Decision

When we have to decide we shall always remember :

If we know for sure

What is right ? What is wrong ?

All our problems will vanish

What will you then decide on ?

-Between the lines

 Business
¾ It is comparatively easy to prosper by trickery . The violence of
confidence , oppression of the weak , sharp practices - cutting corners
- all of those methods that we are so prone to palliate and condone as
business shrewdness
¾ It is difficult to prosper by the keeping of promises . The deliverance of
value in goods , in services and in deeds and in the meeting of so called
shrewdness with sound merits and good ethics
¾ The easy way is efficacious and speedy .The hard way arduous and
long
¾ But , as the clock ticks , the easy way becomes harder and the hard way
becomes easier . And as the calendar records the years – it becomes
increasingly evident that the easy way rests hazardously upon shifting
sands whereas the hard way builds solidly a foundation of confidence
that cannot be swept away
Constant Competition and Comparison

Leads to

VIOLENCE
 Department of Production Engineering-NITT
PR 311- Professional ethics and psychology-SYLLABUS
To create awareness on Engineering Ethics and Human Values and Morals
Values and Ethics – Integrity – Work ethic – Service learning – Civic
virtue – Respect for others –Living peacefully – Caring – Sharing –
Honesty – Courage – Valuing time–Cooperation –Commitment –
Empathy – Self confidence – Character – Spirituality.
Senses of ‘Engineering Ethics’ – Variety of moral issues – Types of
inquiry – Moral dilemmas – Moral Autonomy – Kohlberg’s theory –
Gilligan’s theory – Consensus and Controversy – Models of
professional roles - Theories about right action – Self-interest –
Customs and Religion – Uses of Ethical Theories
Computer Ethics-Introduction- what is computer ethics- Categories of
computer ethics-computer code of ethics
Introduction to Industrial Psychology – Definitions & Scope. Major influences on
industrial Psychology- Scientific management and human relations schools
Hawthorne Experiments Individual in Workplace Motivation and Job satisfaction ,
stress management. Organizational culture, Leadership & group dynamics. Work
Environment & Engineering Psychology-fatigue. Boredom, accidents and safety
Job Analysis, Recruitment and Selection – Reliability & Validity of recruitment
tests. Performance Management : Training & Development
 Engineers !  
• Teachers Fail their mistakes
• Lawyers Hang their mistakes
• Doctors Bury their mistakes
• Engineers Construct on their mistakes??
 Objectives

Objectives of ‘professional ethics and human values

(A) to understand the moral values that ought to guide the

engineering profession
(B) resolve the moral issues in the profession
(C) justify the moral judgment concerning the profession.
It is intended to develop a set of beliefs, attitudes, and habits
that engineers should display concerning morality
 PR 311- Professional Ethics
¾ Engineering - transforming science into useful products -
human comfort-profound effects on others
¾ Ethics in engineering-ability/responsibility-to judge
decisions -context of general wellbeing of the society
¾ Comprehensive ethics codes relevant to profession (ASME)
¾ Value based ethical codes to all engineering professions
¾ Teaching engineering ethics -through case studies
¾ Awareness interactively among engineering students of all
disciplines-impact of their future decisions on moral &
ethical grounds
 Case Studies
¾Organ trading by doctors
¾Financing of Vijay Mallya by banks
¾Lawyers protecting criminals
 
