Engineering ethics is the branch of ethics that deals with the moral and

professional responsibilities of engineers. It guides engineers to ensure that their

work is safe, responsible, and beneficial to society.

Key Principles of Engineering Ethics

1. Public Safety and Welfare

o Engineers must ensure their work does not harm people or the
environment.
o Safety and well-being should always be the top priority.
2. Integrity and Honesty
o Engineers should act truthfully, avoid conflicts of interest, and
provide accurate information.
o Withholding or misrepresenting facts is unethical.
3. Accountability
o Engineers are responsible for their work and its consequences.
o They must accept ownership of their actions and decisions.
4. Confidentiality
o Respect and protect proprietary, intellectual, and business-sensitive
information.
5. Sustainability
o Engineers should consider long-term environmental impacts.
o Work should aim for sustainable, eco-friendly solutions.

Scopes of Engineering Ethics

1. Professional Responsibilities
o Ensure public safety, health, and welfare in all engineering work.
o Communicate truthfully about design, risks, costs, and project
timelines.
2. Workplace Ethics
o Work ethically with colleagues, respect diversity, and avoid conflicts
of interest.
o Report unethical practices.
3. Environmental Ethics
o Consider environmental impacts and adopt sustainable practices.
o Example: Designing eco-friendly technologies, energy-efficient
systems.
 4. Social Responsibility
o Ensure engineering work benefits society and avoids harm.
o Example: Avoid technologies that promote inequality or exploitation.
5. Innovation and Technology Ethics
o Apply ethics in emerging technologies like AI, biotechnology,
autonomous vehicles.
o Example: Ensuring AI is unbiased and respects privacy.
6. Global and Cultural Context
o Respect cultural differences and avoid harmful practices in
international projects.
o Example: Prevent exploitation of labor or resources in developing
countries.
7. Professional Development and Lifelong Learning
o Commit to continuous learning to stay updated with new standards
and technologies.
o Example: Certifications, training, workshops.
8. Bioethics
o Balance scientific progress with ethical responsibility, safety, and
human dignity.
o Example: Ethical organ donation practices.

Why Professionals Have Special Ethical Responsibilities

1. Impact on Lives & Safety – Their work affects people’s health, safety, and
welfare.
2. Specialized Knowledge – They hold skills others don’t, influencing critical
decisions.
3. Codes of Ethics – Professions follow ethical codes (e.g., IEEE, AMA) for
honesty and fairness.
4. Legal Duties – Some ethical rules are also legal (e.g., patient
confidentiality).
5. Public over Personal Interest – Must prioritize society and clients over
personal gain.
6. Example – An engineer must not approve unsafe designs to save costs.

Fundamental Canons of Engineering Ethics (NSPE)

 1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
2. Perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. Issue public statements in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
5. Avoid deceptive acts.
6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully to
enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.

Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.

2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people’s computer work.
3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people’s computer files.
4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness (spread false
information).
6. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not
paid.
7. Thou shalt not use other people’s computer resources without
authorization or proper compensation.
8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people’s intellectual output.
9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are
writing or the system you are designing.
[Link] shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration
and respect for your fellow humans.

IEEE Code of Ethics (Key Principles)

1. Public Safety & Welfare – Accept responsibility for decisions affecting

public safety, health, and environment.
2. Conflict of Interest – Avoid or disclose real/perceived conflicts of interest.
3. Honesty – Be honest and realistic in claims and estimates.
4. Reject Bribery – Do not accept or offer bribery in any form.
5. Technology Awareness – Improve public understanding of technology and
its consequences.
 6. Competence – Maintain and improve technical competence; work only
within areas of qualification.
7. Criticism & Credit – Accept honest criticism, correct errors, and credit
others’ contributions.
8. Fairness – Treat all persons fairly regardless of race, religion, gender,
disability, age, or nationality.
9. Respect & Integrity – Avoid harming others, their property, reputation, or
employment by false or malicious action.
[Link] & Mentorship – Assist colleagues in professional development
and adherence to the code.

BAETE (Board of Accreditation for Engineering and Technical Education)

1. Accreditation of Engineering Programs

 Accredits engineering and technical education programs in Bangladesh.

 Ensures programs meet defined quality standards.

