Engineering Ethics
Lecture 4
Understanding Ethical Problems
Bhopal plant
1984, a pressure-relief valve on a tank used to
store methyl isocyanate (MIC) at a Union
Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, accidentally
opened.
2000 killed, many thousands injured, most
forever disabled.
Pipes disconnected, safety systems: broken or
in maintenance.
High population around.
Economic Benefits vs. Community
Safety???
Introduction
Learn about moral theories
Ethical problem solving is similar to other
engineering problem solving:
1)Learn the knowledge
2)Learn how to apply
Ethical Theories
Not deterministic like other engineering fields.
Many theories.
Complex problems with diverse approaches
rather than weakness or fuzziness.
Provide inspection from different angles.
Different theories may lead to the same
solution.
What is moral theory?
Organize ideas
Define terms
Uniform and consistent
4 Theories considered:
Utilitarianism
Duty ethics
Rights ethics
Virtue ethics
Utilitarianism
maximizing the well-being of society as a whole
(not individuals)
Example: Dams
Try to balance, but focus on most benefit to
most people
Many engineering analysis: risk–benefit, cost–
benefit
Utilitarianism is NOT that good
The best for most may be very bad for some:
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Permanent repository for nuclear waste of USA
Risk of transportation accidents
Medical and electrical technologies by nuclear
Possible outcomes are usually guessed, might
be wrong.
Utilitarianism flavors
Act utilitarianism: Actions in specific situations
are more important than rules (John Stuart Mill)
Rule utilitarianism: rules are the most important,
disregarding outcome gain
Cost-Benefit analysis
Similar to utilitarianism
Dollar (objective) calculations don’t take
subjective issues into considerations (scenery,
animal life, … etc)
Who will pay? Who will gain?
NOT ethical analysis: determines feasibility
Ethics should come first
Duty Ethics
Ethical actions: could be written as a list: Be
honest, Do not harm others ... etc (Immanuel
Kant)
Represent respect, are universal
Perform your duties.
Rights Ethics
Humans have rights of life, liberty and property
(John Locke)
Declaration of Independence of USA
People’s rights: duty of other people to respect
Two facets of the same coin
Duty/Right Ethics NOT Perfect
Contradiction between the rights of 2 groups
Right of individual vs. the benefit of the
community (WIPP case)
Usually multiple theories are needed.
Virtues Ethics
You are doing good if your actions suppory your
good virtues
Tied to personal character
Personal Ethics, not engineering ethics; but
what is ethical personally should be ethical
professionally.
Tricky: less concrete, less susceptible to
rigorous analysis, less applicable to corporates
Apply by asking questions, determining related
virtues (or vices) and determine action.
Be careful
What looks as a virtue, might lead to a vice
Example: Honor (dignity, integrity, pride), led to
many wars and crimes
Personal vs. Corporate Morality
Can a corporate be honest or loyal?
Should a corporate has the right to speak?
Example: Supreme Court decision in Citizens
United v. Federal Election Commission
Which theory to choose?
You do not have to choose, take them all.
Frequently, they all give the same solution
Example: Chemical Plant discharging in local water
What happens if they contradict? (WIPP)
Rights and duty should precede utilitarian
