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12 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Deontology |
The rules are the only things which matter. The moral worth of an action is determined only by whether it obeys the prevailing laws and culture. It doesn’t matter what the consequences of this action are. It doesn’t matter if the person carrying out the action is virtuous. E.g. prioritising white lies over unpleasant truths |
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Ethics and engineering |
Royal Academy of Engineering has identified a Statement of Ethical Principles |
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RAEng – Statement of Ethical Principles |
Honesty and integrity. Respect for life, law, the environment and public good. Accuracy and rigour. Leadership and communication. |
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Honesty and integrity |
Act in a reliable and trustworthy manner •Be alert to the ways in which their work and behaviour might affect others and respect the privacy, rights and reputations of others •Respect confidentiality •Declare conflicts of interest •Avoid deception and report corrupt practices and professional misconduct •Reject bribery and improper influence |
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Respect for life, law, the environment and public good |
•hold paramount the health and safety of others and draw attention to hazards •ensure all work is lawful and justified •recognise the importance of physical and cyber security and data protection •respect and protect personal information and intellectual property •protect and improve the quality of built and natural environments •maximise the public good and minimise both actual and potential adverse effects for succeeding generations •take due account of the limited availability of natural resources •uphold the reputation and standing of the profession |
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Accuracy and rigour |
always act with care •perform services only in areas in which they are currently competent or under competent supervision •keep their knowledge and skills up to date •assist the development of engineering knowledge and skills in others •present and review theory, evidence and interpretation honestly, accurately, objectively and without bias, while respecting reasoned alternative views •identify, evaluate, quantify, mitigate and manage risks •not knowingly mislead or allow others to be misled |
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Leadership and communication |
be aware of the issues that engineering and technology raise for society, and listen to the aspirations and concerns of others •promote equality, diversity and inclusion •promote public awareness and understanding of the impact and benefits of engineering achievements •be objective and truthful in any statement made in their professional capacity •challenge statements or policies that cause them professional concern |
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Consequentialism |
The consequences are the only thing that matters” •The moral worth of an action is determined only by its (potential) consequences •It doesn’t matter if this action is against the law or not •It doesn’t matter if the person taking the action is virtuous |
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Systems of ethics |
Ethical theories define frameworks for making ethical decisions •They are not based on any specific situation
Some ethical theories specify only what you should do, while others also specify why you should do it |
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Ethics |
Ethics refer the moral principles which govern our behaviour and activities •Ethics can be personal Ethics can be corporate
Not everybody will have the same ethical principles; Ethical principles are dependent on •Culture (democracy? Who / what has value?) Experience (what has happened in the past?) •Age •Expectations of others •Fear (“but what if I get found out”)
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Ethical dilemmas |
These are hypothetical scenarios posed to help explore and analyse people’s ethics •If you could see the answers to your next exam, would you?.
There are some common ethical dilemmas that you may see in the literature: |
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Ethical dilemmas – Prisoner’s Dilemma |
Two members of a criminal gang are arrested and cannot communicate with each other. •The prosecutor presents each with an offer individually: •If you betray him and he remains silent, you will be freed and he will be sentenced to 20 years •If you betray him and he betrays you, you'll both be sentenced to 5 years •If he betrays you and you remain silent, he will be freed and you will be sentenced to 20 years •If he stays silent and you stay silent you'll both be sentenced on a lesser charge to 1 year |