  Factors influencing  ethical standards in Engg. 
 ¾Engineering as an experimentation is a notable
factor involving far reaching consequence
¾Ethical dilemmas make engineering decisions
difficult to make
¾Risk and safety of citizens as a social responsibility
is a prime concern of an engineer
¾Technological advancement -very demanding on the
engineering skill in the global context
¾Moral values and responsible conduct to play
crucial role in decision making
 Uses of studying Engg. Ethics
¾ Helps to prepare professional lives of engineers
¾ Develop clarity in understanding & Thought about
ethical issues
¾ Develop skills in communication/ reasoning/ reflection
¾ Engage with other aspects engg. program -group work &
work placements
 Professional ethics
¾ Profession- commitment to occupation-virtue of being an
authority over a body of knowledge-with skills through
specialized training
¾ Professional – practitioner-belonging to specific profession
Professional ethics, (as opposed to personal values and
morality) set of ethical standards and values - practicing
engineer is required to follow
 Scope of engineering ethics
Envelopes diverse activities
¾ Engineering as a social experimentation
¾ Engineers responsibility for safety
¾ Role of engineers, managers, consultants etc.
¾ Rights of engineers
¾ Moral reasoning and ethical theories
¾ Responsibility to employers
¾ Global issues and concerns
 Teach engineering ethics by case studies
¾ Not just the disaster cases –Chernobyl Nuclear accident
¾ Kinds of cases – YOU engineers - more likely to encounter
¾ Narmada Valley – Koodankulam- CBM in T.Nadu
¾ Kolkatta –Howarah Bridge collapse
¾ If the subject of professional ethics is how members of a
profession should, or should not, affect others in the course of
practicing their profession, then
¾ Engineering ethics is an essential aspect of engineering itself and
education in professional responsibilities should be part of
professional education in engineering, just as it is in law and
medicine
 Professional Codes of Ethics
¾ Code is to protect professional
¾ From pressures ( eg.,- Pressure to cut corners to save
money)
¾ Making it reasonably likely (and more likely then otherwise)
¾ That other members of profession will not take advantage
¾ A code is a solution to coordination problem
¾ A professional has obligations (to employer /customers/
other professionals- colleagues ) with specific expectations
of reciprocity
 Individual Responsibility
¾ Individual in his professional capacity has responsibility for
the regular tasks
¾ Should have the capacity and moral strength to defend his
actions/decisions
¾ Individuals may fail due to:
9Failure to meet minimum appropriate standards
9Falling very much below expectations due to negligence
9Deliberate underperformance
 VALUES
¾ Humans have the unique ability to define their identity, choose their
values and establish their beliefs.
¾ All three of these directly influence a person’s behavior. People have
gone to great lengths to demonstrate the validity of their beliefs,
including war and sacrificing their own life!
¾ Conversely, people are not motivated to support or validate the beliefs
of another, when those beliefs are contrary to their own
¾ Value is defined as a principle that promotes well-being or prevents
harm.” Another definition is: values are our guidelines for our
success—our paradigm about what is acceptable.”
¾ Personal values are defined as: “emotional beliefs in principles
regarded as particularly favorable or important for the individual.” Our
values associate emotions to our experiences and guide our choices,
decisions and actions.
 Human values/ moral values/ and Ethics
¾ In order individuals/ organizations /societies to endure and
function effectively individual's positive exalting forces be
rediscovered and revitalized
¾ While laws are set of rules for personal /corporate behavior &
working against rules attract recrimination and punishment
¾ Morals on the other hand are standards for Personal behavior
¾ Ethics are a set of standards for professional behavior
¾ Morals and ethics are self imposed and voluntary when
broadly interpreted.
¾ As against morals and ethics, laws are norms, formally
approved by state, power or national or international political
bodies. Breaking the norms is called crime, and invite specific
punishment
 Evolution of Human Values
Human values evolve because of the following factors
¾ The impact of norms of the society on the fulfillment of the
individual’s needs or desires
¾ Developed or modified by one’s own awareness, choice, and
judgment in fulfilling the needs.
¾ By the teachings and practice of preceptors (gurus) or
saviors or religious leaders.
¾ Fostered or modified by social leaders, rulers of kingdom,
and by law (government).
 ETHICS
Refers to morals values & beliefs of individuals/ family/ society
¾ Basically it is an activity and process of inquiry
¾ Secondly, it is different from non-moral problems, when
dealing with issues and controversies.
¾ Thirdly, ethics refers to a particular set of beliefs, attitudes,
and habits of individuals or family or groups concerned with
morals.
¾ Fourth, it is used to mean ‘morally correct’.
 Integrity
¾ Integrity is defined as the unity of thought, word and deed
(honesty) and open mindedness
¾ Includes the capacity to communicate the factual information
so that others can make well-informed decisions
¾ Yields the person’s ‘peace of mind’, and hence adds strength
and consistency in character, decisions, and actions
¾ Moral integrity is defined as a virtue, which reflects a
consistency of one’s attitudes, emotions, and conduct in
relation to justified moral values
 Work ethic
¾ Work ethics is defined as a set of attitudes concerned with the
value of work, which forms the motivational orientation
¾ Work ethic is values based on hard work and diligence
¾ Belief is: in the moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance
character - work ethic includes being reliable/ having initiative/
or pursuing new skills
¾ Workers exhibiting good work ethic in theory should be
selected for better positions
¾ To provide fair value for wages the employer is paying
¾ Work ethic is not just hard work --set of accompanying virtues
¾ Sustaining of free markets
 Work ethic (contd…)
¾ Good work ethics includes a positive attitude with all work
projects, being prepared to go the extra mile to get things done
¾ Creating a work environment where great teamwork can flourish
and having the capacity to encourage the best performance
standards from your fellow workers.
¾ Industry and Society are the two systems which interact with
each other and are interdependent. Society requires industry/
business systems
¾ ‘Work ethics’ is aimed at ensuring the economy (get job, create
wealth, earn salary), productivity (wealth, profit), safety (in
workplace), health and hygiene (working conditions),privacy
(raise family), security (permanence against contractual, pension,
and retirement benefits),cultural and social development (leisure,
hobby, and happiness), welfare (social work), environment (anti-
pollution activities), and offer opportunities for all, according to
their abilities, but without discrimination.
 Criticism of work ethic
¾ Countercultural groups challenged these values in recent
decades, characterizing them as submissive to authority
and social convention
¾ Not valuable in and of themselves, but only if it brings a
positive result
¾ Marketed-to proportion of society-an alternative perspective
¾ "Alienation" of workers from ownership of the tools of
production and their work product was destructive of the
work ethic because, the workers saw no point in doing
more than the minimum
 Service learning-Non paid activity
¾ Strategy that integrates meaningful community service
¾ Teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities
¾ Young people—use what they learn in the classroom to solve real-life
problems-service during learning
¾ Not only learn practical applications of their studies, they become
actively contributing citizens and community members through the
service they perform-In India ?
¾ Students build character and become active participants as they work
with others in school /community to create service projects in areas –
education/ public safety/ environment
¾ Students build civic, leadership, and academic skills
¾ Benefits include improved academic achievement,
¾ Increased student engagement and civic skills, and stronger
communities
¾ Service is provided on voluntary basis to the public (have-nots in the
community), non-profitable institutions, and charitable organizations.
 Service learning-Non paid activity

