In Search Of Engineering Professional Autonomy

Professional autonomy has been discussed in the medicine industry firstly. However, in the last few decades, the development of it has involved in many other occupations, such as lawyer,doctor,engineer. 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. The theme is based on the engineering ethics, and discussed the problem that engineer has lost in the complicate benefits. How should engineers go out of the moral dilemma between professional ethics and the loyalty for the employers? In our opinion, the discuss should focus on the question that why is professional autonomy in the engineering possible and how is professional autonomy in the engineering possible.In this economic society, managers who have interests as center-oriented gradually abandoned professional ethics, the engineers who are in the varieties of vortex of conflict desire to go out of the dilemma. In engineering profession, how resolve this problem? In this paper, we adopt professional autonomy as a solution to the plight. With the development of history, the path has appeared, and is a way that engineer seek the right to speak, which has inherent contact with the responsibility of engineers.There are conflicts, when engineers undertake the responsibilities. From the engineer's position, we analyze the condition of engineers: first, not only loyalty to the employer, but also to the profession, engineers are in the dilemma of choosing; second in the engineering practice, the engineers of a dual role go to the position of manager or the position of engineer; thirdly, the engineer has been deprived of the right by the manager. In this way, the loyalty of employers and the professional ethics of engineers are inconsistent. Finally, professional autonomy is a way to prevent engineer to be puppet.In the modern society, the company is pursuing the interests. In this environment, how ensure the professional autonomy? The chapter discussed the two approach of professional autonomy, individual and organization, in order that engineers can pick up their "power wand".From the research of foreign engineering professional autonomy, looking on the status of our professional autonomy, we discover that there is obvious dependence and imperfect for moral construction. Meanwhile, our engineering professional autonomy will have a better future.Finally, we set forth briefly the research of professional autonomy is good for the development and application of our engineering profession. Engineering professional autonomy in China should be a foreseeable future.