Solving Ethical Dilemmas as an Engineer
Engineers are trained to think analytically and base their technical decisions on relevant facts and research. Nonetheless, engineers will encounter many situations involving ethical questions during their careers. In order to improve their ability to make ethical decisions, engineers require additional tools and training. These tools include an understanding of the relevant codes of ethics and learning to recognize ethical challenges and solutions. In this course the author discusses definitions of ethics and three historical approaches to understanding ethical behavior: virtues ethics, consequentialism and deontology. Two codes of ethics that software engineers can use as a reference when they confront ethical questions in professional situations will also be presented. The author provides a guided review of ethical decision-making using two case studies. Several suggestions and additional references for improving ethical decision-making are offered.
What you will learn:
- Define the term “ethics”
- Review historical approaches to understanding ethical behavior: virtues ethics, consequentialism and deontology
Related courses:
Who should attend: Electrical engineer, Systems engineer, Hardware engineer, Design engineer, Product engineer, Communication engineer
Instructor
Steve Starrett
Steve Starrett is an Associate Professor of Water Engineering at Kansas State University where he has taught courses in engineering ethics for over ten years. He is a member (and past chair) of the Committee on Licensure and Ethics for the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE). Dr. Starrett served as a Technical Chair for the Environmental and Water Resources Institute 2009 Congress. Dr. Starrett is the principal and owner of Starrett Engineering, LLC and a licensed Professional Engineer in four states.
Publication Year: 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61284-511-1