Instructor: Dr. Amer al-Sarayreh

1
Instructor Dr. Amer al-Sarayreh

• Engineering Ethics

Bhopal Disaster
2
(No Transcript)
3
(No Transcript)
4
chapter ((3))

• UnderstandingEthical Problems

5
Instructor Dr. Amer al-Sarayreh

• Sara al Hayek (3.1 Introduction. 3.2 A brief
  history of ethical thought.)
• Bilal al Dweik(3.3 Ethical theories. 3.3.1 What
  is moral theory?) Alaa mohiemeed(3.3.2
  Utilitarianism.) Mustafa Shilbaya (3.3.3
  Cost-Benefit analysis.) Fares al aan (3.3.4
  Duty ethics and rights ethics.) Salem Abdullah
  (3.3.5 Virtue Ethics. 3.3.6 Personal Vs.
  Corporate Morality.) Amjad Alnaami (3.3.7 Which
  theory to use? 3.3.8 Non-Western ethical
  thinking.) Muhannad Imad (application
  cases.) Mohammed Samreen (application The
  Aberdeen Three.)

6
Sara al Hayek Civil engineer

• Introduction Bhopal Disaster A brief
  history of ethical thought

7
Introduction Bhopal Disaster
8

• The Bhopal disaster brings up many questions of
  balancing risk to the local community with the
  economic benefits to the larger community of the
  state or nation.

VS
9

• How can we decide if on balance the economic
  benefit brought by any plant outweighed the
  potential safety hazards ?
• To answer this question and analyze engineering
  ethics cases.
• We need a framework for analyzing ethical
  problems.

10

• We will examine moral theories and see how they
  can also be used as a means for analyzing ethical
  cases. We will Develop some moral theories that
  can be applied to ethical problems confronted by
  engineers. Knowing and understanding the
  basics To know how to build something or to
  solve problem, you must learn the basics and
  understand them.

11

• This also include solving ethical problems, some
  knowledge of ethical theory is needed to provide
  a framework for understanding and reaching
  solution ethical problems.

12
(No Transcript)
13
The moral and ethical theories in engineering
ethics
Western moral
Western cultural tradition
Ancient Religion
philosopher
Ancient Greeks
14

• Ancient Religion
• Religion ethics started with Judaism and it's
  foundation.
• The written sources of Jewish
• 1. Torah.
• 2. The old testament of the Bible.

15

• As Islamic and Arabs community, from where they
  derive its moral theories and ethics?
• The Quran.
• The Sunnah of Muhammad.
• Islamic jurists.
• The pre-Islamic Arabian tradition.
• Non-Arabic elements (including Persian and Greek
  ideas).

16

• Ancient Greeks
• Greeks ethics originated from it's famous Greek
  philosopher
• Socrates.
• Aristotle, who discussed ethics at great length
  in his Nichomachean ethics.

Aristotle
17

• Philosophers
• They did not rely on religion to underpin their
  moral thinking, they acknowledged that moral
  principles are universal and applicable, Like
• John Locke.
• Immanuel Kant.
• John Stuart Mill.

Immanuel Kant
18
(No Transcript)
19
Bilal al Dweik Electrical Engineer

• Ethical theories
• Whats a moral theory?

20
Ethical theories
21
Ethical theories

• In order to develop workable ethical
  problem-solving techniques, we must know ethical
  theories.
• But ethical theories arent like theories in
  engineering classes where theres one general
  theory to solve a problem.

22

• In engineering ethics we have several theories we
  need to consider when having a problem, and
  thats actually a good thing because were
  going to have more than one approach to every
  problem then we can analyze these approaches and
  determine which theory has the best solution.

23
Whats a moral theory?

• A moral theory defines terms in uniform ways and
  links ideas and problems together in contestant
  ways, and thats exactly what a scientific theory
  dose so we will use moral theories in the same
  way of scientific theories.
• Scientific theories concept1- organize ideas
  2- define terms 3- facilitate
  problem solving.