¾ In the industrial scenario, adoption, study, and

development of public health or welfare or safety
system of a village or school is an example of service
learning by the employees.
¾ The engineering student analyzing and executing a
socially-relevant project is another example of service
learning.
¾ The service learning is a methodology falling under the
category of experiential education
 Civic virtue
¾ Virtues are positive and preferred values
¾ The virtuous person is the ethical person.
¾ Civic virtues are the moral duties and rights, as a citizen of
the village or the country or an integral part of the society
and environment
¾ Without an understanding of civic virtue, citizens are less
likely to look beyond their families, friends and economic
interests
¾ They are less likely to help others in the community, to
volunteer their time, to give to nonprofit organizations or to
participate in group activity that benefits society
¾ Related ideas for civic virtue are citizenship, philanthropy,
public good, voluntarism and social capital
¾ eg. Singapore
Civic virtue
 Civic virtue
¾ Civic Knowledge
9 Citizens must understand what Constitution says about how the
government is working, & what government is supposed to do &
what not to do-implies that the government requires participation
of enlightened citizens, to serve and survive
¾ Self-Restraint
9 For citizens to live in a free society with limited government each
citizen must be able to control or restrain himself; otherwise, we
would need a police state
¾ Self-Assertion
9 Citizens must be proud of their rights, and have courage to stand
up in public and defend their rights. Sometimes, a government may
usurp the very rights that it was created to protect. In such cases, it
is the right of the people to alter or abolish that government
¾ Self-Reliance
9 Only a strong self-reliant citizenry will be able to enjoy fully the
blessings of liberty
 Valuing Time
¾ First step in good time management is to understand the
value of your time
¾ How much your employer is paying for your time ?
¾ How much income you want to bring in after tax-if you are
working for yourself
¾ Working these figures back to an hourly rate- you get the
value of your time
¾ Knowing the value of your time, you should be able to find
what tasks are worthwhile to perform/ which tasks give a
poor return
 Respect for others
¾ This is a basic requirement for nurturing friendship, team
work, and for the synergy it promotes and sustains.
¾ Respect for others is based on self-respect
¾ Do unto others as you would have others do unto you
¾ Being polite & courteous person makes one a rare individual
in today's world
¾ Culture of rudeness-feature of modern society
¾ Loud cellphone conversations, line cutting/ terrible customer
service
¾ Easily find people who view politeness / good manners as
weakness
¾ Politeness and common courtesy- more likely to achieve
success, in business & in life, than selfish- bullying attitude
 Respect for others (contd…)

¾ Respect the other person- that respect will almost always be

reciprocated by other person
¾ Customers and clients-word of mouth advertising-from
satisfied customers-a powerful marketing tool
¾ Your business politeness will shine like beacon in darkness
¾ Polite and respectful actions are a sign of self confidence
¾ Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity
¾ Instead of taking their money and running, missing their
appointments-value their time and rights
¾ your polite actions will help you to stand out. You definitely
won't be seen as a doormat
 Respect for others (contd…)

