Engineering Ethics

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-viii

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2. Part I

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Introduction

      Pages 3-14

   3. What is the Issue?

      Pages 15-28

   4. Traditional Ethical Viewpoints

      Pages 29-41

   5. Ethics in Medicine and Business

      Pages 43-57

   6. Reflection

      Pages 59-65

3. Part II

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 67-67

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   2. Outline of an Aspirational Engineering Ethics

      Pages 69-86

   3. Practical Outcomes

      Pages 87-107

4. Back Matter

   Pages 109-111

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Around the turn of the millennium, a young woman with outstanding academic achievements in science and mathematics applied to study engineering at a Eu- pean university. She had chosen to study engineering particularly because of the opportunities she expected it would give her to make a contribution to the well- ing of others. It happened that the university engineering department to which she applied had just been involved in the design of a vehicle for a world speed record attempt. When the young woman visited the university for interview this “triumph of technology” was presented as being a quintessential example of good engine- ing. However, though it was clear to her that the vehicle was technically ing- ious, she also recognised that it was of no practical use. She concluded that she had misunderstood the nature of engineering, and still wishing to help others she changed her plans and studied medicine, at which she assuredly excelled. This young woman’s change of career was undoubtedly a specific loss for en- neering. Additionally, it had a broader, tragic dimension; for her understanding of the purpose of engineering was more mature than that of the academics she - countered. Moreover, their imbalanced prioritisation of technical ingenuity over helping people is not uncommon within parts of the profession.

• Education
• Engineering
• Ethics
• Norm
• Philosophy
• Policy
• SRUK
• development

From the reviews:

This book deals with engineering ethics in an unusual and interesting way. Here, Bowen (international consultant and fellow, UK Royal Academy of Engineering) provides a broad, big-picture presentation of the topic by emphasizing the aspirational and philosophical aspects of the engineering profession... This well-written work is a welcome addition to the engineering ethics literature... Recommended.

Choice (August 2009) (Reviewer: M. G. Prasad, Stevens Institute of Technology)

“The purpose of this book is to develop an approach to aspirational ethics. … This brief book, in two parts with seven chapters and an index discusses the concept of ethical opportunities––using engineers to help others. … Engineering Ethics is a good read. … It is meant to help the reader consider life and the effect of engineering on the life of living things. Highly recommended.” (Richard J. Peppin, Noise Control Engineering Journal, Vol. 60 (6), November-December, 2012)

• i-Newton Wales, Caswell, Swansea, UK

  W. Richard Bowen

The author is a Fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering. He holds chairs in the Schools of Engineering at the University of Wales Swansea and the University of Surrey. He has carried out extensive consultancy for industry, government departments, research councils and universities on an international basis, currently through i-NewtonWales.

Policies and ethics