UNDERSTANDING

ETHICAL
PROBLEMS
Can you define Ethical Problems?

– Issues or problems that arise during on an

on-going project, technological products,
processes, and services. Mostly is concern
with respect to technology has often
focused on the user phase.
Dimensions of Ethical Problems:

– Engineering Profession
– Society
– Economic
– Environment
Ethical Thought

– The moral and ethical theories that will be

applied in engineering ethics are derived
from a Western cultural tradition.
– This thoughts or ideas originated in the
Middle East and Europe.
Western Moral Thought

– Derived from both the thinking of the ancient Greeks and

from ancient religious thinking and writing, starting with
Judaism and its foundations
Written sources of the Jewish moral traditions:
– Torah
– Old Testament of the Bible
Greek Ethical Thought

– Originated with the famous Greek philosophers

such as Socrates and Aristotle
– Greek philosophic ideas were melded together
with early Christian and Jewish thought and were
spread throughout Europe and Middle East.
Ethical Theories

– These are attempts to provide clear, unified account of

what our ethical obligations are.
– Different Ethical theories:
Utilitarian Ethics
Duty-based Ethics
Right-based Ethics
Virtue Ethics
Utilitarian Ethics

– Also known as Utilitarianism, proposed by John Stuart Mill.

– According to this theory “the happiness or pleasure of a
greatest number of people in the society is considered as the
greatest good”.
– Two basic types of Utilitarianism:
(1) Act Utilitarianism
(2) Rule Utilitarianism
1. Act Utilitarianism

– A moral theory interested only in an action's impact when judging if

that action was good or bad.
– Example Scenario:
Suppose that a person is given a book as a birthday present and
when they are done reading it, a friend asks to borrow it. The
person does not want to lend out their book because they do not
want it to be damaged, but they also do not want to be rude to
their friend. What should that person do as an act utilitarian? Why?
2. Rule Utilitarianism

– A moral theory interested in the goodness or badness of the moral rule that
the action follows.
– Example Scenario:
Suppose that a person promises a coworker they will finish the first half
of a project by Monday, so the coworker can finish the second half on
Tuesday. However, when Monday arrives, the person still has a lot of work
left to do on the first half. They can either focus on the project and make
sure it gets done on time, or they can prioritize other tasks and not finish
the project for a few days even if they know their coworker is relying on
them to keep their promise.
Duty-based Ethics

– Also known as Deontological ethics, proposed by

Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804)
– According to this theory, every person has a duty to
follow, which is accepted universally, without exemption.
– These said duties should be performed regardless of
whether these acts lead to the most good.
Right-based Ethics

– Proposed by John Locke (1632 – 1704)

– According to this theory, the solution to a
problem is by realizing that every person has a
rights.
Virtue Ethics

– Interested in determining what kind of people we should

be Virtue – moral distinction and goodness
– Focuses on words such as responsibility, honesty,
competence, and loyalty which virtues.
Application and In-depth Understanding of
Ethical Theories in Engineering

– Cost-Benefit Analysis
• This tool often used to determine whether a project makes sense.
• In Cost-Benefit Analysis, the costs of a projects are assessed, as are
the benefits.
– Personal vs. Corporate Morality
• If a corporation has no moral agency, then it cannot be held
accountable for its actions, although sometimes individuals within a
company can be held accountable.
Non-Western Ethical Thinking

– It is tempting to think that is ethical theories that have been described

here are applicable only in business relation's with cultures that share
our western ethical conditions.
– Ethical Principles:
Chinese Ethical Traditions
Indian Ethics
Muslim Ethics
Buddhist Ethics
Chinese Ethical Traditions

– Originates with the writings of Kongzi. Confucius written

works reflect a practical rather than a theoretical
approach to moral problems. Confucian ethics
emphasizes the importance of balancing individual rights
with the needs of the larger community, often expressed
through a sense of mutual respect.
Indian Ethics

– Indian philosophy and ethics are made with very difficult

by the diversity and richness of the various philosophical
background. Indian ethical philosophy has freedom from
malice; and excessive pride, anger, harshness and
ignorance.
Muslim Ethics

– Early Muslim philosophers who formulated the

foundation of Muslim ethical thinking were influenced by
the early guests philosophers, such as Aristotle, whose
works translated to Arabic and were available throughout
what is now known as Middle East.
Buddhist Ethics

Buddhism has its origins between 6th and 4th centuries B.C.E in
India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama also known
as Buddha. Buddhist teachings come down to us through various ancient
religious and philosophical writings in Sanskrit, and through subsequent
interpretations and through these ancient works, Buddhism was very
influential outside of China and is dominant religious traditions in
nations of the far east such as Japan, China, Tibet, Korea, Vietnam, and
Cambodia. In India, Buddhism is less widely practiced today than other
religious traditions such as Hinduism.
Engineering Codes of Ethics in
Non-Western Countries
– The concept of a formal code of ethics is a Western creation designed to serve the
needs of professional communities.
– Engineers around the world have recognized the value of codes of ethics in
expressing shared values and ideas on engineering practice
– Many of the codes of ethics for engineering professional practice borrow heavily
and sometimes even use the exact wording of the codes of ethics of the U.S.
engineering societies
– Some of the engineering societies such as the IEEE already have an international
reach and their code of ethics is widely recognized and adhered to by electrical
engineers worldwide.