Depending on Character: ASCE Shapes Its First Code of Ethics

Abstract

From the founding of the ASCE in 1852 through today, engineers have relied not only on their individual reputations, but also on the character of the entire discipline. The value of ethical behavior to individual engineers and to the profession leads us to assume that codes of ethics should exist, that they should shape engineers’ behavior, and that they should be enforced. Yet for the first 60 years of their society’s existence, ASCE members repeatedly rejected proposals that the society adopt a formal code of ethics to define appropriate behavior for ASCE members. Furthermore, the code the society eventually did adopt in 1914 was accepted reluctantly, amid strong concern that it would unduly restrict an engineer’s behavior and practice. The first ASCE code was intended, in effect, not so much as a collection of rules, but as a declaration of engineers’ independence from such rules. This paper explores the origins of the ASCE’s first code of ethics to provide a historical backdrop for contemporary discussions about what it means to be an ethical engineer and what role professional societies should play in establishing, encouraging, and enforcing ethical standards.