The word ethics has different meanings but they are correspondingly related to each other. In connection with that, Engineering ethics has also various senses which are related to one another.
Comparison of the senses of Ethics and Engineering Ethics
| Ethics | Engineering Ethics |
| Ethics is an activity which concerns with making investigations and knowing about moral values, finding solutions to moral issues and justifying moral issues and justifying moral judgements. | Like ethics, engineering ethics also aims at knowing moral values related to engineering, finding accurate solutions to the moral problems in engineering and justifying moral judgements of engineering. |
| Ethics is a means of contrasting moral questions from non-moral problems. | Engineering ethics gives a total view of the moral problems and how to solve those issues specifically related to engineering field. |
| Ethics is also used as a means of describing the beliefs, attitudes and habits related to an individual’s or group’s morality. Eg. : Ethics given in the Bhagavat Gita or the Bible or the Quran. | Engineering ethics is also using some currently accepted codes and standards which are to be followed by the group of engineers and engineering societies. |
| As per the definition of dictionaries – ‘moral principles’ is about the actions and principles of conduct of the people. i.e. ethical or unethical | Engineering Ethics also concerns with discovering moral principles such as obligation, rights and ideals in engineering and by applying them to take a correct decision. |
From these senses of Engineering ethics, one can realize that it is the study of morality.
What is morality?
The term ‘morality‘ concerns with (a) what ought or ought not to be done in a given situation, (b) what is right or wrong in handling it, (c)what is good or bad about the persons, policies and principles involved in it.
If an action is said to be morally right or a principle is said to be morally good, then they are said to have some moral reasons in support.
Moral reasons include respecting others and ourselves, respecting the rights of others, keeping promises, avoiding unnecessary problems to others and avoiding cheating and dishonesty, showing gratitude to others and encouraging them to work.
So, if an engineering decision is said to be a good one, it has to meet all the specifications. These specifications must cover both the technical and the moral specifications such as safety of the product, reliability, easy maintenance and the product should be user – friendly and environment – friendly.
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