PE201IU  When confronted by an ethical problem, what

Engineering Ethics and Professional resources are available to an engineer to help find a
solution?
Skills (3 credits)
 One of the hallmarks of modern professions are
codes of ethics promulgated (issued) by various
Moral choices and professional societies. These codes serve to guide
codes of ethics practitioners of the profession in making decisions
about how to conduct themselves and how to resolve
ethical issues that might confront (face) them.

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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas Ethical (or moral) dilemmas are situations in which
3.2 Codes of ethics  moral reasons come into conflict,
 or the applications of moral values are unclear,
 and it is not immediately obvious what should be
done.

moral dilemmas  the most difficult occasions for

moral reasoning  but a relatively small percentage
of moral choices.

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 Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Case study of aluminum beverage cans:
The first aluminum cans were opened with a separate
opener  The need for separate openers also caused
inconvenience.
 a design for a small lever that was attached to the can
but which was removed as the can opened.
 billions of discarded pull tabs causing pollution, foot
injuries, and harm to fish and infants who ingested
them  dilemma was what to do to balance usefulness
to consumers with protection of the environment.
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
 The development of aluminum cans can be understood
as a series of routine moral choices interspersed with
occasional moral dilemmas.
 Moral values entered implicitly into the decision-making
process of engineers and their managers—decisions
that probably appeared to be purely technical or
purely economic.
 This appearance is misleading, for the technical and
economic decisions had moral dimensions in four
general directions: safety, environmental protection,
consumer usefulness, and economic benefits.
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Case study of aluminum beverage cans:
In 1976, Daniel F. Cudzik invented a simple, stay-
attached opener of the sort familiar today.
Once again, minor design improvements came as
problems were identified  people with arthritic fingers or
long and breakable fingernails have difficulty using the
current openers
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
3.1.1 Human safety is rooted directly in the moral worth
of human beings
 Some aspects of safety seem minor—slight cuts to lips
and noses from poorly designed openers and minor
injuries.
 But minor injuries might cause infections, and even by
themselves they have some moral significance.
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 Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
3.1.2 Environmental protection
 Many of these values overlap with the first set
“safety”.
Ex: Billions of detached can openers raised the level of
hazards to people walking with bare feet.
 injuries to wildlife might be understood as direct moral
harms to creatures recognized as having inherent
worth, or instead as indirect harms to human beings.
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
3.1.4 Economic benefits.
 To stakeholders in the corporation have moral
implications.
 Money matters, and it matters morally. Jobs provide
the livelihood for workers and their families that make
possible the material goods that contribute to
happiness—and survival
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
3.1.3 Consumer usefulness
 We tend to think of such matters as nonmoral,
especially with regard to trivial things such as sipping a
carbonated beverage with a pleasing taste.
 But there are moral connections, however indirect or
minor.
Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia
Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Steps in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
 Step 1: Moral clarity
 Step 2: Conceptual clarity
 Step 3: Informed about the facts
 Step 4: Informed about the options
 Step 5: Well-reasoned
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 Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Steps in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Step 1: Moral clarity: Identify the relevant moral values.
The most basic step in confronting ethical dilemmas is to
become aware of them!
 This means identifying the moral values and reasons
applicable in the situation and bearing them in mind
as further investigations are made.
 These values and reasons might be obligations,
rights, goods, ideals (which might be desirable but
not mandatory), or other moral considerations  the
most useful resource in identifying ethical dilemmas in
engineering are professional codes of ethics
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Steps in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Step 3: Informed about the facts: Obtain relevant
information.
 This means gathering information that is pertinent
(appropriate) in light of the applicable moral values
(as identified in step 1). Sometimes the primary
difficulty in resolving moral dilemmas is uncertainty
about the facts, rather than conflicting values per se
(itself).
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Steps in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Step 2: Conceptual clarity: Be clear about key
concepts.
 Professionalism requires being a faithful agent of one’s
employer, but does that mean doing what one’s
supervisor directs or doing what is good for the
corporation in the long run? These might be different
things, in particular when one’s supervisor is adopting
a short-term view that could harm the long-term
interests of the corporation.
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Steps in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Step 4: Informed about the options: Consider all
(realistic) options.
 Initially, ethical dilemmas seem to force us into a two-
way choice:
 Do this or do that.
 Either bow to a supervisor’s orders or blow the
whistle to the town authorities.
 A closer look often reveals additional options.
(Sometimes writing down the main options and sub-
options as a matrix or decision tree ensures that all
16 options are considered.)
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 Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Steps in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Step 5: Well-reasoned: Make a reasonable decision.
 Arrive at a carefully reasoned judgment by weighing
all the relevant moral reasons and facts.
 This is not a mechanical process that a computer or
algorithm might do for us. Instead, it is a deliberation
aimed at integrating all the relevant reasons, facts,
and values—in a morally reasonable manner.
 If there is no ideal solution, as is often the case, we
seek a satisfactory one, what Herbert Simon dubbed
“satisficing.”
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Right-Wrong or Better-Worse? ethical dilemmas can be
divided into two broad categories.
 Some dilemmas have two or more reasonable