¾ Huge difference between providing service and being

subservient. Service implies an equal respect for
yourself and others. Being subservient is based on a
lack of self respect, and has nothing to do with being
polite !!
 Peaceful living
¾ Peaceful living’ centers on ethical and sustainable application
of technologies which aim to provide basic needs of everyone
without compromising planet’s resources
Sustainability
¾ Meeting present ecological, societal, & economical needs
without compromising these factors for future generations
¾ Sustainable design encompasses the development of
appropriate technology-Sustainable development in turn is
the use of these technologies in infrastructure
¾ Homo Sapiens from apes came about through an increasing
and varied use of tools. Tool complexity eventually became
more and more complex, finally evolving into the myriad of
technologies we rely on today
 CARING
¾ Caring is feeling for others-process which exhibits the
interest in, and support for, the welfare of others with
fairness, impartiality and justice in all activities, among the
employees, in the context of professional ethics
¾ Caring is reflected in activities -friendship, membership in
social clubs and professional societies, and through various
transactions in the family, fraternity, community, country and
in international councils
¾ Caring for the environment (including the fauna and flora)
has become -a necessity for our very survival. If we do not
care for the environment, the environment will scare us
 SHARING
¾ Primarily, caring influences ‘sharing’. Sharing is a process
that describes the transfer of knowledge (teaching, learning,
and information), experience (training), commodities (material
possession) and facilities with others
¾ Transfer should be genuine, legal, positive, voluntary- without
any expectation in return. Proprietary information should not
be shared with outsiders
¾ Sharing is voluntary and it can not be driven by force, but
motivated successfully through ethical principles. In short,
sharing is ‘charity’
 SHARING (contd…)
¾ For the humanity, ‘sharing’ is a culture. The ‘happiness and
wealth’ are multiplied & the ‘crimes and sufferings’ reduced,
by sharing. It paves way for peace and obviates militancy.
¾ Philosophically, sharing maximizes happiness for all humans.
¾ In terms of psychology, the fear, divide, and distrust between
the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ disappear. Sharing not only paves
the way to prosperity, early and easily, and sustains it.
¾ Economically speaking, benefits are maximized as there is no
wastage or loss, and everybody gets one’s needs fulfilled and
satisfied. Commercially speaking, the profit is maximized.
¾ Technologically, the productivity and utilization maximized by
sharing
 SHARING Case study
The shouting...the screaming…the fighting. That was the breaking point for me as I
poured out my woes to my mother. “How can I get them to share as well as we did as
kids?”, I pleaded.
Laughter was her reply. “Well, thanks a lot, mom,” I said. “I’m sorry,” she chuckled,
“but you didn’t always share.” She went on to explain about the “Box of Misbehaved
Toys.” Every time we fought over a toy, she would quietly take that and put it into the
box. Yes, I did remember that box. I also remember it wasn’t always fair since one
person may have caused all the commotion. But my mother was consistent. No matter
what the reason for the struggle was, the toy disappeared into the box for one week. No
questions asked, and no chance of parole.
My siblings and I soon learned that sharing a toy was better than losing it. Often, one
person would decide to just wait for a time when no one else was playing with the toy,
rather than fight and lose it. It was not a perfect system, but I tried it anyway
That box was a shock to my kids and it was close to full, within a few days…..As the
weeks progressed, I noticed the box was emptier and the arguing was less. Today, I
heard quiet music to my ears as my son said to his sister, “That’s OK, you can play
with it.”
This story illustrates the worthy joy of sharing as compared to the pain of losing !!
 HONESTY
¾ Honesty is virtue-exhibited in Truthfulness & Trustworthiness
¾ Reliable engineering judgment, maintenance of truth,
defending truth, & communicating truth, only when it does
‘good’ to others,- some of the reflections of truthfulness.
¾ Trustworthiness is maintaining integrity /taking responsibility
for personal performance. People abide by law and live by
mutual trust. Play the right way to win, according to the laws
or rules (legally & morally). Build trust through reliability and
authenticity. Admit own mistakes and confront unethical
actions in others and take tough & principled stand, even if
unpopular.
 COURAGE
¾ Courage is the tendency to accept and face risks and difficult
tasks in rational ways. Self-confidence is basic requirement to
nurture courage.
¾ Physical courage/ Social courage/ Intellectual courage.
¾ physical courage, the thrust is on the adequacy of the physical strength, including the
muscle power and armaments.
¾ social courage involves the decisions and actions to change the order, based on the
conviction for or against certain social behaviors. Requires leadership abilities,
including empathy & sacrifice, to mobilize & motivate followers, for social cause.
¾ intellectual courage is inculcated in people through acquired knowledge, experience,
games, tactics, education, and training. In professional ethics, courage is applicable to
the employers, employees, public, & press.
¾ Look before you leap. One should perform Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and
Threat (SWOT) analysis. Calculate (estimate) the risks, compare with one’s strengths,
and anticipate the end results, while taking decisions and before getting into action.
Learning from the past helps. Past experience (one’s own or borrowed!) and wisdom
gained from self-study or others will prepare one to plan and act
 COURAGE
¾ The courageous people own and have shown the following
characteristics, in profession
¾ Perseverance (sustained hard work)
¾ Experimentation (preparedness to face the challenges, that is
unexpected or unintended results)
¾ Involvement (attitude, clear and firm resolve to act)
¾ Commitment (willing to get into action and to reach the
desired goals by any alternative but ethical means)
 Ethics of technology
¾ Sub-field of ethics-ethics involved in development of new
technology
¾ To invent and implement a technological innovation
¾ Technology extends or curtails the power of individuals –
how standard ethical questions -changed by new powers.
 Commitment and cooperation
¾ Commitment means acceptance of responsibilities and duties -
cooperation means help and assistance
¾ Work teams that are committed and cooperative are more likely
to achieve the goals the business
¾ Signals that indicate the team is committed and cooperating
9 Increasing quality, exceeding production targets, decreasing complaints
from team members, limited conflict between team members, fewer
workplace injuries
¾ Degrees of team involvement in decision making
¾ At highest level of involvement- team identifies & solves
problems, & brings recommendations to supervisor. At lowest
level of involvement -team plays no role in decision making at all.
Between two extremes -supervisor & team may make decision
together, or supervisor outlines the problem & constraints for
solving it (time, money, etc) -hand it over to team to solve.
 Commitment and cooperation