2. Quality Assurance

 Maintains high standards in faculty, infrastructure, curriculum, and

outcomes.
 Focuses on excellence in education.

3. Global Recognition

 Accredited programs gain international recognition.

 Employers and institutions worldwide view graduates more favorably.

4. Professional Development

 Prepares graduates with knowledge and skills for careers.

 Supports lifelong professional growth.

5. Industry Relevance

 Works with industries to align curriculum with job market needs.

 Ensures graduates are industry-ready.
6. Continuous Improvement

 Regular reviews and evaluations of programs.

 Encourages updates with new technologies and practices

IEB (Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh)

1. Professional Body

 Acts as the national professional organization for engineers in Bangladesh.

 Provides a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration.

2. Professional Development

 Offers training programs, workshops, and seminars.

 Helps engineers stay updated with industry trends and technologies.

3. Chartered Status

 Grants Chartered Engineer (CEng) status to qualified engineers.

 Recognizes high competence and experience in the profession.

4. Code of Ethics

 Maintains a professional code of ethics.

 Promotes integrity, accountability, and ethical behavior.

5. Public Engagement

 Participates in public discussions on engineering and development issues.

 Contributes to infrastructure, technology, and societal progress.

6. International Collaboration

 Works with international engineering organizations.

 Connects Bangladeshi engineers to the global engineering community.
How Safety is a Responsibility of Engineers

 Engineers must uphold integrity, responsibility, and ethical conduct in all

work.
 Public safety, health, and welfare must be given top priority in every
decision.
 They should follow ethical design principles and adopt sustainable
development practices.
 Must protect privacy and disclose risks that may endanger people or the
environment.
 Sustainable development = balancing economic growth with
environmental protection and public welfare.
 Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
 Work only in their areas of competence.
 Make truthful and objective public statements.
 Act as faithful agents or trustees for clients/employers.
 Avoid deceptive acts.
 Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully to
uphold the profession.

Types of Ethical Theories

1. Descriptive Ethics

 Definition: Describes and studies existing moral beliefs, values, and

practices without judging them.
 Focus: “What people actually do or believe.”
 Examples:
o Most people believe stealing is wrong.
o A survey on public attitudes toward environmental pollution.
 Usefulness: Helps us understand how individuals or societies reason about
ethics and regulate behavior.

2. Normative Ethics
  Definition: Prescribes moral principles and guidelines about how people
ought to behave (right vs. wrong).
 Focus: “What people should do.”
 Examples:
o Deontological ethics: Lying is always wrong because it violates truth-
telling.
o Principles such as honesty, respect, and fairness.
 Usefulness: Provides standards and frameworks for ethical decision-making
in engineering.

Descriptive Ethics

 Definition: Descriptive ethics studies how people actually behave and

what moral beliefs they hold in real life.
 Focus: Facts about moral behavior, cultural practices, and social norms.
 Approach: Observational / empirical – looks at actual human behavior
without judging it as right or wrong.
 Example Questions:
o “Do most people in this society believe lying is wrong?”
o “What ethical practices are common in corporate workplaces?”
 Nature: Objective / factual – describes “what is.”

2. Normative Ethics

 Definition: Normative ethics studies how people ought to behave; it

proposes ethical standards and principles.
 Focus: Evaluating actions as right or wrong, good or bad.
 Approach: Prescriptive / philosophical – tells us what moral behavior
should be.
 Example Questions:
o “Is it morally acceptable to lie to protect someone’s feelings?”
o “What are the duties of engineers toward public safety?”
 Nature: Subjective / prescriptive – prescribes “what should be.”

Common Theories in Normative Ethics

Utilitarianism → Action is right if it produces the greatest happiness for the

greatest number.
 Deontology → Action is morally correct if it follows duty or moral rules,
regardless of consequences.

Virtue Ethics → Focuses on developing good character traits (e.g., courage,

honesty, justice) that lead to ethical actions.

Utilitarianism (Ethical Philosophy)

 Definition: A family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions

maximizing happiness and well-being for all affected.
 Key Idea: Focuses on the outcome of actions; choose actions that produce
the greatest net benefit, regardless of the cost to individuals.
 Example: Julie in a hostage situation: Shooting 1 hostage to save 19 is
justified because it maximizes overall happiness.

