W A T K I N S - J O H N S O N C O M P A N Y Semiconductor Equipment Group

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Engineering 10
Chp.15Professional Ethics
Bruce Mayer, PE Licensed Electrical Mechanical
EngineerBMayer_at_ChabotCollege.edu
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Development of Prof. Ethics

• OutLine
• The Nature of Ethics
• Definition of Ethics
• Definition of an Ethically Based Profession
• Short history of Professional Ethics
• Oaths
• Code(s) of ethics
• Brief history of Engineering code(s) of ethics
• SIMILARITIES to Ethics in other professions
• DIFFERENCES from Ethics in Other professions
• Conclusion

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The Nature of Ethics

• Ethics is generally concerned with rules or
  guidelines for morals and/or socially approved
  conduct
• Ethical standards generally apply to conduct
  that can or does have a substantial effect on
  peoples lives

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Ethics Defined

• General Ethics
• The study of the general nature of morals and
  of the specific moral choices to be made by a
  person moral philosophy
• Professional Ethics
• The rules or standards governing the conduct
  of a person or the members of a profession

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General Ethics Theories

• Utilitarianism
• Duty Ethics
• Rights Ethics
• Virtue Ethics

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Utilitarian Ethics J. S. Mill (1806-1873)

• Considers a balance of good bad consequences
  for everyone affected (society)
• Actions are good that serve to promote human
  well-being OverAll
• Cost-Benefit analysis is an application
• Consideration of most benefit to the most people
  outweighs needs of a few individuals

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Duty Ethics Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

• There are duties that should be performed
  regardless of whether these acts do the most
  good or not
• Kant believed that there are higher principles
  that are good in every time, every culture, and
  every situation. When faced with an ethical
  dilemma, Kant believed we should ask ourselves
  To whom do I owe a duty and what duty do I owe
  them?
• e.g. Duty to treat others fairly,or not to
  injure others

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Rights Ethics John Locke (1632-1704)

• Locke Believed that ALL PERSONS are born FREE
  and EQUAL
• Thus People have fundamental rights (such as
  life, liberty, property) that others have a
  duty to respect.

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Virtue Ethics

• Virtue-based ethics places less emphasis on
  rules and instead focuses on good character
  traits, such as kindness and generosity.
• These character traits will, in turn, allow a
  person to make the correct decisions later in
  life
• Actions are considered right if they support good
  character traits (virtues) and wrong if they
  support bad character traits (vices)
• Closely tied to Personal Honor

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Examples ? Personal Ethics

• DownLoad Pirated Software
• Expense account padding
• Copying of homework or tests
• Income tax fudging
• Borrowing nuts and bolts, office supplies from
  employer
• Copying of Videos or CDs
• Plagiarism
• Using the copy machine at work

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Class Question ???

• What are some of the Characteristics of a
  Profession or a Professional?

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Profession Defined

• A Profession Differs from a Job, an
  Occupation, or a even a Career
• All professions combine
• special knowledge,
• special privileges
• special responsibilities

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Professional Defined

• Professional skills are important to the
  well-being of society. Professionals
• Have autonomy in the workplace
• They are expected to utilize their independent
  judgment in carrying out their professional
  responsibilities.
• Finally, professions are regulated by ethical
  standards often embodied in Codes of Ethics

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Professional Summarized

• Possesses specialized knowledge and skills
• Belongs to, and abides by, the standards of a
  society
• Serves an important aspect of the public good

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Oaths

• The Precursor of Codes of Ethics
• Usually Based on Gentlemanly Honor
• First ? Hippocratic Oath (400 BC)
• Oath of Medical Ethics for physicians to follow
  Formed the basis of more recent medical Oaths
• New York Oath (1807)
• An UpDated Version of the Hippocratic Version

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New York (Medical) Oath
I do solemnly declare, that I will honestly,
virtuously, and chastely conduct myself in the
practice of physic and surgery, with the
privileges of exercising which profession I am
now to be invested and that I will, with
fidelity and honor, do everything in my power for
the benefit of the sick committed to my charge.
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Oaths are NOT Enough

• Examine Professional Oaths
• Language used is very Subjective
• First person singular often use
• I swear
• I declare
• I shall
• An oath is subject to personal interpretation
• Oaths are too general to provide much guidance
• Oaths are not suitable for large-scale scale
  professional institutions.

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Codes of Ethics

• Thomas Percival (1740-1804) Published a code of
  medical ethics for physicians in 1794
• The First code for professional ethics
• The First code of ethics to be adopted by a
  Professional Organization - the American Medical
  Association (AMA)

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Codes of Ethics

• Percivals code of ethics was unlike oaths
• The Code Banished
• The first person singular
• Subjectivity
• Idiosyncrasy
• Replaced 1st Person with the 2nd and 3rd person
  plural
• Formulated standards of conduct with enumerated
  duties
• Asserted the moral authority and independence of
  medical professionals

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Codes of Ethics

• Modern Professions adopted codes ethics to
• Promote Common Standards
• Minimize interpersonal strife that the emphasis
  on individual honor encourages
• Provide a Conduct-Structure that permits
  professionals to assert their independence of
  their nominal employers in the name of the
  Profession
• i.e., Service to OTHERS takes precedence over
  service to the EMPLOYER

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Engineering Codes of Ethics

• Two early engineering code of ethics
• 1912 first engineering code of ethics adopted
  by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers
  - the AIEE (Later the IEEE)
• 1914 a code of ethics for engineers adopted by
  the ASME
• The Early Codes Said a great deal about
• protection of the clients or employers interest
• business relationships
• the ownership of data
• Had no general concern for the public safety,
  health, or welfare

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Engineering Code of Ethics

• The evolution of the Engineers' Council for
  Professional Development (ECPD now ABET) code
  of ethics
• First version of the ECPD code produced in 1947
• Emphasized concern for the public well-being
  being
• fidelity to the public
• Engineers duty to interest himself in public
  welfareapply his/her special knowledge for the
  benefit of mankind
• Lead to Drafting of Similar Codes

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Similarity to Other Professions

• Focus on public safety and the safety of their
  patients and clients
• Emphasize that one should only attempt to perform
  on that which is in the practitioners capability
• Focus on special care and attention for their
  clients or patients
• Keep up the level of competence in the Field
• Emphasize the importance of professionalism
• Denounce acts of deception or fraud
• Emphasize importance of client/patience
  confidentiality

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Differences from Other Profs

• The paramount duty of engineers is to
• Safety, Health, and Welfare of the public
• Physicians paramount duty is to the patient
• Engineering ethics focuses on the way information
  is provided to the public
• Physicians most help those in emergency
  situations
• Engineering ethics focuses more on relationships
  between engineers

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Ethics Conclusion

• Ethics in professional lives is not new - Ethics
  have been around for ages.
• Today every Profession has code(s) by which their
  professionals must practice.
• Engineers are no exception. So remember, A code
  of ethics isnt something you post on a bulletin
  board - Its something you live every day.

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Ethics is also GOOD BUSINESS

• The Mayer Axiom of Ethics

SLEAZE is NOT a Strategy for LONG TERM SUCESS
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All Done for Today
EthicalPressures
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Engineering 10
Appendix
Time For Live Demo
Bruce Mayer, PE Licensed Electrical Mechanical
EngineerBMayer_at_ChabotCollege.edu