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Ethics in the engineering field
Ethics in the engineering field
Ethics in the engineering field
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ETHICAL ISSUES IN ENGINEERING PRACTICE
1.0 INTRODUCTION.
In this report, the issues which will be discussed is mainly on the ethical issues in practice. There are many unique ethical issues to be discussed when it comes to engineering profession. This report will discussed mainly on the sustainable development which includes environmental ethics, computer ethics and ethics and research. Therefore after reading this report, readers will be able to determine what ethical issues arise in engineering practice with regard to the environment. Readers will also be able to recognize how engineering practice is impacted by computer technology and will be able to learn about ethical issues that arise in the course of research and development.
2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL
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Integrity of the environment and quality of life will be better if engineers learn to use sustainable design principles when conducting a project or construction. The function of sustainable design is not just to minimize the environmental impact, but also that it can be manufactured and disposed of without harming the nature. Board of Engineering Malaysia (BEM) stated that there is a code of professional conduct to cater for sustainable development. It was stated that a registered engineer shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional …show more content…
The computer is rapidly used in the field of engineering design that use software to design a product and an application. An engineer should use the computer in the correct way that follows the codes of ethics in order to avoid the problems later.
3.1 Computer as a Tool for Unethical Behaviour
In this section, we will discuss about the usage of computer in a wrong ways which violates the computer ethics. First of all, unethical behaviour is an act that should not be done by someone as it can bring many disadvantages. These behaviours can be done by everyone in this world, for example, engineer, doctor, professionals, prime minister in their politician and in businessman. Unethical behaviour is depending on the level of someone’s discipline.
While, in the usage of computer, there are many action that can lead to unethical behaviour. Computer is like a car, it makes us easy to go everywhere quickly, same as computers that helps us to make our work easy and faster. The examples of unethical behaviour in the computer usage are as list below. This unethical behaviour can cause many consequences to the person and may be liable to legal action.
1. Bank
Martin, M.W. and Schinzinger, R. (2005) Ethics in Engineering. 4th ed. New York: McGraw Hill.
Ethical judgements limit the methods available in the production of knowledge in both the arts and the natural sciences. Discuss.
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the moral principles and values that govern our behavior as human beings. It is important in the human experience that we are able to grasp the idea of our own ethical code in order to become the most sensible human beings. But in that process, can ethics be taught to us? Or later in a person’s life, can he or she teach ethics the way they learned it? It is a unique and challenging concept because it is difficult to attempt to answer that question objectively because everybody has his or her own sense of morality. And at the same time, another person could have a completely different set of morals. Depending on the state of the person’s life and how they have morally developed vary from one human
In the profession of Dental Hygiene, ethical dilemmas are nearly impossible to avoid, and most hygienists at some point in their professional life will have to face and answer ethical questions. Some ethical conflicts the dental hygienist may encounter can be quite complex and an obvious answer may not be readily available. In the article Ethical Decision Making, Phyllis Beemsterboer suggests an ethical decision-making model can aide the dental hygienist in making appropriate decisions when confronted with an ethical situation, and that the six-step model can serve dental hygienists in making the most advantageous ethical decision (2010).
With advanced technology being developed at a rapid pace, problems are beginning to surface. People are finding more efficient ways to get around certain barriers and to get what they want. But with these actions come consequences. Of course, not all of these actions are intended for immoral purposes, but when it comes to deontology, the outcome is out of the question. If the action is morally unacceptable, end of story. Since deontology puts emphasis on the morality of an action rather than the outcome of that action, it is safe to disregard the outcome in any situation that we are considering. There are many areas in which people tend to shy away from because of the portrayal of computing being unethical.
There are many obstacles to coming up with a good design for engineers. Taking an ethical approach, one should be able to assume that the design they asked for was given due diligence and put together by a team of professional engineers who live by the Code of Ethics for their professional organization.
The term “ethics” refers to an external set of rules that have been established by an institution or organization, for example, a university, and the members are expected to follow them. On the other hand, integrity refers to an individuals’ internal set of principles that guides their actions and behavior (Czimbal and Brooks n.p.). As a rule, people are usually rewarded when they follow ethical codes of conduct by an external committee or board that monitors their behavior. For a person of high integrity, the benefits are usually intrinsic. Moreover, such individuals always make the right decisions even when they are not being watched. Therefore, this feature of character is often influenced by a person’s upbringing. In
Computers; they are a part of or in millions of homes; they are an intricate part of just about every if not all successful businesses, the government, and the military. Computers have become common place in today’s society and the lives of the people who live in it. They have crossed every national, racial, cultural, educational, and financial barrier, which consequently ushered in the information age. A computer is a programmable electronic device that can store, retrieve and process data, and they come in all shapes, and sizes. They can be used for and in just about anything. As stated before, they are used in just about every aspect of modern society. They are so fundamental to modern society that it would be disastrous to society without them. As stated before, there are many areas in modern society that are run by computers. They play an intricate part of millions of homes in the world. Office workers in business, government and the military may use them to write letters, keep rosters, create budgets, find information, manage projects, communicate with workers, and so on. They are used in education, medicine, music, law enforcement, and unfortunately crime. Because computers have become such a part of the world and how it operates, there is a tremendous responsibility for those who are in control of these computers and the vital information that they carry, to manage and protect them properly. This is management and protection is vital because any loss or damage could be disastrous for the affected entity. For example, a mistake or intentional alteration of a personal credit file could affect ones ability to buy a car or home, or can lead to legal actions against the affected person until the mistake or intentional alteration has been corrected. Therefore, with the advent of computers in the information age, and all of the intentional and unintentional violations against them, comes the need to safeguard them and the information they carry with strong systems and policies of computer security.
Engineering is an essential and learned profession. As members of this profession, engineers are likely to show the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Engineering has a straight and vital impact on the quality of life for all people. Consequently, the services offered by engineers need honesty, impartiality, equality, and must be dedicated to the protection of the public safety, welfare, and health. Engineers must act under a standard of professional performance that requires adherence to the maximum principles of ethical conduct.
Tavani, H. T. (2007). Ethics and technology. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons Inc. (Ethical theories in the introduction)
Tavani, Herman T. "Chapter 4 :Professional Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct." Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2010. Print.
A report on “engineering for sustainable development: Guiding principles” which was written by the Royal academy of engineering in the United Kingdom describes three types of concerns faced by the civil engineers as the sustainable development in civil engineering progresses. They
In conclusion, civil engineers have a responsibility to deal with current issues in a professional and ethical manner for the benefit of society. The topics discusses included: high energy consumption of buildings, the need for efficient water resources, transportation planning, poor infrastructures doomed to failure, the need to have higher standards to become a licensed professional engineer, how globalization has affected all engineers, and the need to have more professional use advance engineering informatics. All these subjects were pondered about how these challenges can be overcome are there effective methods that engineers can apply today. Unfortunately, not all problems are easy to handle.
Engineering ethics focuses on the behavior of the individual - the engineer, and the development of ethical standards governing their professional activities. Engineering ethics has always existed as a set of rules or a system that governs the behavior of an engineer. Among its main provisions, we can attribute such as the need to faithfully perform engineering work that would bring welfare and do not cause harm to people; be accountable for engineering professional activities; a good relationship ( customs and rules governing relations ) with other engineer, etc.
aspect of our lives, we are faced with computers. They are in our classrooms, cars, and even used