There’s No Such Thing as Engineering Ethics

Abstract

Why do engineers focus with such zeal on “engineering ethics?” Ethics are ethics. Have we, by creating a set of ethics for our professional lives as engineers, made the concept of ethical behavior so complex and confusing that we fail to act in ways consistent with moral principles when faced with an ethical dilemma? Studies shows that there is a set of guiding universal principles that if properly applied would provide guidance for dealing with ethical dilemmas. In theory, the study of engineering ethics should not be necessary if engineers were well founded in the application of these principles. Because of the complexities involved in ethical dilemmas, engineers must develop their ability to apply moral intelligence (knowledge of what is right) when we are under pressure in real-life situations. The way we learn to apply this moral intelligence is by studying ethics so that when we are faced with an ethical dilemma we can reply in a manner that is consistent with these universal principles.