The more you should involve the team

¾ The greater the need for the team to accept your decisions
¾ More the problem or decision affects the team
¾ If the team will be implementing or carrying out the decision
¾ Ability and desire of the group to become involved
 Empathy
¾ Empathy is to mutually experience-experience of others
¾ Ability to understand another person’s circumstances, point
of view, thoughts, and feelings is empathy
¾ Experiencing empathy--someone else’s internal experiences
 Self-confidence
¾ Self-confidence relates to self-assuredness-sometimes
manifested excessively
¾ Being confident in yourself is infectious if you present well,
others will want to follow in your foot steps towards success
¾ Being properly rewarded is not in your control
¾ Self-esteem-connected to an individual's social network
9 What they hear about themselves from others
9 Linked to factors such as psychological health, mattering to others,
and both body image and physical health
¾ Low self-esteem has been associated with the outcomes of
depression, health problems, and antisocial behavior
¾ Individual's self-confidence can vary in different
environments, such as at home or in school
 Spirituality
¾ Concept of an ultimate-inner path enabling a person to
discover the essence of his/her being
¾ Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and
contemplation-intended to develop an individual's inner life
¾ Connected to a larger reality-with nature or the cosmos; or
with the divine realm
¾ Experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life.
¾ Transcendent nature of the world
¾ "spiritual“-"religious“
¾ Secular spirituality-humanistic ideas on moral character-love,
compassion,patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment,
responsibility, harmony
¾ Go beyond a purely materialist view-without necessarily
accepting belief in a supernatural reality or divine being
¾ Spiritual practices such as mindfulness and meditation can be
experienced as beneficial
¾ Spirituality in this context may be a matter of nurturing thoughts,
emotions, words and actions that are in harmony with a belief that
everything in the universe is mutually dependent
¾ Questions never give way to specific answers or give rise to
specific practices such as prayer or meditation
¾ Encounter spiritual issues every time we wonder where universe
comes from, why we are here, or what happens when we die
¾ We also become spiritual when we become moved by valuesthat
seem to reveal a meaning or power beyond our visible world
 Challenges in the work place-Character

¾ Work ethics: showing up to work every day (interest in work

and attendance)
¾ Showing up to work on time (punctuality)
¾ Taking pride in the quality of their work, commitment to the
job, and getting along with others.
¾ This situation demands inculcation of good character in the
workplace by employees
 Character
¾ Characteristic property that defines behavior of an individual
¾ Pattern of virtues (morally-desirable features)
¾ Attributes that determine a person’s moral & ethical actions
& responses-ground on which morals & values blossom
¾ Categories-ruthless, aggressiveness, ambition, selfishness,
stinginess, or cheerfulness, generosity & goodwill
¾ vary in the type of their character but also in the degree
¾ Those whose lives are determined/ directed by prevailing
habits, fashions, beliefs, attitudes, opinions & values of
society in which they live have at best a developed social
character as opposed to an individual character.
 Character
¾ Character is exhibited through conduct
¾ Many act and live within norms, refusing to fall below the
required social minimum, failing to rise above the maximum
expected of a normal member of the group.
¾ On one extreme are those that do not even conform to the
minimum standards, and fail to acquire the socially-
required behaviors, attitudes and values. These individuals
have an unformed social character.
¾ At the other extreme are those whose beliefs, attitudes and
values are determined internally by the strength of their
own convictions. These are individuals with developed
minds & formed characters of their own.
 Character
¾ Character is the expression of the personality of a human
being, and that it reveals itself in one’s conduct. In this sense
every human has a character. At the same time only human
beings, not animals have character: it implies rationality
¾ Psychology analyzes formation of different types of character,
and to classify them-
¾ Large quantity of acute observations on topic of character
still these contributions do not constitute a science
¾ Ancients recognized as temperament-have an organic basis
such as hormones seems certain-physiological explanation
¾ Original temperament is given to us independently of our will
by heredity
 Types of Character
¾ From the four fundamental temperaments
¾ -intellectual, the emotional, and the volitional or energetic --
or
¾ lively, slow, ardent, and well-balanced—
¾ or
¾ the sensitive (humble, contemplative and emotional)
¾ the active (great and the mediocre)
¾ the apathetic (purely apathetic or dull)
¾ the intelligent
 Education and Character
¾ The aim of education is not only the cultivation of the
intellect but also the formation of moral character.
¾ Increased intelligence or physical skill may as easily
be employed to the detriment or benefit of the
community, if not accompanied by improved will.
¾ It is the function of ethics to determine the ideals of
human character.
¾ The theory and science of education are to study the
processes by which that end may be attained.
 Education and Character
¾ The aim of education is not only the cultivation of the
intellect but also the formation of moral character.
¾ Increased intelligence or physical skill may as easily
be employed to the detriment or benefit of the
community, if not accompanied by improved will.
¾ It is the function of ethics to determine the ideals of
human character.
¾ The theory and science of education are to study the
processes by which that end may be attained.
 Engineering Ethics
¾Engineering ethics is the activity and discipline
aimed at
9 Understanding the moral values that ought to guide
engineering profession
9 Resolving moral issues in engineering
9 Justifying the moral judgments in engineering-deals with
set of moral problems and issues connected with
engineering
¾ Engineering ethics is defined by the codes and standards of
conduct endorsed by engineering (professional) societies
¾ Engineering is the largest profession and the decisions and
actions of engineers affect all of us in almost all areas of our
lives, namely public safety, health, and welfare
 Senses of engineering ethics
¾ Micro-ethics which deals with decisions and problems of
individuals/ professionals /companies.
¾ Macro-ethics which deals with the societal problems on a
regional/national level.
¾ Two different senses (meanings) of engg ethics- namely :
normative and the descriptive senses
¾ Normative sense include:
9 Knowing moral values, finding accurate solutions to moral
problems and justifying moral judgments in engineering practices
9 Study of decisions, policies, and values that are morally desirable
in the engineering practice and research
9 Using codes of ethics and standards and applying them in their
transactions by engineers.
¾ Descriptive sense refers to what specific individual or group
of engineers believe and act
 Variety of moral issues
¾Why do people behave unethically?-Classified into 3
categories
¾ Resource crunch
9 Due to pressure, through time limits, availability of money/
budgetary constraints,& technology decay/ obsolescence-
lead to manipulation & unsafe /unethical execution
¾ Opportunity
9 Double standards or behavior of the employers towards the
employees and the public-Enron (in USA as well as India)
9 Management projecting their own interests more without
focus on empowerment and improvement
 Variety of moral issues contd..

