Engineering Ethics And Certain Of Its Major Problems

Engineering is the medium of the interaction between science & technology and society, and both the positive and the negative effects of engineering have become more and more prominent since the beginning of the 20th century. But there is little philosophical research done about engineering and engineers, and engineering ethics, in particular, is almost a gap in our study. So, the study of engineering ethics has great values both in theory and in practice. In the front line of the study of philosophy of science & technology and STS (science, technology and society) in the new century and on the basis of the latest results of research in the developed countries, this thesis systematically probes into the disciplinal status of engineering ethics and the major questions of engineering ethics.Firstly, the status of engineering ethics as a distinct discipline is discussed. By analyzing the popular views about engineering such as engineering as application of science, instrumentalist view of engineering and the view of autonomous technology, this paper definitely puts forward-firstly at home- that engineering ethics has its unique questions distinct from those of science ethics and other typical professional ethics (medical ethics and law ethics, for example), and should enjoy the status of a distinct discipline.Secondly, guided by the basic thought of the interaction between science & technology and society, this paper discusses the interrelations between engineering and ethics in depth. Utilizing the results of the study of engineering ethics abroad, and focusing on engineering and engineers, it sets engineering/engineers in the context of business, centers on the responsibility, and studies the questions of honesty of engineers to their profession inward and those of their loyalty to their companies outward. This shapes the relatively complete system of the study of engineering ethics. The major questions of responsibility, honesty and loyalty are discussed in detail separately. To put it precisely, in the part of 'responsibility', the evolving history of engineering responsibilities is examined, and it is proposed that nowadays engineers' prime responsibility is to hold the safety, health and welfare of the public paramount. Engineers' responsibilities in product quality and safety and in public participation in technical decisions and their responsibilities in international background are also discussed.In the part of 'honesty', honesty is broadly comprehended-i.e., adhering to professional standards of engineering (including both technical and ethical standards) as well as truth-telling in interpersonal interactions. The manifestations of honesty in science and in engineering are compared, and the problems of honesty in engineering test, business operation and social duty are discussed respectively.In the part of 'loyalty', the conflicts between engineering/engineers and business/managers and their effects upon engineers' fulfillment of their professional responsibility are discussed. Loyalty is criticized in theory, and some suggestions about how to tackle the conflicts between engineers' responsibility to the public and their loyalty to the companies are given.Nature is normally seen as the object of human subjection and reconstruction according to traditional views of engineering. New ethical thoughts put forward in this paper ask engineers to put into the scope of their responsibility the preservation of the environment and the husbandry of resources. Engineers should engage in new kinds of engineering and promote sustainable development.