Engineering Ethics

Our behavior, both personally and professionally, is a culmination of values and morals we have been taught and learned since we were born. Some of these influences were subtle, some were overt, but all helped create who we are and helped construct our moral character. Our underlying responsibility as engineers is to the individuals, some of whom are family and friends, who will be using or benefitting from the infrastructure we are designing and constructing. These responsibilities are to be held paramount in design, material selection, construction, and final inspection of an engineered project.

Engineers are faced with daily issues and challenges for which we call on our extensive education, training, and experience to provide the design solution, while holding paramount the health, safety and well-being of the public. Ethical considerations can also arise in our personal conduct, how we relate to colleagues or competitors, and our participation in professional organizations. Engineers are and should be held to the highest standards of technical competence and personal conduct.

We will explore some of the influences that make us who we are and create our moral character. We will also look at how our morals can help us professionally and ethically navigate potentially dangerous or possibly illegal situations.