9 Emphasis on results and gains at the expense of employees

9 Management by objectives, without focus on empowerment and
improvement
¾ Attitude
9 Poor attitude of the employees set in due to
9 Low morale of employees because of dissatisfaction/ downsizing
9 Absence of grievance re-dressal mechanism
9 Lack of promotion /career development policies/denied promotions
9 Lack of transparency
9 Absence of recognition and reward system
9 Poor working environments
 Types of inquiries
¾ Three types of inquiries, in solving ethical problems :
normative, conceptual, and factual or descriptive inquiry
¾ Normative inquiry- identify and justify the morally-desirable
norms or standards-Normative questions are about what is
good, based on moral values
9 How far does the obligation of engineers to protect public safety
extend in any given situation?
9 When, if ever, should engineers be expected to blow whistle on
dangerous practices of their employers?
9 Whose values ought to be primary in making judgment about
acceptable risks in design for a public transport system or a nuclear
plant? Is it of management, senior engineers, government, voters or
all of them?
9 Is the government justified in interfering with the organizations?
9 What are the reasons on which the engineers show their obligations
to their employees or clients or the public?
 Conceptual Inquiry
¾ Clarify the meaning of concepts /ideas / principles that are
expressed by words or by questions and statements. For eg.,
9 What is meant by safety?
9 How is it related to risk?
9 What is a bribe?
9 What is a profession?
¾ Normative and conceptual issues are closely interconnected
 Factual or Descriptive Inquiry
¾ It is aimed to obtain facts needed for understanding and
resolving value issues -for eg.,
9 How were the benefits assessed?
9 What are procedures followed in risk assessment?
9 What are short-term and long-term effects of drinking water being
polluted? and
9 Who conducted the tests on materials?
 Moral dilemma
¾ Dilemmas are situations in which moral reasons come into
conflict -one is not clear of the immediate choice/ solutions
¾ Moral reasons -rights, duties, goods or obligations
¾ Indicate the presence of moral complexity
9 Eg., Person promised to meet friend and dine, but his uncle is
involved in an accident suddenly—has to fix priority
¾ The three complex situations leading to moral dilemmas-
Vagueness, Conflicting reasons, Disagreement
9 Unable to distinguish between good and bad-Refuse bribe or accept
the gift, and maintain confidentiality-Vagueness
9 Unable to fix priority between two good moral solutions-Conflicting
reasons
9 Two or more solutions and none of them mandatory-Disagreement
 Steps to Solve Dilemma- logical
¾ Identification of the moral factors and reasons-professional
codes of ethics for interpretation -talking with colleagues
who can focus /narrow down
¾ Collection of all information, data, and facts (factual inquiry)
¾ Rank the moral options i.e., priority in application-prime
importance to public safety and protection of environment,
as compared to individuals /employers-(conceptual inquiry)
¾ Generate alternate courses of action-decision tree
¾ Decide upon a final course of action
 Moral autonomy
¾ Defined as, decisions and actions exercised on the basis of moral
concern for other people and recognition of good moral reasons-
self determinant or independent-defined as a skill and habit of
thinking rationally about the ethical issues
¾ Management views profitability is more important than consistent
quality & retention of customers that discourage moral autonomy-
engineers compelled to seek support from professional societies
and outside organizations
¾ Engineering skills related to moral autonomy
¾ Recognizing moral problems in engg & ability to distinguish as
well as relate them to problems in law/ economics/ religion
¾ Autonomy which is the independence in making decisions and
actions, is different from authority- Moral autonomy and respect
for authority can coexist. They are not against each other
 Moral development- Kohlberg theory
¾ Suggested -three levels of moral development, namely pre-
conventional, conventional, and post-conventional
¾ Pre-conventional level-individuals motivated by obedience/
desire to avoid punishment/satisfy their own needs /by the
influence by power on them-young children
¾ Conventional level- people respect law & authority-standard
of morality by society-meet the expectations of society,
rather than self interest –loyalty-Many adults do not go
beyond this level
¾ Post-conventional level-called autonomous-no self-interest-
principled conscience
¾ Kohlberg believed-progress occurs one stage at a time-
development occurs through social interactions
 Gilligan’s Theory
¾ Kohlberg’s theory -strong male bias. According to gilligan -
men had tendency to solve problems by applying abstract
moral principles-resolve moral dilemma by choosing most
important moral rule, overriding other rules-ethics of rules
and rights adopted by men
¾ Women gave importance to personal relationships-called
ethics of care-as stages of growth towards ethics of caring
¾ pre-conventional level-viewed as what is good for oneself
¾ second level -conventional level-importance is on not hurting
others/willing to sacrifice one’s own interest /help others -
characteristic feature of women
¾ post-conventional level-balance own need & needs of others-
is aimed while maintaining relationship based on mutual
caring-achieved by context-oriented reasoning
 Heinz’s dilemma
¾ The difference in these two theories is explained through the well-known
example, Heinz’s dilemma. Heinz being poor and a debtor could not buy
the costly medicine for his sick wife, at ten times the normal cost. Initially
he begged the Pharmacist to sell at half the price or allow him to pay for it
