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

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 […]

From Theory to Practice.

From Theory to Practice. Many engineering ethics presentations I see out there consist of a case study followed by an analysis of what went wrong, what should have been done, etc. I will take a different approach. As an engineer-turned-philosopher, I will start with theory and then say something about the application of it. What […]

What is Morally Required of me?

What is Morally Required of me? Many agencies, companies, and professional organizations require that their members attend a yearly “ethics session” (usually for PDH credit) to maintain their good standing. Why? Do these sessions make its attendees “more ethical”? Or is it a paperwork drill to protect against potential liabilities? What are an engineer’s moral […]

Holding Each Other Accountable.

Holding Each Other Accountable. How good are engineers at holding each other accountable? Moral theories that underpin professional ethics in engineering will be presented. ASCE’s Code of Ethics will be evaluated as a guide for ethical action, and policing strategies will be analyzed. Next