Engineering Ethics Concepts and Cases

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

• ISBN13: 9780534605797
• ISBN10: 0534605796
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-07
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

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.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Chapter 1 Engineering Ethics: Making a Difference	1	(20)
The Challenger Disaster	1	(2)
Ghost of the Executed Engineer	3	(2)
Water Restoration in Sarajevo	5	(2)
1.1 Introduction	7	(2)
1.2 What Is a Profession?	9	(2)
1.3 Professional Ethics	11	(5)
1.4 Engineering Ethics as Preventive Ethics	16	(1)
The Importance of Thinking Ahead	16	(1)
1.5 Cases, Cases, Cases!	17	(1)
1.6 Chapter Summary	18	(1)
Cases to Consider	19	(2)
Chapter 2 Responsibility in Engineering	21	(27)
2.1 Introduction	22	(1)
2.2 Obligation-Responsibility and Reasonable Care	23	(3)
2.3 Good Works	26	(4)
2.4 Do Engineers Need Virtues?	30	(1)
2.5 Blame-Responsibility and Causation	31	(5)
Organizations: Causes or Moral Agents?	32	(1)
Individual Responsibility and Accountability	33	(2)
The Problem of Many Hands	35	(1)
2.6 Impediments to Responsible Action	36	(8)
Self-Interest	37	(1)
Fear	37	(1)
Self-Deception	38	(1)
Ignorance	39	(1)
Egocentric Tendencies	40	(1)
Microscopic Vision	40	(1)
Uncritical Acceptance of Authority	41	(1)
Groupthink	42	(2)
2.7 Chapter Summary	44	(1)
Cases to Consider	44	(4)
Chapter 3 Framing the Problem	48	(29)
3.1 Introduction	49	(1)
3.2 Common Morality	50	(2)
3.3 Moral Justification	52	(1)
3.4 Analyzing a Case	53	(4)
A Sample Case	54	(3)
3.5 Factual Issues	57	(3)
Discerning Relevant Facts	59	(1)
Known and Unknown Facts	59	(1)
Weighing the Importance of Facts	60	(1)
3.6 Conceptual Issues	60	(3)
3.7 Application Issues	63	(1)
3.8 Line-Drawing	64	(5)
With Features	65	(4)
3.9 Conflicting Values: Creative Middle Way Solutions	69	(5)
3.10 Chapter Summary	74	(1)
Cases to Consider	75	(2)
Chapter 4 Organizing Principles	77	(24)
4.1 Introduction	77	(2)
4.2 Two Key Concepts: Universalizability and Reversibility	79	(1)
4.3 Utilitarian Thinking	80	(2)
4.4 Three Utilitarian Approaches	82	(6)
The Cost-Benefit Approach	82	(3)
The Act Utilitarian Approach	85	(1)
The Rule Utilitarian Approach	86	(2)
4.5 The Ethics of Respect for Persons	88	(1)
4.6 Three Respect for Persons Approaches	89	(8)
The Golden Rule	89	(3)
The Self-Defeating Criterion	92	(2)
Rights	94	(3)
4.7 Convergence, Divergence, and Creative Middle Ways	97	(1)
4.8 Chapter Summary	98	(1)
Cases to Consider	99	(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