later. Pharmacist refused to oblige him either way. Finally he forcibly
entered the Pharmacy and stole the drug.
¾ According to Kohlberg study, men observed that the theft was morally
‘wrong’ at the conventional level, because the property right was violated.
But men at the post-conventional level, concluded that the theft was
‘right’, as the life of the human being was in danger.
¾ But women observed that Heinz was wrong. They observed that instead of
stealing he could have tried other solutions (threatening or payment in
installments?) to convince the Pharmacist.
¾ Gilligan however attributed the decision by women as context-oriented
and not on the basis of rules ranked in the order of priority.
 Consensus and Controversy
¾ Consensus means agreement and Controversy means
conflict or disagreement
¾ In exercising moral autonomy, one is not likely to obtain the
same results as by others. This situation is likely to end in a
controversy. In this case, good amount of tolerance among
the individuals who are autonomous, reasonable and
responsible is necessary. This does not mean forcing the
engineers to reach unique moral solutions. Many reasonable
solutions are possible to a given ethical problem.
¾ The ethics make the engineers realize the importance of
tolerance among them, in case of disagreement while
applying moral autonomy.
 Profession
¾ Profession -defined -any occupation/job/vocation that requires
advanced expertise /self-regulation/ concerted service to the
public good
¾ Advanced expertise: professions require sophisticated skills (do-
how) and theoretical knowledge (know-how & why). Formal
education/training/ continuing education/ updating
¾ Self regulation: Professional societies play role in setting
standards for admission to profession, drafting codes of ethics,
enforcing standards of conduct, & representing profession with
public & government
¾ Public good-by concerted efforts to maintain ethical standards. -
physician promotes health/ lawyer protects the legal rights/
engineer provides product or project for use by public towards
their health, welfare, and safety. Teaching is also claimed as a
profession as it helps shaping and training the minds of students,
young as well as old
 Professional-Models of professional roles
¾ Term professional means a 'person' as well as a 'status’
¾ Professionalism: the status of a professional which implies
certain attitudes/ typical qualities that are expected of a
professional.
¾ Savior-save society from poverty, illiteracy, wastage, inefficiency,
ill health, human (labor) dignity and lead it to prosperity, through
technological development & social planning --R.L. Stevenson.
¾ Guardian--guards the interests of poor and general public. As one
who is conversant with technology development, is given the
authority befitting his expertise to determine what is best suited
to the society- Lawrence of Arabia
¾ Bureaucratic Servant--He serves organization and the employers.
The management of an enterprise fixes its goals and assigns the
job of problem solving to the engineer, who accepts challenge
and shapes them into concrete achievements- Jamshedji Tata
 Professional-Models of professional roles
¾ Social Servant- one who exhibits social responsibility. The
engineer translates interest and aspirations of the society
into a reality, remembering that his true master is the society
at large. –Sir M.Viswesvarayya
¾ Social Enabler and Catalyst--One who changes the society
through technology. Social enabler and a catalyst for further
growth. -Sri Sundarlal Bahuguna
¾ Game Player--He is neither a servant nor master, He plays a
unique role successfully within the organization, enjoying
the excitement of the profession and having the satisfaction
of surging ahead in a competitive world. -Narayanamurthy,
Infosys and Dr. Kasthurirangan, ISRO
 Theories about right action (Uses of ethical theories)
The ethical theories are useful in many respects
¾ In understanding moral dilemma. They provide clarity,
consistency, systematic and comprehensive understanding.
¾ It provides helpful practical guidance in moral issues
towards the solution.
¾ Justifying professional obligations and decisions
¾ In relating ordinary and professional morality.
¾ For example, if an ethical theory says that it is all right for
engineers to make explosive devices without the informed
consent of the public, we can conclude that the theory is
inadequate
 Utilitarian Theory
¾ Utilitarianism was conceived to determine which laws were
morally best-courses of action-who will be affected by each
action and what benefits or harms will be derived
¾ Choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and
the least harm. The ethical action is the one that provides the
greatest good for the greatest number
¾ Act utilitarian theory proposed by J.S. Mill (1806-73) focuses
on actions, rather than on general rules.
¾ Rule utilitarian theory, developed by Richard Brandt (1910-
97)-maximizes the public good.
 Case Study-Utilitarian Theory
¾ For eg., stealing an old computer from the employer will
benefit the employee more than the loss to the employer. As
per Act utilitarian this action is right.
¾ But rule utilitarian observes this as wrong, because the
employee should act as ‘faithful agent or trustee of the
employees’.
¾ In another example, some undisciplined engineers are
terminated with the blame for the mistakes they have not
committed.
¾ The process is unfair although this results in promotion of
overall good
 Duty Ethics Theory
¾ Duty Ethics Theory by Immanuel Kant
¾ Actions are consequences of performance of one’s duties such as,
‘being honest’, ‘not cause suffering of others’, ‘being fair to others
including the meek and week’, ‘being grateful’, ‘keeping promises’ etc.
