Engineering Ethics Concepts and Cases

, by Harris, Jr., Charles E.; Pritchard, Michael S.; Rabins, Michael J.

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ISBN: 9780534605797 | 0534605796
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 7/7/2004

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This text bridges the gap between theory and practice in engineering ethics. The authors provide real-life cases, structured methodology foranalyzing cases, and examples of cases that have been analyzed to give students a true understanding of what is involved in practicing ethicalengineering. Codes of Ethics are also provided and discussed. This book helps engineering students to carry over their natural analytical talentsinto a new area: moral deliberation. It shows them the importance of being analytical, stressing the fact that many apparent moral disagreementsare really disagreements over the facts or over the definitions of crucial terms, and that the locus of moral disagreement can only be discoveredby analysis.

Preface

xiii

Chapter 1 Engineering Ethics: Making a Difference

(20)

The Challenger Disaster

(2)

Ghost of the Executed Engineer

(2)

Water Restoration in Sarajevo

(2)

1.1 Introduction

(2)

1.2 What Is a Profession?

(2)

1.3 Professional Ethics

(5)

1.4 Engineering Ethics as Preventive Ethics

(1)

The Importance of Thinking Ahead

(1)

1.5 Cases, Cases, Cases!

(1)

1.6 Chapter Summary

(1)

Cases to Consider

(2)

Chapter 2 Responsibility in Engineering

(27)

2.1 Introduction

(1)

2.2 Obligation-Responsibility and Reasonable Care

(3)

2.3 Good Works

(4)

2.4 Do Engineers Need Virtues?

(1)

2.5 Blame-Responsibility and Causation

(5)

Organizations: Causes or Moral Agents?

(1)

Individual Responsibility and Accountability

(2)

The Problem of Many Hands

(1)

2.6 Impediments to Responsible Action

(8)

Self-Interest

(1)

Fear

(1)

Self-Deception

(1)

Ignorance

(1)

Egocentric Tendencies

(1)

Microscopic Vision

(1)

Uncritical Acceptance of Authority

(1)

Groupthink

(2)

2.7 Chapter Summary

(1)

Cases to Consider

(4)

Chapter 3 Framing the Problem

(29)

3.1 Introduction

(1)

3.2 Common Morality

(2)

3.3 Moral Justification

(1)

3.4 Analyzing a Case

(4)

A Sample Case

(3)

3.5 Factual Issues

(3)

Discerning Relevant Facts

(1)

Known and Unknown Facts

(1)

Weighing the Importance of Facts

(1)

3.6 Conceptual Issues

(3)

3.7 Application Issues

(1)

3.8 Line-Drawing

(5)

With Features

(4)

3.9 Conflicting Values: Creative Middle Way Solutions

(5)

3.10 Chapter Summary

(1)

Cases to Consider

(2)

Chapter 4 Organizing Principles

(24)

4.1 Introduction

(2)

4.2 Two Key Concepts: Universalizability and Reversibility

(1)

4.3 Utilitarian Thinking

(2)

4.4 Three Utilitarian Approaches

(6)

The Cost-Benefit Approach

(3)

The Act Utilitarian Approach

(1)

The Rule Utilitarian Approach

(2)

4.5 The Ethics of Respect for Persons

(1)

4.6 Three Respect for Persons Approaches

(8)

The Golden Rule

(3)

The Self-Defeating Criterion

(2)

Rights

(3)

4.7 Convergence, Divergence, and Creative Middle Ways

(1)

4.8 Chapter Summary

(1)

Cases to Consider

(2)

Chapter 5 Computers, Individual Morality, and Social Policy

101

(24)

5.1 Introduction

102

(2)

Computers and Social Policy

102

(1)

Illustrations of Ethical Methodology

103

(1)

5.2 Computers and Privacy: A Conflict of Values

104

(4)

Privacy and Boundary-Crossing

104

(1)

Privacy versus Social Utility

105

(1)

Finding a Creative Middle Way

106

(2)

5.3 Ownership of Computer Software

108

(4)

Should Software Be Protected?

108

(1)

How Should Software Be Protected?

109

(3)

5.4 Computer Abuse: A Spectrum of Cases

112

(3)

The Aldus Peace Virus

112

(1)

Kevin Metnick

113

(1)

Robert Morris

113

(1)

Donald Burleson

114

(1)

The Moral Status of Computer Abuse

115

(1)

5.5 Computers and Moral Responsibility

115

(7)

Blame-Responsibility: Corporate Responsibility

117

(2)

Blame-Responsibility: Individual Responsibility

119

(2)

Maintaining Accountability in a Computerized Society

121

(1)

5.6 Chapter Summary

122

(1)

Cases to Consider

123

(2)

Chapter 6 Honesty, Integrity, and Reliability

125

(25)

6.1 Introduction

125

(2)

6.2 Forms of Dishonesty

127

(1)

(1) Lying

127

(1)

(2) Deliberate Deception

127

(1)

(3) Withholding Information

128

(1)

(4) Failure to Seek Out the Truth

128

(1)

6.3 Why Is Dishonesty Wrong?

128

(3)

6.4 Dishonesty on Campus

131

(1)

6.5 Dishonesty in Engineering Research and Testing

132

(2)

6.6 Intellectual Property

134

(4)

6.7 Expert Witnessing

138

(1)

6.8 Confidentiality in Client-Professional Relations

139

(3)

6.9 Informing the Public

142

(2)

6.10 Conflicts of Interest

144

(2)

What Is a Conflict of Interest?

