Emerging Technologies and Ethical Issues in Engineering Papers from a Workshop (2004) / Chapter Skim
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State of the Art in Engineering Ethics Methodologies for Case Studies in Engineering Ethics
State of the Art in Engineering Ethics Methodologies for Case Studies in Engineering Ethics
Pages 77-94
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From page 77... ...
State of the Art in Engineering Ethics
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From page 79... ...
The analytical aspect suggests concepts for identifying the types of issues in a case -- factual issues, conceptual issues, application issues, and moral issues. The problem-resolution aspect involves "bottom-up" techniques and "top-down" techniques.
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METHODS OF ANALYSIS Methods of analysis can be used to identify the types of issues involved in a case: factual issues, conceptual issues, application issues, and moral issues. Factual Issues A factual issue has two characteristics: (1)
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In this case, her decision is based primarily on the factual issue of which method is the most accurate. It is important to keep in mind that many controversies that appear to be about moral issues are traceable primarily to disagreements over facts.
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, we must define "work of authorship" and "invention." These definitions do not appear to involve moral judgments about the value of these two types of creative products. Application Issues An application issue is a question of whether or not a concept applies to a given situation.
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From page 83... ...
Moral Issues A fourth type of issue is a genuine moral issue, usually a conflict between two or more values or obligations. Engineer Tom does not want to give the customs officer money, but he needs to get something through customs to complete a project that is important for the local economy as well as for his firm.
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From page 84... ...
If we find the reasons on both sides equally convincing, either option is morally permissible. Engineer Jane, who owns a civil engineering design firm, has a chance to bid on part of the design work for a fertilizer plant in Country X
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To cite an earlier example, during World War II, if I could have bribed a Nazi guard to get my grandmother out of a concentration camp, I might decide that offering a bribe is justifiable. The following example illustrates how casuistry can be used to settle an application issue and to settle a moral issue.
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TABLE 2 Line-Drawing Analysis for Resolving a Moral Issue Features Positive Paradigm Test Case Negative Paradigm Influence on future decisions None _ _ _ _ _X _ _ Great Company policy May accept _ X _ _ _ _ _ _ May not accept Appearance No problem _ _ _ _ _ X_ _ Appearance of a bribe Educational value Great _ _ X _ _ _ _ _ Minimal
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From page 87... ...
Assuming there is an obligation both to preserve jobs and to protect the environment, a creative middle way might be to eliminate the worst pollutants and forego a complete cleanup until more economical means of doing so can be found. This alternative would be particularly attractive if the remaining pollutants would not cause irreversible damage to the environment or to human health.
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This goal has been only partially achieved, because there are at least two prevalent moral theories today, and neither one can explain the fundamental ideas of common morality in a completely satisfactory way. These two theories are utilitarianism, usually associated with Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, and the ethics of respect for persons, usually associated with Immanuel Kant.
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In general, however, the Western emphasis on individual rights and respect for persons takes priority, unless harm to individuals is slight and the utility to society is very great. With these considerations in mind, we can now look at the two moral theories.
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As a consequence of some of its manufacturing procedures, the ACME plant releases bad-smelling fumes that annoy its neighbors, damage the local tourism trade, and have been linked to an increase in asthma in the area. The town of Springfield is considering issuing an ultimatum to ACME to clean up the plant or pay a million-dollar fine.
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From page 91... ...
As this formulation suggests, the ethics of respect for persons emphasizes the rights of individuals, which are formulated, among other places, in various United Nations documents. Individual rights include the right to life and to the security of one's person, the right not to be held in slavery, the right to freedom of thought and expression, and so forth.
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From page 92... ...
Karen, who has been working as a design engineer under Andy, has learned that he is about to be offered a job as head safety inspector for all of the oil rigs the company owns in the region. Karen worries that Andy's drinking may affect his ability to perform his new job and thereby endanger workers on the oil rigs.
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From page 93... ...
In the West, we accord great importance to individual rights, but they do not always take precedence. The techniques and methods I have described are helpful for thinking about ethical issues, but they are no substitute for moral insight and moral wisdom.
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