The stress is on the universal principle of respect for autonomy i.e.,
respect and rationality
¾ Duty ethics theory by John Rawl- two basic moral principles
1) each person is entitled to the most extensive amount of liberty
compatible with an equal amount for others
(2) differences in social power and economic benefits are justified only
when they are likely to benefit every one, including members of the
most disadvantaged groups
¾ Allow some people with great wealth and power is justified only when
all other groups are benefited. In the business scenario, for example,
the free enterprise is permissible so far it provides the capital needed to
invest and prosper, thereby making job opportunities to the public and
taxes to fund the government spending on the welfare schemes on the
poor people.
 Duty Ethics Theory
¾ C.W.D. Ross, introduced the term prima facie duties-which
means duties might have justified exceptions
¾ Ross assumed that the prima facie duties are intuitively
obvious (self-evident)
¾ the principles such as ‘Do not kill’ and ‘protect innocent life’
involve high respect for persons than other principles such
as, ‘Do not lie’ (less harmful).
¾ This theory is criticized on the fact, that the intuitions do not
provide sufficient guideline for moral duty.
 Rights Theory
¾ RIGHTS approach to ethics-philosopher Immanuel Kant
¾ focused on the individual’s right to choose for oneself
¾ What makes human beings different from mere things is, that
people have dignity based on their ability to choose freely
what they will do with their lives, and they have a fundamental
moral right to have these choices
¾ Other Rights are: right to access the truth/ right of privacy/
right not to be injured/ right to what is agreed ( by contract)
¾ John Locke-three basic human rights, namely life, liberty,and
property-His views were reflected in the modern American
society, when Jefferson declared the basic rights as life,
liberty, and pursuit of happiness
 Human rights
¾ Liberty rights-the four features of liberty rights (also called
moral rights), which lay the base for government
administration, are:
¾ Rights are natural in so far as they are not invented or
created by government.
¾ They are universal, as they do not change from country to
country.
¾ They are equal since the rights are the same for all people,
irrespective of caste, race, creed or sex.
¾ They are inalienable i.e., One cannot hand over his rights to
another person such as selling oneself to slavery.
 Economic rights
¾ The consumers’ six basic rights are: Right to Information,
Right to Safety, Right to Choice, Right to be Heard, Right to
Re-dressal, and Right to Consumer Education.
¾ Thus, we see that the rights ethics provides a powerful
foundation for the special ethical requirements in
engineering and other professions
 The Virtue Theory
¾ Emphasizes on the character rather than the rights or duties
¾ Theory advocated by aristotle
¾ Act at proper balance between extremes of conduct /emotion
desire, attitudes to find the golden mean between the
extremes of ‘excess’ or ‘deficiency
The Virtue Theory
 Self-interest
¾ It is very ethical to possess self-interest-as duties to
ourselves-Right ethicist stresses our rights to pursue our
own good-Virtue ethics also accepts self-respect as link to
social practices-However this self interest should not
degenerate into egoism or selfishness
¾ We are also interdependent, as much as independent-
compatible with caring for ourselves as well as others.
¾ Self-interest is necessary initially to begin with. But it should
be one of the prime motives for action; the other motive is to
show concern for others, in the family as well as society.
One’s self-interest should not harm others
¾ ‘Live and let (others) live’, and ‘reasonably fair competition’
are recommended to professionals by the ethicists
 Customs
¾ Ethical Pluralism: Various cultures-tolerance for various customs
¾ Accordingly ethical pluralism also exists-It means that even
reasonable people will not agree on all moral issues and
professional ethics.
¾ Ethical Relativism: According to this principle, actions are
considered morally right when approved by law or custom, and
wrong when they violate the laws or customs. The deciding factor
is the law or the customs of the society
¾ Laws appear to be objective ways for judging values-but not
always-Apartheid laws of South Africa violated the human rights of
the native Africans
¾ the values are subjective at the cultural level-also vary from
culture to culture-relative morality accepted-the virtue of tolerance
of differences among societies
¾ Moral relationalism or moral contextualism-early
anthropologists over-stress the scope of moral difference
between cultures. The human sacrifices and cannibalism
were accepted
¾ safety against needless death-the pharaohs buried the live
attendants along with their dead king with the belief that they
would continue to serve the king in his after life
 Religion
¾ Religions have played major roles in shaping moral views and
moral values-strong psychological link between moral & religious
beliefs-religions support moral responsibility
¾ Religions insist on tolerance and moral concern for others-
professionals who possess religious beliefs are motivated to be
morally responsible
¾ Hinduism-virtues of devotion and surrender to high order
¾ Christianity-emphasizes on virtues of love, faith, and hope
¾ Buddhism-compassion-islam on one deity and adherence of ishan
(piety or pursuit of excellence) and prayer
¾ Many religious sects do not recognize equal rights for women
¾ People are killed in the name of or to promote religion. Thus,
¾ Conflicts exist between the ‘secular’ and religious people and
between one religion and another. Hence, religious views have to
be morally scrutinized