Developing our Moral (or is it “Ethical”?) Vocabulary.

ASCE’s (relatively new) Code of Ethics encourages engineers to “continue professional development to enhance technical and non-technical competencies.” (3.g) In this session, Carlos Bertha, an engineer-turned-philosopher, will cover a bit of that non-technical stuff: what is the difference between “ethical” and “moral”? What distinguishes a “bribe” from “extortion”? What does “standard of care” mean? You get the picture. Carlos will review some of the vocabulary associated with moral choices that engineers face during their careers. In the process, he will also cover some theoretical language used in engineering ethics, which will (hopefully) enhance those non-technical competencies the Code of Ethics refers to.