24
There are four ethical theories to consider

• 1. utilitarianism it seeks to produce the most
  gain, defined as a balance between good and bad
  consequences of an action, considering the
  consequences of everyone affected.

25

• 2. duty ethics there are duties that should be
  performed like treating others fairly or not
  injuring others, regardless of whether these acts
  lead to the most good.3. rights ethics we all
  have moral rights, and any action that violates
  these rights is ethically unacceptable.

26

• 4. virtue ethics there are right actions we
  have to do, and wrong actions we have to avoid,
  this theory focuses on the type of person we
  should want to be.

27
(No Transcript)
28
Alaa mohiemeed industrial engineer

• utilitarianism

29
Utilitarianism

• Utilitarianism holds that those actions are good
  that serve to maximize human well-being.
• Utilitarianism do what is well-being for the
  society as whole regardless the individual.

30

• Utilitarianism tries to balance the needs of
  society with the need of individual. The best
  known proponent was John Stuart Mill.

31

• In general, it tries to balance good and bad
  consequences of an action, with an emphasis on
  what will provide the most benefit to the most
  people.
• Utilitarianism is fundamental to many types of
  engineering analysis such as
• 1- Risk-benefit analysis.
• 2- Cost benefit analysis.

32
An example of this theory is the building of dam.
33

• Problems with this theory
• Sometimes what is best for everyone may be
  bad for a particular individual or group of
  individuals, as seen in the example of the dam.
• Another example
• The proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)
  in New Mexico City.

34
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. WIPP is designed to
be a permanent repository for nuclear waste
generated in the United States.
35

• Analysis of WIPP by using utilitarianism.
• Good effect the disposal of nuclear wastes is a
  major problem hindering the implementation of
  many useful technologies, such as1. medicinal
  uses of radioisotopes. 2. nuclear generation of
  electricity. So it will benefit society by
  providing improved health care and more
  electricity.

36

• Bad effectHealth effect if the individuals
  living near the transportation routes.
• So utilitarianism theory sees that the WIPP
  should be allowed to open.

37
(No Transcript)
38

• Types of Utilitarianism
• 1 ) Act Utilitarianism focuses on individual
  actions rather than on rules.
• 2 ) Rule Utilitarianism moral rules are most
  important, these rules include "do not harm
  others" and "do not steal".

39
The idea of Utilitarianism
40
(No Transcript)
41
Mustafa Shilbaya Civil engineer

• Cost-Benefit Analysis

42
Cost-Benefit Analysis

• It is a tool used in engineering analysis
  especially when trying to determine whether a
  project makes sense.
• This type of analysis is just an application of
  utilitarianism in cost-benefit analysis, the
  cost of a project assessed as are the benefits.

43

• The benefits that are derived from them are often
  harder to predict and to assign a dollar value.
• Once dollar amounts for the costs and benefits
  are determined, calculating a mathematical ratio
  may seem very objective and therefore may appear
  to be the best way to make a decision.

44

• Only those projects with the highest ratio of
  benefits to cost will be implemented.
• This principle is similar to the utilitarian goal
  of maximizing the overall good.
• It is often easy to predict the costs for most
  projects.

45

• The aim of a cost-benefit analysis is
• To determine the feasibility of a project
  based on costs. When looking at an ethical
  problem, the first step should be determine what
  the right course of action is, and then factor in
  the financial cost in choosing between ethical
  alternatives.

46

• Finally, it is also important to determine
  whether those who stand to reap the benefits are
  also those who will pay the costs. It is unfair
  to place all of the costs on one group while
  another reaps the benefits.
• Example
• from a pure cost-benefit discussion, it might
  seem that the building of a dam is an excellent
  idea.

47

• But this analysis won't include other issues such
  as whether the benefits outweigh the loss of a
  scenic wilderness area or the loss of an
  endangered species with no current economic value.

