Research Catalog

Title

The ethical engineer : contemporary concepts and cases / Robert McGinn.

Author

McGinn, Robert E., 1941-

Publication

• Princeton ; Oxford : Princeton University Press, [2018]
• ©2018

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

x, 340 pages : illustrations; 25 cm

Summary

An exploration of the ethics of practical engineering through analyses of eighteen case studies. The Ethical Engineer explores ethical issues that arise in engineering practice, from technology transfer to privacy protection to whistle-blowing. Presenting key ethics concepts and real-life examples of engineering work, Robert McGinn illuminates the ethical dimension of engineering practice and helps students and professionals determine engineers' context-specific ethical responsibilities. McGinn highlights the "ethics gap" in contemporary engineering-- the disconnect between the meager exposure to ethical issues in engineering education and the ethical challenges frequently faced by engineers. He elaborates four "fundamental ethical responsibilities of engineers" (FEREs) and uses them to shed light on the ethical dimensions of diverse case studies, including ones from emerging engineering fields. After examining the extent to which the actions of engineers in the cases align with the FEREs, McGinn recapitulates key ideas used in analyzing the cases and spells out the main lessons they suggest. He identifies technical, social, and personal factors that induce or press engineers to engage in misconduct and discusses organizational, legal, and individual resources available to those interested in ethically responsible engineering practice.

Subject

• Engineering ethics

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-327) and index.

Contents

• Preface. Chapter 1. The ethics gap in contemporary engineering: Two vignettes ; A gap between education and experience ; Evidence ; Importance ; Unfruitful approaches to bridging the gap ; Preferred approach. -- Chapter 2. Sociological and ethical preliminaries: Sociology of engineering ; Professional engineering society codes of ethics. -- Chapter 3. The fundamental ethical responsibilities of engineers: An ethical responsibilities approach ; Ethical issues and harm ; The fundamental ethical responsibilities of engineers. --
• Chapter 4. Case studies of ethical issues in engineering: Case 1. The Cadillac DeVille/Seville engine-control chip (1990-1995) ; Case 2. SDI battlefield management software (1983-1985) ; Case 3. Collaborative research practices at Bell Labs (1997-2002) ; Case 4. The Apple Newton MessagePad (1990-1993) ; Case 5. An employee database management system ; Case 6. The Citicorp Center Tower (1970-1978) ; Case 7. The Union Carbide MIC plant in Bhopal (1970-1984) ; Case 8. The space shuttle Challenger (1983-1986) ; Case 9. A composite-material bicycle project (1989-1992) ; Case 10. Nanotechnology R&D (1985-present) ; Case 11. The Ford Pinto (1969-1972) ; Case 12. Topf & Sons : crematorium ovens for the Nazi SS (1939-1945) ; Case 13. TRW and the US ballistic missile defense system (1995-2003) ; Case 14. The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel walkways (1979-1981) ; Case 15. The Manhattan Westway Project (1974-1985) ; Case 16. Innovations for rural Kenyan farmers (1991-present) ; Case 17. Google street view -- Case 18. Opiod biosynthesis and neural enhancement. --
• Chapter 5. Key case ideas and lessons: The leading precept of most current codes of engineering ethics ; The FEREs ; Ethics and the sociology of contemporary engineering ; An ethically problematic pattern of engineering practice ; Whistle-blowing and ethical responsibility ; Risk and idealization of technology in society ; Ethical responsibility and the culture of the engineering workplace ; An overlooked responsibility of engineers ; An engineering professional ; Engineering design, paradigm departure, and the ethics of precaution ; Normalization of risk and routinization of the experimental ; Technology transfer and ethical responsibility ; "Two cultures" and ethical responsibility ; Decontextualization ; The politicization and economization of engineering decision-making ; Negligence ; Workplace culture and the ethically responsible engineer ; Conflicts of interest ; "Design for ..." ; Ethical issues in engineering research ; Factors conducive to engineering misconduct. --
• Chapter 6. Resources and options for ethically responsible engineers: Organizational resources ; Legal resources and options ; Employment-related options -- Chapter 7. Conclusion: Bucciarelli's critique of U.S. engineering-ethics education ; A foundational-contextual ethical responsibilities approach ; Two quotations. -- Bibliography -- Index.

ISBN

• 9780691177694
• 0691177694
• 9780691177700
• 0691177708

LCCN

99976624775

OCLC

• ocn983825027
• 983825027
• SCSB-8999564

Owning Institutions

Columbia University Libraries