The Integration Of Virtue Analysis

Over the course of the past century, the United States and western civilization as a whole have had front row seats in witnessing some of the greatest technological enhancements in mankind’s history. However, these improvements to our everyday life are not without their side effects. We as a society find ourselves more reliant on technology in our everyday lives with the expectations that everything will work fine and that we will be kept safe. This dependence highlights one example of the importance of virtues in engineering and how the engineer must take on the duty of looking out for the welfare of the public. I will discuss the integration of virtues into ethics according to Aristotle as well as my development as a student at Texas A&M …show more content…
Aristotle emphasized the importance of becoming a morally righteous person, not on necessarily performing morally correct acts. One of the crucial benefits of living a virtuous life, according to Aristotle, is the concept of eudaimonia, the Greek word for happiness or flourishing. Aristotle believed that happiness is the highest good and the final aim we all strive for, and every interim action we take is simply a means to this end. For example, one might take an internship at a company to make money or gain experience. While the two outcomes may seem like what the person taking the internship desired, they are simply a means to become happy. Making more money may mean they’re able to buy more things they like and having more experience means they might be able to find a better job down the line that they would enjoy much …show more content…
Fortunately, Texas A&M is one of the best engineering schools in the country and employs very competent and experienced professors who have drilled this high standard of competence and excellence into me. One looking at these repeated practices through the lens of Aristotle would conclude that such repetition is necessary to make a habit of holding myself and my work to the highest standard and realizing my full potential as an engineer. As a civil engineering major, what I do as a future engineer will have direct impact on society. People walk through buildings, drive on highways, and drink water and take showers every single day. To have a civil engineer who lacks competence and cannot successfully design a functioning bridge or crossing would result, in most cases, drastic and perhaps deadly consequences. This is why it is so crucial to repeatedly stress the excellence and care that engineers must take in their work. Tying into the value of competence is integrity. This value has been drilled into us as students from day one as it is stated clearly in the honor code that an aggie does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do. As a civil engineer, you are responsible for creating the things that make civilization possible. The people who rely on your work for their everyday lives have put their trust in you and believe that you have