144

(2)

6.11 Chapter Summary

146

(1)

Cases to Consider

147

(3)

Chapter 7 Safety, Risk, and Liability in Engineering

150

(31)

7.1 Introduction

151

(1)

7.2 Professional Engineering Society Codes of Ethics: Engineering Practice Regarding Safety and Risk

152

(1)

7.3 Safety, Risk, and Local Building Codes

153

(3)

7.4 Difficulties in Estimating Risk

156

(5)

Detecting Failure Modes

156

(3)

Are There "Normal Accidents"?

159

(2)

7.5 Normalizing Deviance

161

(2)

7.6 The Expert's Approach to Acceptable Risk: Identifying and Defining

Acceptable Risk

163

(1)

Utilitarianism and Acceptable Risk

164

(1)

Risk as Maximizing Benefit

165

(1)

7.7 The Layperson's Approach to Acceptable Risk

166

(4)

Expert and Layperson

166

(1)

Informed Consent and Justice

167

(3)

7.8 The Government Regulator's Approach to Risk

170

(2)

7.9 The Engineer's Liability for Risk

172

(6)

The Standards of Tort Law

172

(2)

Protecting Engineers from Liability

174

(1)

7.10 Becoming a Responsible Engineer Regarding Risk

175

(2)

7.11 Chapter Summary

177

(1)

Cases to Consider

178

(3)

Chapter 8 Engineers as Employees

181

(33)

8.1 Introduction

182

(1)

8.2 The Codes and Employer-Employee Relationships

182

(2)

8.3 The Changing Legal Status of Employee Rights

184

(2)

The Public-Policy Exception

184

(1)

Statutory Protection

185

(1)

8.4 The Manager-Engineer Relationship

186

(4)

Differences in Perspective between Managers and Engineers

186

(1)

Two Empirical Studies

187

(3)

8.5 Proper Engineering and Management Decisions

190

(4)

Functions of Engineers and Managers

190

(2)

Paradigmatic and Non paradigmatic Examples

192

(2)

8.6 The Challenger Case

194

(3)

8.7 Loyalty: Uncritical and Critical

197

(3)

8.8 Responsible Organizational Disobedience

200

(6)

Disobedience by Contrary Action

201

(2)

Disobedience by Nonparticipation

203

(1)

Disobedience by Protest

203

(3)

8.9 Implementing Professional Employee Rights

206

(3)

8.10 Chapter Summary

209

(1)

Cases to Consider

210

(4)

Chapter 9 Engineers and the Environment

214

(30)

9.1 Introduction

215

(1)

9.2 Engineering Codes and the Environment

216

(3)

Code References to the Environment

216

(2)

Sustainable Development

218

(1)

9.3 Controversy over the Environment

219

(4)

Two Important Distinctions

219

(1)

Why the Reluctance to Be Concerned with the Environment?

220

(2)

Searching for a Criterion for "Clean"

222

(1)

9.4 What Does the Law Say?

223

(5)

Federal Laws on the Environment

223

(3)

The Courts on the Environment

226

(1)

So, How Clean Is Clean?

227

(1)

9.5 Balancing Wealth and Health: A Criterion for "Clean"

228

(3)

A Degree-of-Harm Criterion

229

(2)

9.6 The Anthropocentric Approach to Environmental Ethics

231

(3)

Animal Liberation and Engineering Ethics

231

(1)

The Environmental Movement and Engineering Ethics

232

(2)

9.7 The Scope of Professional Engineering Obligations to the Environment

234

(3)

9.8 Two Modest Proposals

237

(3)

9.9 Chapter Summary

240

(1)

Cases to Consider

241

(3)

Chapter 10 International Engineering Professionalism

244

(28)

10.1 Introduction

245

(2)

10.2 The Search for Culture-Transcending Norms

247

(2)

10.3 The CT Norms Identified and Explained

249

(11)

Avoiding Exploitation

250

(1)

Avoiding Paternalism

251

(1)

Avoiding Bribery and Gifts

252

(1)

Avoiding the Violation of Human Rights

253

(3)

Promoting the Host Country's Welfare

256

(1)

Respecting Cultural Norms and Laws

257

(1)

Protecting Health and Safety

258

(1)

Protecting the Environment

259

(1)

Promoting Legitimate Background Institutions

259

(1)

10.4 Applying the CT Norms

260

(3)

Proportional Responsibility

260

(1)

Avoiding Laxism and Rigorism

261

(1)

Choosing Among Competing Local Practices

262

(1)

Should CT Norms Always Prevail?

262

(1)

What about Conflicts between CT Norms?

263

(1)

10.5 Bribery, Extortion, Grease Payments, and Gifts

263

(4)

Bribery

263

(1)

Extortion

264

(2)

Grease Payments

266

(1)

Gifts

266

(1)

10.6 Sweatshops in Asia

267

(1)

10.7 Chapter Summary

268

(1)

Cases to Consider

269

(3)

Chapter 11 Engineering Professionalism and Ethics: Future Challenges

272

(23)

11.1 Introduction

274

(1)

11.2 American Professional Engineering Societies

275

(2)

11.3 Professional Engineering Societies: Their Limitations in Enforcing Ethics and Their Ability to Promote Ethics

277

(5)

Limitations in Enforcing Ethics

277

(2)

Promoting Ethics

279

(3)

11.4 State Registration Boards and the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES)

282

(5)

The Role of the NCEES

285

(2)

11.5 The Licensing Process

287

(3)

11.6 Code Jurisdictions

290

(1)

11.7 Gender and Minority Issues

291

(1)

11.8 Chapter Summary

292

(1)

Cases to Consider

293

(2)

Cases

295

(1)

List of Cases

296

(1)

Taxonomy of Cases

297

(60)

Bibliography

357

(8)

Appendix: Codes of Ethics

365

(16)

Videotapes for Use in Engineering Ethics

381

(5)

Index

386

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Engineering Ethics Concepts and Cases

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials