Engineering Ethics: Engineering Profession Practice PDF

🞂​ ‘‘WHY SHOULD I STUDY ETHICS? I am an ethical person 🞂​ Ethics Vs Professional ethics ◦ what is the difference? 🞂​ We must define the terms profession 🞂​ An early meaning of the term profession referred to a free act of commitment to a way of life 🞂​ it referred to a monk’s public p...

🞂​ ‘‘WHY SHOULD I STUDY ETHICS? I am an ethical person 🞂​ Ethics Vs Professional ethics ◦ what is the difference? 🞂​ We must define the terms profession 🞂​ An early meaning of the term profession referred to a free act of commitment to a way of life 🞂​ it referred to a monk’s public promise to enter a distinct way of life with allegiance to high moral ideals 🞂​ By the late 17th century, the term had been secularized to refer to anyone who professed to be duly qualified 🞂​ According to Oxford Shorter Dictionary, profession means : ◦ the occupation which one professes to be skilled in and to follow … A vocation in which professed knowledge of some branch of learning is used in its application to the affairs of others, or in the practice of an art based upon it 🞂​ According to google Translate a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification. 🞂​ An occupation, which is simply a way to make a living 🞂​ Not the same as profession 🞂​ The difference is found in characteristics that are marks of professional status 🞂​ These characteristics of professionalism are necessary in order to protect and better serve the public 🞂​ From a Sociological Analysis of Professionalism, these characteristics are: 1. Extensive training ◦ Obtained through formal education, usually in an academic institution ◦ Usually bachelor’s degree is required 2. Vital knowledge and skills ◦ Professionals’ knowledge and skills are vital to the well- being of the larger society ◦ Since professional services are vital to the general welfare, citizens are willing to pay to get them ◦ The knowledge of engineers is required for technological advances and society’s welfare 3. Control of services ◦ Professions usually have a control over the provision of professional services in their area ◦ graduated from a professional school and obtain license ◦ Those who practice without a license are subject to legal penalties 4. Autonomy in the workplace ◦ Only the professional has sufficient knowledge to determine the appropriate professional services in a given situation ◦ A physician might order more tests than necessary because they are performed by a firm in which she has a financial interest – Example of unethical behavior 5. Claim to ethical regulation ◦ Professional codes are ordinarily promulgated by professional societies ◦ Usually, their powers are limited to expelling errant members ◦ State boards have stronger legal powers, withdrawal of professional licenses and institute criminal proceedings 🞂​ PhilosopherMichael Davis has derived the following definition of profession A profession is a number of individuals in the same occupation voluntarily organized to earn a living by openly serving a moral ideal in a morally permissible way beyond what law, market, morality, and public opinion would otherwise require 🞂​ From sociological or economic analysis of professionals, engineering qualify as a borderline profession 🞂​ Engineers have ◦ Extensive training ◦ knowledge and skills that are vital to the public ◦ Degrees 🞂​ However, a license is not required to practice many types of engineering 🞂​ Only licensed engineers are governed by a compulsory code of ethics 🞂​ Engineers may have limited autonomy 🞂​ According to Michael Davis definition of profession 🞂​ engineering is full professional status 🞂​ Engineering is a group activity professes special knowledge, skill, and judgment. 🞂​ It is the occupation by which most engineers earn their living, and it is entered into voluntarily, serves a morally good end for the benefit of mankind. 🞂​ Finally, engineers have special obligations, including protecting the health and safety of the public, as this is affected by technology 🞂​ Common Morality is the set of moral beliefs shared by almost everyone 🞂​ It is the basis, or the reference point, for the other two types of morality that will be discussed later 🞂​ For example, it is wrong to murder, lie, cheat, steal, break promises, harm others physically, and so forth 🞂​ common morality makes a distinction between an evaluation of a person’s actions and an evaluation of his intention 🞂​ If a driver kills a pedestrian in his car accidentally, he may be charged with manslaughter (or nothing) but not murder 🞂​ Personal Morality Personal ethics or personal morality is the set of moral beliefs that a person holds 🞂​ For most of us, our personal moral beliefs closely parallel the precepts of common morality 🞂​ personal moral beliefs may differ from common morality in some areas, especially where common morality seems to be unclear or in a state of change 🞂​ For example, we may oppose stem cell research, abortion, even though common morality may not be clear on the issue 🞂​ Professional Ethics is the set of standards adopted by professionals insofar as they view themselves acting as professionals 🞂​ Engineering ethics is that set of ethical standards that applies to the profession of engineering 🞂​ There are several important characteristics of professional ethics ◦ Unlike common morality and personal morality, professional ethics is usually stated in a formal code ◦ The professional codes of ethics of a profession focus on the issues that are important in that profession ◦ Professional ethics is supposed to take precedence over 13