Lecture 3: Moral reasoning II (Chapter 2, Martin

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Lecture 3 Moral reasoning II(Chapter 2, Martin
Schinzinger, Ethics in Engineering)
ELEC4011 Ethics Electrical Engineering
Practice Hugh Outhred
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MS p 77 Acts are moral when they

• Produce the most good for the most people
• Act utilitarianism (Mill)
• Fall under a code that if widely followed would
  produce the most good for the most people
• Rule utilitarianism (Brandt)
• Fall under principles that would be agreed to by
  all rational agents in an impartial situation
• Duty (Rawls)
• Respect the inalienable human rights of all
  people affected
• Rights (Locke Melden) - only meaningful if
  they can be exercised
• Most fully manifest relevant virtues that foster
  the achievement of social goods
• Virtue (Aristotle Macintyre)

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Is one theory best?

• Each theory may provide insights
• For a particular situation or a particular person
• There is considerable complementarity
• Between Rights, Duties Rule-utilitarianism,
  e.g
• The right to life implies the duty not to kill
• They offer similar advice in most cases
• Safest to rank duties above utilitarianism
• Respect for equity is a fundamental duty
• Utilitarianism useful if applied carefully

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Making ethical decisions in practice

• Theoretical insights
• Virtues, rights, duties, utilitarianism
• Practical insights Context-specific issues,
  e.g
• Characteristics of the available options
• Company societal cultures
• Personal situation
• Apply moral autonomy to make an ethical decision
  (reflective equilibrium)
• Balancing theoretical and practical considerations

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Self-interest

• Moral theories respect reasonable self-interest
• Utilitarianism includes ones own welfare
• Duties include duties to oneself
• Rights include ones own rights
• Virtues include self-respect
• Must balance self-interest with concern for
  others
• In this case, ethics is a matter of balance
• Equity is always a useful test

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Social customs religions

• Social customs
• Shared beliefs values within a social context
• Many similarities between cultures
• Engineering is cross-cultural and innovative
• Often introduces new social issues, e.g internet
• Religions
• Can support moral autonomy so long as
• Individual autonomy respected discrimination
  avoided
• but no single religion shared by all engineers !

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Protecting the public interest

• Engineers intend to change the way we live
• Inevitably affects the public interest
• creates a professional obligation to the public
• All ethical theories agree that responsibility to
  the public is paramount
• duty of care, human rights, greatest good
• However employers engineers also have rights
• Case by case decision, balancing the moral
  obligations
• Search for win-win options

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What is the basis of the professional obligation
to protect the public interest?

• Legalistic view
• Laws define unacceptable behaviour. However
• Legal obligations differ between countries
• unethical behaviour may not be illegal (laws lag
  innovation)
• Professional society view
• Behaviour guided by a code of ethics. However
• Not all engineers join professional societies
• Codes of ethics may vary between professional
  societies
• Employment contract view
• Contract with employer specifies conduct.
  However
• Contract may conflict with the public interest.

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Another basis for duty to the public-the
implied social contract

• Implied contract between a profession society
• Society grants certain privileges in return for
  an expectation of ethical behaviour
• Duty to exercise power wisely
• Appealing but may not be stable through time
• Western societies are placing greater emphasis on
  legal remedies for unethical behaviour
• The status of professions is falling
  (commercialisation)
• The cost of professional indemnity insurance is
  rising

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Some situations with implicationsfor electrical
engineers

• Privacy with respect to databases or internet use
• Censorship of material on the internet
• Health risks associated with electromagnetic
  radiation
• Environmental impacts of coal-fired nuclear
  power stations
• Use of electric chairs in state-sanctioned
  executions

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Some open issues in ethics

• Ethics is an evolving discipline
• Existing theories may develop or new ones emerge
• Social expectations may change
• Moral reasoning is culturally based
• Theories discussed are based on western thought
• They focus on individual rather than group
  behaviour
• Internationalisation is forcing change
• In the balance between business, government
  society the individual (intl legal framework
  weak)
• International norms may emerge

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Summary

• Morality involves balancing self-interest with
  concern for others
• Ethical decisions are impartial, universalisable
• Theories support ethical behaviour but cannot
  supplant moral autonomy (independent judgement)
• Reflective equilibrium - balance theory
  practical issues
• Professionalism is an implied social contract
• Public interest is paramount
• However employers engineers have legitimate
  rights
• Equity is a critical test