Types of Utilitarianism

1. Act Utilitarianism
o Focus: Individual actions rather than general rules.
o Proposed by John Stuart Mill.
o Moral rules (e.g., don’t steal, don’t harm) are guidelines, but can be
broken if breaking them produces more overall good.
2. Rule Utilitarianism
o Focus: Moral rules are most important.
o Even if a rule doesn’t maximize good in one situation, following it
generally leads to the most good overall.
o Example rules: “Do not harm others,” “Do not steal.”
o Relevance for engineers: Engineers should follow rule-
utilitarianism by acting as faithful agents or trustees of employers,
ensuring ethical consistency and public safety.
Golden Mean Theory (Aristotle)

 Definition: Ethical decisions are made by finding a balance (mean)

between extremes of excess and deficiency.
 Key Idea: Use reason and logic to identify the middle ground in moral
choices.
 Example: Environmental pollution:
o Extreme 1 → Avoid all industrialization (too restrictive).
o Extreme 2 → Ignore environmental protection (too harmful).
o Golden Mean → Industrialization with pollution control measures.

Deontology (Duty-Based Ethics)

 Definition: Judges actions based on moral rules and duties, not

consequences.
 Key Idea: Morality is a responsibility and duty; some actions are always
right or wrong.
 Proponent: Immanuel Kant → Moral principles must be universal and
absolute.
 Example:
o A software engineer knows a nuclear missile may launch. Hacking to
prevent it would save lives but violates professional ethics.
o Deontology advises not to break rules, even if the outcome is
harmful.

Kantian Ethics (Immanuel Kant)

 Type: Deontological (duty-based) moral theory.

 Key Idea: Actions are morally right or wrong based on adherence to
universal moral laws, not consequences.

Key Principles

1. Categorical Imperative – Follow moral rules that everyone should follow,

regardless of personal desires or outcomes.
 2. Good Will – The only inherently good thing is a person’s goodwill, acting
from moral duty rather than self-interest.
3. Moral Duty – Actions are right if they follow duty, even if they result in
bad consequences.

Example: Lying to Save a Life

 Scenario: A murderer asks if your friend is hiding in your house.

 Kantian Ethics Response: Tell the truth because lying is always morally
wrong.
o Universalizing lying would destroy trust and meaning of truth.
o Moral law is absolute, even if it leads to harm.
 Contrast with Utilitarianism: Lie to save a life, because the outcome
(saving life) maximizes overall good.

Kantian Theory & Deontology

 Type: Deontological (duty-based) ethics.

 Core Idea: Morality is based on duty and principles, not consequences or
emotions.

Key Points

1. Act from Duty (Deon) – Moral actions must come from a sense of duty.
2. Motives, Not Consequences (Maxime) – Rightness of action depends on
the person’s intention, not the outcome.
3. Intrinsic Goodness – Something is “good in itself” if it is intrinsically good,
and “good without qualification” if it never makes a situation ethically
worse.
o Examples like intelligence, perseverance, or pleasure are not always
unqualifiedly good, because they can cause harm in certain contexts.
4. Focus on Duty – Kantian ethics revolve around moral duty rather than
emotions, pleasure, or end goals.

Example: Lost Wallet

 Scenario: Find a wallet with money inside.

 Utilitarian View: Keep it if personal benefit outweighs harm.
 Kantian View: Return it because honesty is a universal moral duty,
regardless of personal need.
Conclusion: Kantian ethics emphasize principles and duty over consequences or
personal gain.

Categorical Imperative (Kant)

 Definition: Kant’s fundamental principle of morality.

o Act according to universal moral laws that apply to everyone,
regardless of personal desires or consequences.

Example

 “You should not steal”

o Applied universally and without exceptions.
o Stealing is morally wrong whether for luxury or necessity.
o Categorical imperatives ignore sympathy, empathy, or situational
factors; morality is absolute.

Virtues of the Categorical Imperative

1. Prudence – Respect everyone’s life; perform duties carefully and without

exception.
2. Temperance – Exercise self-restraint; resist temptations that may violate
duties or ethical principles.
3. Fortitude – Cultivate tolerance; balance happiness and perfection in ethical
actions.
4. Justice – Treat everyone fairly and truthfully; respect intrinsic human values
and dignity.