48
(No Transcript)
49
Fares al aan industrial engineer

• Duty Ethics and Rights Ethics

50
Duty ethics and right ethics

• These are theories similar to each other and
  considered together.These theories are good
  respect of the rights of individual.
•  Ethical actions (actions could be written down a
  list)
• Be honest.
• Dont cause suffering to other people.
• Be fair to others.

51

•  Duty Ethics
•   Are actions which
• Express an unqualified regard for autonomous
  moral agents.
• Express respect for persons.
• Are universal principles.
•  
• Immanuel Kant (German Philosopher)
•  
• A major proponent of duty ethics.
• Held that moral duties fundamental.

52

• Right Ethics
• People have fundamental rights that other ones
  have a duty to respect.
• Was formulated by John Locke who said that humans
  have the right to life, liberty, and was
  paraphrased in the declaration of independence of
  the soon-to-be U.S.A.

53

•  
• The problems of Duty Ethics and Right Ethics.
•   
• The basic rights of a person (or group) may
  conflict with the basic rights of another group.
• These theories dont always account for the
  overall good of society very well.

54
(No Transcript)
55
Salem Abdullah engineer

• Virtue Ethics Corporate vs.
  Personal Morality

56
Virtue Ethics

• Virtue ethics is interested in determining what
  kind of people we should be.
• Virtue is often defined as moral distinction and
  goodness.
• In virtue ethics, actions are considered right
  if they support good character traits (virtues)
  and wrong if they support bad character traits.

57

• Virtue ethics focuses on words such as
  responsibility, honestly, competence, and loyalty
  which are virtues.
• Virtue ethics is closely tied to personal
  character. We do things because we are virtuous
  people and seek to enhance these character traits
  in ourselves and in others.

58

• Theory may seem to be mostly personal ethics and
  not particularly applicable to engineering or
  business ethics, however, personal morality
  cannot be separated from business morality so, if
  a behavior is virtuous in the individuals life,
  the behavior is virtuous in his business life as
  well.

59

• How can virtue ethics be applied?
• We can use virtue ethics in our engineering
  career by answering question such as Is this
  action honest?
• Will this action demonstrate loyalty to my
  community or my employer?
• To use virtue ethics in an analysis of an
  ethical problem, you should first identify the
  virtues or vice that are applicable to the
  situation. Then, determine what course of action
  each of these suggests.

60

• It is important to be careful in applying virtue
  ethics, problem can arise with words that on the
  face seem to be virtues, but can actually leads
  to vice. For example the word honor.

61
Personal vs. Corporate Morality

• An important question that we need to answer, is
  there a distinction between the ethics practiced
  by an individual and the ethics practiced by a
  corporation?

62

• If a corporation has no moral agency, then it
  cannot be held accountable for its actions.
• To solve the problem, corporations should be
  considered pseudo moral agents and should be held
  accountable in the same way that individuals are,
  even if the ability to do this within the legal
  system is limited.

63
(No Transcript)
64
Amjad Alnaami industrial engineer

• Which Theory to Use? Non-Western Ethical
  Thinking

65
Which Theory to Use?
Right ethics, utilitarian, cost-benefit, or
Virtue ?
66

• In solving ethical problems, we dont have to
  choose from the theories.Rather, we can use all
  of them to analyze the problem from different
  angles and see what result each of the theories
  give us. Theories maybe 1- Give us the same
  results.2- Give us different answers.

67
How theories give us the same results
Hazardous Waste
68

• Right ethics indicated that transporting wastes
  through communities is not a good idea.The
  utilitarianism concluded the (WIPP) as a
  beneficial to society as a whole.The rights of
  individuals should receive relatively stronger
  weight than the needs of society as a whole.

69
If theories give us different answers about a
problem, we will make a comparative.
WIPP
70
Non-Western Ethical Thinking

• It is much the same as western ethical thinking.
• Ethics is not geographic or cultural.
• Indeed, ethical thinking has developed similarly
  around the word and is not dependent on a western
  cultural or religious.
• Ethical standards are similar worldwide.

