Computer Engineering as a Discipline

Module 07: Engineering Ethics

Engineering Ethics Introduction
• Engineering is the process of developing an efficient mechanism
which quickens and eases the work using limited resources, with the
help of technology.
• Ethics are the principles accepted by the society, which also equate
to the moral standards of human beings. An engineer with ethics, can
help the society in a better way.
Engineering Ethics Introduction
• Morals – Morals are the principles or habits with respect to right or
wrong of one’s own conduct. They are not imposed by anyone.
Morals are what you think is good and bad personally.
Engineering Ethics Introduction
• Though morals are not imposed, they can be understood as the
preaching of our inner self. Depending on a few factors, our mind
filters things as good or bad. These are the ideas that help frame our
personality so that we can distinguish between what is right and what
is wrong.
Engineering Ethics Introduction
• A moral is a code of conduct that you develop over time and set for
yourself to follow, just like:
• Being good to everyone
• Speaking only the truth
• Going against what you know is wrong
• Avoid cheating
• Being a nice human being etc.
Engineering Ethics Introduction
• Morals are always defined by one’s own personality. Morals can be
changed according to one’s beliefs as they are completely dependent
on one’s perception towards the ethical values.
Engineering Ethics Introduction
• Ethics – Ethics are a set of rules of principles that are generally
considered as standards or good and bad or right and wrong, which
are usually imposed by an external group or profession or so.
Engineering Ethics Introduction
• Ethics can be understood as the rules of conduct proposed by a
society or recognized with respect to a particular class of human
actions or a particular group or culture. Ethics are dependent on
others definition. They may or may not vary from context to context.
Engineering Ethics Introduction
• A person who strictly follows a set of ethical principles, may not have
any moral at all (i.e. Robinhood) while a person who violates ethical
principles at times, may maintain a high moral integrity (i.e. Thanos).
• The ethical theories include duty ethics, right ethics, virtue ethics and
so on. A best example that can explain ethics is utilitarianism.
Engineering Ethics Introduction
• Utilitarianism – is the philosophy which explains that the happiness
or pleasure of a greatest number of people in the society is
considered as the greatest good.
Engineering Ethics Introduction
• According to this philosophy, an action is morally right if its
consequences leads to happiness of the people and wrong if the
action leads to their unhappiness.
• This theory moves beyond the scope of one’s own interests and takes
into account the interests of others.
Ethics in Engineering
Ethics in Engineering
• Ethics are principles followed depending upon the moral
responsibility that a person feels.
• The study related questions about moral ideas, character, policies,
and relationships of people and organizations involved in
technological activity, can be termed as Engineering Ethics.
Ethics in Engineering
• An engineer whether he works individually or works for accompany,
has to go through some ethical issues, mostly under the conditions
such as, conceptualization of a product, issues arising in design and
testing departments, or may be on the issues involving the
manufacturing, sales and services. Questions related to morality also
arise during supervision and team works.
Ethics in Engineering
• Ethical decisions and moral values of an engineer need to be
considered because the decisions of an engineer have an impact on
the products and services - how safe they are to use, the company
and its shareholders who believe in the goodwill of the company…
Ethics in Engineering
• the public and the society who trusts the company regarding the
benefits of the people, the law which cares about how legislation
affects the profession and the industry, the job and his moral
responsibilities and about how the environment gets affected, etc.
Ethics in Engineering
• Not only an engineer, but everyone has to follow a set of morals in
order to keep away from getting morally degraded. Our behavior
should include the following:
Ethics in Engineering
• Respecting others and ourselves
• Respecting the rights of others
• Keeping promises
• Avoiding unnecessary problems to others
• Avoiding cheating and dishonesty
• Showing gratititude towards others and encourage them to work.
Ethics in Engineering
• Morality commands respect for persons, both other and ourselves. It
involves being fair and just, meeting obligations and respecting rights
and not causing unnecessary harm by dishonesty and cruelty or by
hubris.
Steps to Deal with Issues
Steps to Deal with Issues
• Whenever there occurs an issue, one should possess a few skills in
order to sort out the problem.
• The issues that engineers face, have to be dealt with patience and
few moral goals have to be kept in mind while dealing with such
issues. They are as follows:
Steps to Deal with Issues
• Moral awareness – one should be able to recognize the moral
problems and issues that occur in engineering. The analysis on the
problem is necessary in order to differentiate and judge according to
ethics or according to the rules to follow.
Steps to Deal with Issues
• Cogent (clear, logical, convincing) moral reasoning – in order to
come to a conclusion on an issue, the argument has to be assessed
and comprehended. The argument on both sides has to be
considered with all the probabilities and the nature of the argument
should be logical and moral.
Steps to Deal with Issues
• Moral coherence – after having gone through all the logical and
moral facts, consistent and comprehensive view points are to be
formed based upon consideration of relevant facts.
Steps to Deal with Issues
• Moral imagination – the moral issues and the practical issues have to
be dealt separately. Alternative responses are to be found out for
dealing with moral issues while creative solutions should be found
out for practical difficulties.
Steps to Deal with Issues
• Moral communication – the language to communicate about one’s
moral views should be so precise and clear, that the expression or
words should not alter the original meaning.
Important Skills for Ethical Reasoning
Important Skills for Ethical Reasoning
• Moral reasonableness – the ability and willingness to be morally
reasonable that one should have while dealing such issues. Unless
one is willing and improve such ability, justice cannot be done.
Important Skills for Ethical Reasoning
• Respect for persons – the persons involved in the issue, should be
treated with genuine concern by one. Such concern should also be
there with oneself along with being there for others.
Important Skills for Ethical Reasoning
• Tolerance of diversity – one should have a broader perspective
towards ethnic and religious differences that the people have. Every
person differs with another when compared on grounds of moral
reasoning. The acceptance of those differences is really important.
Important Skills for Ethical Reasoning
• Moral hope – the moral conflicts can be resolved by using better
communication and having rational dialogue which is evident-based
and open-ended which is acceptable and appreciable by both the
parties.
Important Skills for Ethical Reasoning
• Integrity – the moral integrity has to be maintained. Being honest
and having strong moral principles helps one to resolve an issue in an
efficient manner. An individual also needs to consider other’s
professional life and personal convictions while solving a problem.
Important Skills for Ethical Reasoning
• Source:
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/engineering_ethics/engineering_eth
ics_introduction.htm
Code of Ethics for Engineers

