Description
Course Description:
The purpose of this 1-hour course is to present the Code of Ethics of the American Society of Civil Engineers as a representative Code of Ethics within the engineering profession. Emphasis of the presentation is on the complexities of interpretation of the Code.
The course begins with definitions of Ethics and a summary of Human Ethical Theories. Use of these fundamentals is then used in the development of the Code.
The Code is then reviewed section by section by means of examples of the many different forces that affect the interpretation and effective implementation of its fundamental principles. Questions such as “How is this safe?” “How are safety limits determined?” and “How is a bribe distinguished from a gift?” are discussed. Ethical issues associated with the Fukushiman nuclear disaster, sustainability, arsenic mining and a simple water heater test are discussed.
Finally, Ecofeminism is presented as an example of the ethical responsibility of engineers to society and the environment.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, you should be familiar with:
- Human ethical theories.
- Development of a code of ethics and the Code of Ethics of the American Society of Civil Engineers as a representative ethical code of all engineering societies.
- An assortment of ethical dilemmas that may face an engineer during an engineering career along with several examples of real ethical situations that have been faced by engineers.
- A few additional Codes of Ethics.
PRESENTER INFO: Roger Messenger, Ph.D., P.E.