Engineering Professionalism: ENG101 Spring 2021
Engineering Professionalism: ENG101 Spring 2021
Engineering Professionalism: ENG101 Spring 2021
ENG101
spring 2021
Resolving Moral Dilemmas
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NSPE, BER Case 96-4
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that the software is safe to use under existing
standards, Engineer A is aware of new draft
standards that are about to be released by a
standard setting organization-standards
which the newly designed software may not
meet. Testing is extremely costly and the
company’s clients are eager to begin to
move forward. The software company is
eager to satisfy its clients, protect the
software company’s finances, and protect…
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…existing jobs; but at the same time, the
management of the software company
wants to be sure that the software is safe to
use. A series of tests proposed by Engineer
A will likely result in a decision whether to
move forward with the use of the software.
The tests are costly and will delay the use of
the software by at least six months, which
will put the company at a competitive…
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…disadvantage and cost the company a
significant amount of money. Also,
delaying implementation will mean the state
public service commission utility rates will
rise significantly during this time. The
company requests Engineer A’s
recommendation concerning the need for
additional software testing.
Question: Should Engineer A design the
software to meet the new standards?
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Analyzing the case
Moral clarity:
• What is wrong? What is the core
issue/question?
• Will the software meet the new standards?
• Why are there new standards?
• Experience shows new failure modes
• New tests designed to test new failure modes
• Engineer’s role in new standards?
• Development of new standards
• Following new standards
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continued…
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continued…
Consider options
• Option 1: Ignore the new tests, take risk
to public safety/welfare, save time/money
• Option 2: Conduct the tests, risk jobs,
hurt finances, become certain software will
work, protect safety/welfare of the public
• Option 3: Creative middle of the road
solution: Is there are limited version of full
tests that could be conducted that would
partially test, but save some money/time?
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continued…
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Resolving moral dilemmas,
“line-drawing”
• Harris et al. idea to try to make solving
moral dilemmas more analytical/
quantitative
• Given moral dilemma
• Establish key features, issues
• Establish extremes of features/issues and
paradigms (indicating totally ethical vs.
clearly unethical aspects)
• Construct a line drawing
• Evaluate “test case” (your current moral
dilemma)
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Line-drawing, bribery example
(Harris et al.)
Victor is an engineer in a large construction firm. He has
been assigned the task of being the sole person to
recommend rivets for the construction of a large apartment
building. After some research and testing, he decides to
recommend ACME rivets for the job, which he determines
are of the lowest cost and highest quality. On the day after
Victor’s decision was made, an ACME representative
visits him and gives him a voucher for an all-expense-paid
trip to the annual ACME Technical Forum, which meets in
Jamaica. The trip will have considerable educational value,
but will also provide day trips to the beach and other points
of interest. Question: If Victor accepts, has he been
bribed?
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Line-drawing, bribery example
(Harris et al.)
-----------------X---
X – test case feature evaluation, X important issue
Do you see a “creative middle solution”?
What about affect on future decisions on ACME?
What is company policy? Is there an appearance of bribery?
May not be a bribe, but still may not be a good idea!
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Codes of Ethics
• Limitations of codes
• Too vague to be useful in every day ethical decision-
making?
• Impossible to cover all eventualities
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National Society of Professional
Engineers (NSPE)
Code of Ethics for Engineers
• Preamble: Engineering is an important
and learned profession. As members of
this profession, engineers are expected
to exhibit the highest standards of
honesty and integrity. Engineering has a
direct and vital impact on the quality of
life for all people. Accordingly, the
services provided by engineers require
honesty, impartiality,
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National Society of Professional
Engineers (NSPE)
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Fundamental Canons
• Rules of Practice
• Professional Obligations
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“Hold paramount the safety, health,
and welfare of the public”
• How to assess impact on human safety, health, and
“welfare”?
• Amartya Sen uses a “capabilities approach:”
– Being able to live a long life in health
– Being able to get an education, being able to work
– Being able to have freedom of expression and
association
– Others…
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Code of Ethics (IEEE)
https://www.acm.org/code-of-ethics
ASSOCIATION OF COMPUTER
MACHINERY CODE OF CONDUCT
2. Professional responsibilities.
2.1 Strive to achieve the highest quality, effectiveness, and dignity in both
the process and products of professional work.
2.9 Design and implement systems that are robustly and usably secure.
https://www.acm.org/code-of-ethics
ASSOCIATION OF COMPUTER
MACHINERY CODE OF CONDUCT
3.3 Manage personnel and resources to enhance the quality of working life.
3.4 Articulate, apply, and support policies and processes that reflect the principles
of the Code.
3.7 Recognize and take special care of systems that become integrated into the
infrastructure of society.
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ACM CODE OF CONDUCT
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Relevant portions of IEEE Code of
Ethics
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National Society of Professional
Engineers (NSPE)
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American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE), Code
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Software Engineering Code of
Ethics and Professional Practice
• ACM/IEEE-CS Joint task force on software
engineering ethics and professional practices
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American Medical Association
(AMA), Principles of Medical Ethics
(June 2001)
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American Bar Association (ABA),
Model Rules of Professional Conduct,
ABA 2003
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The 1979 IEEE Code of Ethics
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Individual obligations to serve vs. a
profession’s encouragement to
serve
• Does an engineer have an obligation to serve humanity
(e.g., for free)?
• Does an engineer have an obligation (even in paid
employment) to help with the worst cases of capability
deprivation?
• Are such obligations “duties” (certainly, engineers should
not be pressured in any way to do these things)?
• If individuals do not have an obligation, does the
profession as a whole? In connection with this, should
engineering profession’s codes of ethics “encourage”
engineers to do these things (or “aspire” to doing these
things)? Not a requirement that any one engineer does
these things.
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