Fundamentals of Ethics for Scientists and Engineers

Description

Fundamentals of Ethics for Scientists and Engineers represents a new approach to introductory ethics that is both practical and accessible. Classical virtue theory is employed to provide a time-tested, simple, and easily remembered basis for ethical reasoning. The text is modularized for easy use in both stand-alone ethics courses and as self-contained units within engineering core courses. It is accompanied by an instructor's manual that includes a comprehensive set of sample lectures and course assignments, detailed homework solutions, and many helpful hints for teaching an ethics course.
To ground the ethical analysis in practical reality, each chapter contains a real-life case together with several fictional cases. The fictional cases breathe renewed vigor into the study of ethics by employing a new learning device: the "ethical serial." Each fictional case can be understood individually, but the cases are also unified by use of a single set of college-aged characters whose personalities are developed throughout the book. These characters mimic real people far more closely than those in other texts and act in situations that are directly familiar to students.
The book is composed of four units. The first two focus on ethical reasoning, outlining within the context of science and engineering the notions of character formation and intention central to virtue theory. To prepare students to handle complex ethical questions, these units extend virtue theory in a readily understandable way, accounting systematically for the consequences that follow an ethical decision. The second two units focus on practical issues such as intellectual property, conflict of interest, whistle blowing, and authorship in scientific publication. These units also treat more advanced topics like risk, resource allocation, conflicting ethical methods, and intuition in ethical decision making.

Table of Contents

Preface
UNIT ONE: FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
1. APPROACHING THE SUBJECT OF ETHICS
An Example
The Importance of Ethics in Science and Engineering
Managing Ethical Discussion
Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics
The Existence of Right and Wrong
Principle: Certain aspects of right and wrong exist objectively, independent of culture or personal opinion
The Subject of Moral Analysis
The Role of Codes of Ethics
A Real-life Case: Destruction of the Spaceship Challengerr
2. THE PERSON AND THE VIRTUES
Developing a Model for the Person
Components of the Psyche
Limitations of the Model
Habits and Morals
The Four Main Virtues
Principle: People should always decide and act according to the virtues insofar as possible
An Example
A Real-life Case; Toxic Waste at Love Canal
3. ANALYZING EXTERIOR ACTS: SOME FIRST STEPS
Ethics as a Craft
Distinguishing Exterior and Interior Morality
Beginning Case Analysis
Event Trees
A Real-life Case: Dow Corning Corp. and Breast Implants
4. ANALYZING INTERIOR INTENTIONS: SOME FIRST STEPS
Describing Intention
The Importance of Intention
Effort and the Virtues
Principle: People should try insofar as possible to continue to progress in the moral life
The Role of Benevolence
A Real-life Case: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment
SUMMARY
Some Words of Caution
Note
UNIT TWO: RESOLVING ETHICAL CONFLICTS
5. TOWARD A HIERARCHY OF MORAL VALUES
On Selecting Principles and Methods
Hierarchies of Values: Moral and Nonmoral
Line-drawing
An Example
Mathematical Analogies
Ranking the Virtues
A Real-life Case: Scientific Tests Using Animals
6. STARTING MORAL JUDGMENTS: EVALUATING EXTERIOR ACTS
A Mathematical Analogy
An Example
A Real-life Case: Chemical Disaster at Bhopal
7. COMPLETING MORAL JUDGMENTS: THE DECISIVE ROLE OF INTENTION
Evaluating Interior Goodness
An Example
Balancing Evaluations of Interior and Exterior Goodness
The "Solomon Problem"
Principle: The obligation to avoid what is bad outweighs the obligation to do what is good
Cooperating in the Evil of Others
A Real-life Case: The Problem of Performance Evaluation--Grade Inflation
8. MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
Factors Limiting Moral Responsibility
Degrees of Responsibility
An Example
The "Sainthood" and "Devil" Problems
A Real-life Case: Responsibility in Software Engineering
SUMMARY
Some Words of Caution
UNIT THREE: JUSTICE: APPLICATIONS
9. TRUTH: PERSON-TO-PERSON
Truth in Actions
Truth in Words
Harm from Deception
Harm from Withholding Truth
Whistleblowing
Harm from Spreading Truth
Privacy
A Real-lfe Case: Censorship of the Internet
10. TRUTH: SOCIAL
Distinctions between Science and Engineering
Approach to Knowledge in Science
Recognition from Scientific Publication
Black and Gray in Scientific Practice
Approach to Knowledge in Technology
Intellectual Property
A Real-life Case: Copying Music Illegally Using the Internet
11. FAIRNESS: PERSON-TO-PERSON
Conflict of Interest
Qualitative versus Quantitative Fairness
Credit or Blame in Team Projects
Authorship Questions
Fairness in Supervising
Fairness in Contracting with Clients
A Real-life Case: Problems with Peer Review
12. FAIRNESS: SOCIAL
Intellectual Property and the Society
Environmental Issues
Experts and Paternalism
Social Aspects of Employment
A Real-life Case: Environmental Cleanup--Problems with the Superfund
SUMMARY
Some Words of Caution
UNIT FOUR: ADVANCED TOPICS
13. RESOURCE ALLOCATION
What is Resource Allocation?
Allocation by Merit
Allocation by Social Worth
Allocation by Need
Allocation by Ability to Pay
Allocation by Equal or Random Assignment
Allocation by Similarity
How to Decide among Methods
A Real-life Case: Ethical Issues in Affirmative Action
14. RISK
A Historical Perspective
Defining Safety and Risk
Evaluating Risk
Making Decisions about Risk
Some General Guidelines
A Real-life Case: Experimental Drug Testing in Humans
15. DEALING WITH DIFFERING ETHICAL SYSTEMS
Differing Anthropologies
Differing Principles and Methods
Monism and Relativism
Postmodernism
True Pluralism
Conclusion
A Real-life Case: Geological Experiments in Sacred Mountains
16. HABIT AND INTUITION
Rationalist Approaches to Moral Action
Advantages of Rationalist Approaches
Problems with Rationalist Approaches
Toward a More Comprehensive Approach to Moral Behavior
A Real-life Case: The Ethics of Human Cloning
Chapters 1-15 end with Notes and Problems
Chapter 16 ends with Notes