Evolution of the American Society of Civil Engineers Code of Ethics

Abstract

One means of defining the responsibilities professions such as engineering have toward the public is by incorporating a code of ethics. The objective of this paper is first to review the history of the code of ethics as adopted by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the oldest engineering society in the United States, and one of the largest. The evolution of ASCE's Code of Ethics is instructive in an analysis of the development and maturation of the civil engineering profession. It is suggested that the three basic reasons for having a professional code are: (1) To enhance the image of the profession; (2) to clarify rules of conduct within the profession; and (3) to promote the public good. This discussion of the evolution of the ASCE Code of Ethics demonstrates how each of these three objectives has been satisfied in the modern code. The final objective of the paper is to analyze ASCE's record in the establishment of an environmental component to the Code of Ethics, the so-called Eighth Canon, which sets out the requirements and responsibilities of engineers with respect to environmental quality, pollution mitigation and the conservation of resources for the benefit of future generations.