PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND HUMAN VALUES

S.Vijayalakshmi18.1.11

Sociologist Raymond Baumhart asked business people, "What does ethics mean to you?"

Among their replies were the following: "Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell

me is right or wrong."

What is ethics?

"Ethics has to do with my religious beliefs."

What is ethics?

"Being ethical is doing what the law requires."

What is ethics?

"Ethics consists of the standards of behavior our society accepts."

What is ethics?

"I don't know what the word means."

MORALITY VS ETHICS

Often used interchangeably

Morality – more general and prescriptive

IMMORAL VS UNETHICAL

immoral stems from one’s character

Unethical is sometimes due to circumstances

What are values?

Courage

Beauty

Honesty

Compassion…….

VALUES

Can values change from time to time?

VALUES

CAN CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME

CAN CHANGE FROM CULTURE TO CULTURE

VALUES

Where are values derived from?

VALUES DERIVED FROM

ENVIRONMENTSELFSOCIETYCULTUREHUMAN EXISTENCEOUR EXPERIENCES

HUMAN VALUES

Essentially social products

At the same time involve individual’s goals and purposes in this social milieu

ENGINEERING ETHICS

What is engineering ethics?

ENGINEERING ETHICS

The study of the moral issues and decisions confronting individuals and organizations engaged in engineering

The study of related questions about the moral ideals, character, policies, and relationships of people and corporations involved in technological activity.

ENGINEERING ETHICS

SENSESETHICS is an activity and area of inquiryEthical is different from non moralSometimes refers to a particular set of

beliefs, attitudes, and habits e.g ethics of Martin Luther King

VARIETY OF MORAL ISSUES

Name a few engineering disasters

Challenger ExplosionAccidents

ChernobylThree Mile IslandChemical plant at BhopalExxon Valdez oil spillThese reached us coz of media but what

about other cases?

ENGINEERING ETHICS

MICRO ETHICSTypical everyday problems that can take

significant proportions in an engineer’s life

MACRO ETHICSSocietal problems that are often shunted

aside until they resurface on a regional or national scale

WHERE AND HOW DO MORAL PROBLEMS ARISE?

ACTIVITY – pg 6

VARIOUS STAGES

ConceptionDesign and manufactureTestingSalesService

These examples show how ethical problems ariseMost often when there are differences of

judgment or expectations as to what constitutes the true state of affairs or

Proper course of action