solutions, no one of which is mandatory, but one of
which should be chosen ? might be better or worse
than others in some respects but not necessarily in all
respects.
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Right-Wrong or Better-Worse? ethical dilemmas can be
divided into two broad categories.
 Many dilemmas have solutions that are either right or
wrong  obligatory/ unethical (immoral).
 In most instances a code of ethics specifies what is
clearly required:
 Obey the law and heed (lưu ý) engineering
standards,
 do not offer or accept bribes,
 speak and write truthfully,
 maintain confidentiality,
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Moral Decision Making as Design? five aspects of
engineering decisions.
1. There are alternative solutions to design problems,
more than one of which is satisfactory or
“satisfices.”
2. Multiple moral factors are involved, and among the
satisfactory solutions for design problems, one
solution is typically better in some respects and less
satisfactory in other respects when compared with
alternative solutions.
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 Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
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3.1 Moral choices and Ethical dilemmas
Moral Decision Making as Design? five aspects of
engineering decisions.
3. Some design solutions are clearly unacceptable.
Designs of the child seat that violate the applicable laws
or impose unnecessary hazards on infants are ruled
out.
4. Engineering design often involves uncertainties and
ambiguities, not only about what is possible and how
to achieve it, but also about the specific problems that
will arise as solutions are developed.
5. Design problems are dynamic. In the real world the
design of the child seat would go through much
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iteration
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.2 Codes of ethics
3.2.2 Roles of Codes of ethics:
1. Serving and protecting the public.
2. Guidance.
3. Inspiration.
4. Shared standards.
5. Support for responsible professionals.
6. Education and mutual understanding.
7. Support for responsible professionals.
8. Contributing to the profession’s image.
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.2 Codes of ethics
3.2.1 Definition
 Codes of ethics state the moral responsibilities of
engineers as seen by the profession and as
represented by a professional society.
 Expressing profession’s collective commitment to
ethics  codes are enormously important, not only in
stressing engineers’ responsibilities but also in
supporting the freedom needed to meet them
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.2 Codes of ethics
3.2.2 Roles of Codes of ethics:
1. Serving and protecting the public. Engineering
involves advanced expertise that professionals have
and the public lacks, and also considerable dangers to
a vulnerable public.  a commitment by the
profession as a whole that engineers will serve the
public health, safety, and welfare.
2. Guidance. Codes provide helpful guidance by
articulating the main obligations of engineers  they
identify primary responsibilities. More specific
directions may be given in supplementary statements
or guidelines, which tell how to apply the code.
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 Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.2 Codes of ethics
3.2.2 Roles of Codes of ethics (cont.):
3. Inspiration. Because codes express a profession’s
collective commitment to ethics, they provide a
positive stimulus (motivation) for ethical conduct.
Although this paramount ideal is somewhat vague, it
expresses a collective commitment to the public good
that inspires individuals to have similar aspirations.
4. Shared standards. The diversity of moral
viewpoints among individual engineers makes it
essential that professions establish explicit standards,
in particular minimum (but hopefully high) standards
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.2 Codes of ethics
3.2.2 Roles of Codes of ethics (cont.):
7. Codes give deterrence (ngăn chặn) and discipline.
Codes can also serve as the formal basis for
investigating unethical conduct. Where such
investigation is possible, a deterrent for immoral
behavior is thereby provided.
8. Contributing to the profession’s image. Codes can
present a positive image to the public of an
ethically committed profession. Where warranted,
the image can help engineers more effectively serve
the public.
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.2 Codes of ethics
3.2.2 Roles of Codes of ethics (cont.):
5. Support for responsible professionals. Codes give
positive support to professionals seeking to act
ethically. A publicly proclaimed code allows an
engineer, under pressure to act unethically, to say: “I
am bound by the code of ethics of my profession,
which states that . . .” This by itself gives engineers
some group backing in taking stands on moral issues.
6. Education and mutual understanding. Codes can
be used by professional societies and in the
classroom to prompt discussion and reflection on
moral issues.
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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics
3.2 Codes of ethics
3.2.3 Limitations of Codes of ethics:
 Codes are no substitute for individual responsibility
in grappling with concrete dilemmas. Most codes are
restricted to general wording, and hence inevitably
contain substantial areas of vagueness.  they may
not be able to straightforwardly address all situations.
 Different entries in codes come into conflict with
each other. Usually, codes provide little guidance as
to which entry should have priority in those cases.
 Despite their authority in guiding professional conduct,
codes are not always the complete and final word.
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 Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of
ethics ethics

3.2 Codes of ethics 3.2 Codes of ethics

3.2.4 Ethical Relativism (thuyết tương đối) 3.2.4 Ethical Relativism (cont.)
 Does a profession’s code of ethics create the  Moral values are entirely relative to and reducible
obligations that are incumbent (phận sự) on members (hướng về) to customs—to the conventions, laws, and
of the profession, so that engineers’ obligations are norms of the group to which one belongs
entirely relative to their code of ethics?
 Or does the code simply record the obligations that
already exist?

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Chapter 3: Moral choices and codes of

ethics

3.2 Codes of ethics

3.2 5 Justification of Codes
A professional code will stand up to three tests:
1. It will be clear and coherent;
2. It will organize basic moral values applicable to the
profession in a systematic and comprehensive way,
highlighting what is most important;
3. It will provide helpful and reasonable guidance that
is compatible with our most carefully considered moral
convictions (judgments, intuitions) about concrete
situations.  it will be widely accepted within the
profession.
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