71

• Islam is one of the three major monotheistic
  religions, along with Christianity and Judaism.
• Cultural practices may very when dealing with
  the many Islamic nations that stretch from Africa
  and the Middle East to Southeast Asia.

72

• Moreover, personal ethics are not determined by
  geography. Personal and business behavior should
  be the same regardless of where you happen to be
  on a given day.

73

• An exception.
• In some societies, bribes are a standard part of
  doing business.
• The U.S. has a law against its citizens paying
  bribes, even in other countries.

74
(No Transcript)
75
Muhannad Imad industrial engineer

• CASES

76
CASES
77
The Disaster at Bhopal

• Happened on December 2, 1984, in Union Carbide
  Plant in Bhopal, India.resulted from a leak in a
  storage tank contained 10,000 gallons of methyl
  isocyanate (MIC) at a Union Carbide chemical
  plant.The leak sent a toxic cloud of gas over
  the surrounding slums of Bhopal, resulting in the
  death of over 2,000 people, and injuries to over
  200,000 more.

78
The Disaster at Bhopal
79

• The cause of the leakThe accidental pouring of
  water into the tank.The mixing of water with MIC
  increased temperature of the liquid in the tank
  which caused the MIC to vaporize. The main
  factor which led to the disastercurtailment of
  plant maintenance as part of a cost-cutting
  effort.

80

• The parts of the plant which was needed
  maintenance
• The refrigerating unit.
• The alarm of dangerous temperatures.
• The flare tower.
• The scrubber.

81

• An internal Union Carbide memo from three months
  before the Bhopal accident warned of the
  potential for a runaway reaction in MIC storage
  tanks in West Virginia and called into question
  the adequacy of emergency plans at the
  plants.Apparently, these warnings had not been
  transmitted to the plant in India

82
The Disaster at Bhopal (cont.)
who is to blame??
The management of the plant?
Plant designer?
Indian government?
Union Carbide?
83
(No Transcript)
84
Mohammed Samreen industrial engineer

• The Aberdeen Three

85
The Aberdeen Three

• Is one of the classic cases often used in
  engineering ethics classes and texts to
  illustrate the important of

Environmental protection
The safety of worker exposed to hazardous and
toxic chemicals
86

• The Aberdeen proving ground is a U.S.Army weapons
  development and test center located on a military
  base in Maryland, so there are people live in it.
• Since world war II Aberdeen used for the storage
  and disposal of some of these chemicals.
• This cases involves three civilian manager at the
  pilot plant at the proving grounds Carl Gepp,
  William Dee, and Robert Lentz.

87

• NOTE

The manager development chemical weapons on hand
the chemical weapons allowable but on the other
hand there are limited to it you should have some
ethic to do it
88

• Between 1983 and 1986 , inspection at the pilot
  plant indicated that there were serious safety
  hazards.

Flammable substances left in open containers
chemicals
These hazards Included
carcinogenic
That can become lethal when mixed together being
stored in same room but we can prevent this by
many things
89

• In June,1988 the three engineer were indicated
  for violation RCRA, the Resource Conservation and
  Recovery Act.It was intended to provided
  incentive for the recovery of important
  resources, and the control of the disposal of
  hazardous wastes.

90

• In 1989 ,the three managers tried and convicted
  of illegally storing, and disposing of hazardous
  wastes.
• Note the responsibility returns to the manager,
  although he has not do the work.
• But because he is manager.
• Finally, the manager treaded of 1000 hours of
  community service.

91

• TeamworkEthical issues can
  arise when working in groups and many of
  engineering classes are designed to be performed
  in groups.
• In order to have a successful project you should
  have cooperation among team members.

92
(No Transcript)
93

• Problems can arise when a team member1) doesn't
  do his part well.2) doesn't make
  contribution.3) doesn't do his part on time.4)
  tries to do everything. So ethical teamwork
  includes your  assigned work, keeping to
  schedules, sharing information and help having a
  supportive atmosphere so everyone can contribute.

94
(No Transcript)