Ethics: Concepts and Branches

Defining Ethics

• The word "ethics" originates from the Greek word "ethos" (character) and the Latin word "mores" (customs).
• In law, ethics defines how individuals interact with each other.
• In philosophy, ethics defines what is good for individuals and society, establishing duties people owe themselves and one another.

Branches of Ethics

Normative Ethics

• Normative ethics examines how people should act and the moral standards they should follow. It sets the criteria for right and wrong.

Deontology

• Deontology focuses on duties and rules, emphasizing actions' inherent rightness or wrongness, regardless of consequences.
• Example: Telling the truth is always right, even if it has unfavorable outcomes.
• Prominent figures in deontology include Immanuel Kant.

Consequentialism

• Consequentialism judges actions based on their outcomes.
• An action is morally right if it leads to ideal outcomes or the greatest overall good.

Virtue Ethics

• Virtue ethics emphasizes moral character and virtues.
• Actions are morally right if executed by a virtuous person, adhering to positive character traits like courage, honesty, compassion, and wisdom.

Meta-Ethics

• Meta-ethics investigates the nature, scope, and meaning of ethical terms, concepts, and principles.
• It analyzes the foundations of ethical theories and the essence of morality.

Moral Realism vs. Anti-Realism

• Moral Realism posits that objective moral facts exist independently of human beliefs.
• Anti-Realism argues that moral values aren't objective truths but are instead derived from human constructs like preferences, cultural norms, or social agreements.

Moral Cognitivism vs. Non-Cognitivism

• Moral Cognitivism assumes that moral statements (e.g., "lying is wrong") are propositions that can be either true or false.
• Moral Non-Cognitivism asserts that moral statements aren't propositions with truth values but instead express emotions, commands, or attitudes.

Moral Naturalism vs. Non-Naturalism

• Moral Naturalism suggests that moral properties, like "goodness," are natural properties observable and studied similarly to other scientific phenomena.
• Moral Non-Naturalism proposes that moral properties aren't natural and can't be reduced to natural elements or empirically observed.

Applied Ethics

Bioethics

• Bioethics examines ethical issues related to healthcare, medicine, and biological sciences.
• It analyzes the moral implications of medical practices, healthcare policies, and biomedical research, aligning scientific advancements with moral values.

Environmental Ethics

• Environmental ethics considers ethical responsibilities toward the environment.
• It explores how human actions impact the environment and the ethical considerations involved in protecting and preserving natural resources, ecosystems, and non-human life.

Business Ethics

• Business ethics applies ethical principles to commercial activities and industries
• It ensures fairness, justice, and respect for stakeholders within business operations.

Legal Ethics

• Legal ethics guides legal professionals' moral conduct.
• It involves duties to clients, courts, and the public and promotes professional standards in the legal profession.

Importance of Ethics to Civil Engineers (CEs)

• Public Safety and Welfare: CEs are accountable for designing and building infrastructure critical to daily life (bridges, roads, etc), thus rigorous standards and practices are essential to prevent accidents, deaths and damage.
• Trust and Reputation: Ethical conduct builds public trust among stakeholders.
• Environmental Stewardship: Ethical CEs consider long term environmental impacts in their decision-making
• Compliance with Laws and Regulations: CEs must adhere to local, national and international laws and regulations, regardless of cost or expediency
• Professional Responsibility and Accountability: Ethical guidelines assist CEs in understanding their responsibilities to clients, employers and the public.
• Prevention of Corruption and Conflicts of Interest: Engineers need ethical frameworks to deal honestly and fairly with financial implications which can lead to conflicts of interest.