According to the IEEE

(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
• Preamble – engineers affect the quality of life for all people in our
complex technological society. In the pursuit of their profession,
therefore, it is vital that engineers conduct their work in an ethical
manner so that they merit the confidence of colleagues, employers,
clients, and the public.
• This IEEE Code of Ethics is a standard of professional conduct for
engineers.
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
• ARTICLE I
• Engineers shall maintain high standards of diligence, creativity and
productivity, and shall:
1. Accept responsibility for their actions;
2. Be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates from available
data;
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
3. Undertake engineering tasks and accept responsibility only if
qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure to their
employers or clients of pertinent qualifications;
4. Maintain their professional skills at the level of the state of the art,
and recognize the importance of current events in their work;
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
5. Advance the integrity and prestige of the engineering profession by
practicing in a dignified manner and for adequate compensation.
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
• ARTICLE II
• Engineers shall, in their work:
1. Treat fairly all colleagues and co-workers, regardless of race,
religion, sex, age, or national origin;
2. Report, publish and disseminate freely information to others,
subject to legal and proprietary restraints;
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
3. Encourage colleagues and co-workers to act in accord with this
Code and support them when they do so;
4. Seek, accept and offer honest criticism of work, and properly credit
contributions of others;
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
5. Support and participate in the activities of their professional
societies;
6. Assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development.
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
• ARTICLE III
Engineers shall, in their relations with employers and clients:
1. Act as faithful agents or trustees for their employers or clients in
professional and business matters, provided such actions conform
with other parts of this Code;
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
2. Keep information on the business affairs or technical process of an
employer or client in confidence while employed, and later, until
such information is properly released, provided such actions
conform with other parts of this Code;
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
3. Inform their employers, clients, professional societies or public
agencies or private agencies of which they are members or to
which they may make presentations. Of any circumstance that
could lead to a conflict of interest;
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
4. Neither give nor accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, payment or
service of more than nominal value to or from those having
business relationships with their employers or clients;
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
• ARTICLE IV
• Engineers shall, in fulfilling their responsibilities to the community:
1. Protect the safety, health and welfare of the public and speak out
against abuses in these areas affecting the public interest;
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
2. Contribute professional advise, as appropriate, to civic, charitable
or other non-profit organizations;
3. Seek to extend public knowledge and appreciate of the engineering
professional and its achievements.
IEEE Code of Ethics for Engineers
• Source: http://wacowc2019.sbu.ac.ir/editor_file/IEEE-Ethics.pdf