critique of Pure Reason—Immanuel Kant, 1724-1804)
“Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at
the same time will that it should become a universal
law.”

8. Using the Categorical Imperative to
Judge an Action
Convert the action to a principle
Would it be logical for you to want everyone to follow
that principle?
 Yes—action is moral/ethical
 No—action is immoral/unethical
Example: is it ever morally acceptable to lie?

9. How Does Engineering Ethics Relate to
Your Life Now?
You are already expressing your ethical standards.
They are in what you do.
Personal and professional ethics are connected
Ethics is not just “doing the right thing,” it’s making
tough decisions about ambiguous things

10. What Is a Profession?
Extensive training, mastery of subject
Professional association
Standards and codes
Self-regulating, via certifications and licensing
Significant impact on public welfare
Accountability to society

11. Professional Ethics:
More than Following Rules
Maturity of judgment
Balancing a variety of considerations
Consideration of various means to a desired end
Supporting the profession
Serving the welfare of the public

12. A Simple Google Search Reveals:
Online Ethics Center for Engineering & Science
National Institute for Engineering Ethics*
NSPE Engineering Ethics website
Codes of Ethics: IEEE*, ASME, ACM, etc.
Web Clearinghouse for Engineering and Computing
Ethics
Course and resource pages at many universities

13. What are the Core Ethical Values of
Engineering? (NIEE)
Honesty: truthfulness, fairness, sincerity
Integrity: good judgment, adherence to
principles
Fidelity: to clients, to the public trust, to
employer, to the profession
Charity: kindness, caring, good will, tolerance,
compassion/mercy, adherence to the Golden Rule
Responsibility: reliability/dependability,
accountability, trustworthiness
Self-Discipline: acting with restraint, not
indulging in excessive behavior

14. Applied Ethics: Real-World Problems
“In theory, there’s no difference between theory and
practice.
In practice, there is.”
Yogi Berra
Rarely is there clear “right” or “wrong”
Often you are choosing between competing interests,
both of which matter

15. “To avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever
possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when
they do exist”
What is conflict of interest?
Is conflict of interest common?
Is it wrong?
What do you do about it?

16. “Ethics as Design”—Caroline Whitbeck
What distinguishes design from the other engineering
you have studied?
Analyzing the situation is not enough
Practical constraints, objectives, criteria
There may not even be a “solution”
There is no unique “right answer”

17. Designing a Solution to an
Ethical Dilemma
Define the problem
 What’s known? What’s ambiguous?
Explore solutions
 Brainstorm—go beyond the obvious
Identify criteria
 Personal values, professional standards, laws
Consider outcomes and consequences
 Professional, personal, legal, moral

18. “Whistleblowing”
How can you do the right thing and not lose your job?
Don’t trust everyone to do the right thing—proceed
with caution
Gather the evidence you need
Make sure you’re right
Don’t exaggerate or overstate your case
Wait for the right time to come forward
Remain anonymous—the problem is the issue, not
you
For more, see:
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/careers/careerstemplate.jsp?ArticleId=
w040104

19. Thinking Ahead
Would you “carry” a partner through an MQP?
If you accept a job, would you turn it down if a better
one comes along?
Would you accept a job in the defense industry?
Would you accept gifts and hospitality from a
prospective vendor?
What would you do if a co-worker is negligent in
his/her work?

20. Case Study

21. Summary
You should understand the importance
of engineering ethics and why you
should live by these codes of ethics
You should understand the engineer’s
creed and reasons why you should take
the pledge