Engineers as Responsible Experimenters Engineers Shared Responsibility Engineers

Engineers as Responsible Experimenters

Engineers –Shared Responsibility • Engineers are not the sole experimenters – Managers – Marketing people – Public But, “with knowledge comes responsibility” • Engineers are in a unique position to: – Monitor projects – Identify risks – Develop facts for informed consent • An engineering professional will take on the responsibility!

To fulfill their obligations as responsible experimenters, engineers must: • A Primary Obligation to protect the safety of human subjects, providing a safe exit whenever possible, and respect their right of informed consent • use imaginative forecasting of possible side effects, and reasonable efforts to monitor them • have autonomous, personal involvement in all aspects of a project • accept accountability for the results • display technical competence and other attributes of responsible professionals

For Remembrance • Informing for consent requires excellent communications skills in order to provide appropriate information in an understandable way. • Also, cooperation with other disciplines is often essential to assess potential side effects and monitor effects of "social experiments" through engineering. . (Recall Alasdair Mac. Intyre's virtue of professional responsibility which includes: i) self direction, ii) public spirited, iii) team work iv) proficiency. (Martin & Schinzinger, 42)

• Engineers should also display technical competence and other attributes of professionalism. • Definite “Style” of Engineering • Contemporary Threats

Contemporary Threats • • Conscientiousness Relevant Information Moral Autonomy Accountability

Responsible Experimentalists 1. Conscientiousness: Protect safety knowledge, respect right of consent of public 2. Relevant Information / Comprehensive perspective: Awareness of experimental nature of projects, forecasting, monitoring 3. Moral autonomy: Personally engaged, thoughtful, involvement in project 4. Accountability: Accept responsibility for results of a project (avoid fragmentation, diffusion, time pressures)

1. CONSCIENTIOUSNESS • People act responsibly to the extent that they conscientiously commit themselves to live according to moral values. • Self interest • Moral Agents Individuals who think solely of their own good to the exclusion of the good of others are not moral agents

Conscientiousness moral commitment • a sensitivity to the full range of moral values and responsibilities that are relevant to a given situation • Willingness to develop the skill and expend the effort needed to reach the best balance possible among those considerations. • Conscientiousness implies consciousness ( in the sense of awareness), because intent is not sufficient.

Open eyes, Open ears and an Open mind are required to recognize a given situation, its implications and who is involved or affected.

Working Conditions • The contemporary ( modern or present) working conditions of engineers tend a narrow moral vision solely to the obligations that accompany employee status.

Engineers work benefits • 90% of engineers are salaried employees work in large bureaucracies ( organizations or administrations ) under great pressure to function smoothly within the organization • Benefits : Prudent self interest and concern for one’s family make it easy to emphasize as primary the obligations to one‘s employer

Moral aspiration (goal) • Minimal negative duties: – Not falsifying data – Not violating patent rights – Not breaching confidentiality

Engineering as Social Experimentation • Restores vision of engineers as guardians of the public interest professional duty it is to guard the Welfare and safety of those affected by engineering projects. • Engineers should not impose their own views of the social good upon society

2. RELEVANT INFORMATION • Conscientiousness is blind without relevant factual information. • Shows moral concern that involves commitment to obtain and properly assess all available information pertinent to meeting one’s moral obligations

• Grasp the context of one’s work( which makes it count as an activity having a moral import ) • Specialization • Division of Labor

Example • A company may produce items with obsolescence built into them , or the items might promote unnecessary energy usage • It is easy to place the burden on the sales department : “Let them inform the customers” • It may be natural to thus rationalize one’s neglect of safety or cost considerations , but it shows no moral concern.

• Consequences of what one does • Regarding engineering as social experimentation : – Engineer should view his/her specialized activities in a project as part of a larger whole having a social impact. – Goal is to practice “Defensive engineering “ or “ preventive technology “ – Moral Responsibility

MORAL AUTONOMY (Morally Self directed ) When People are morally autonomous ?

• People are morally autonomous when their moral conduct and principles of action are their own. • Moral Beliefs and attitudes basis of Critical reflection Moral beliefs and attitudes must be held on the basis of critical reflection rather than merely through passive adoption ie. . . Particular conventions of one’s society, church or profession

• Moral Beliefs and attitudes must integrate into the core of an individual’s personality in a manner that leads to committed action. • Cannot be agreed abstractly and formally or verbally.

• Engineers working for an employer sells one’s labor and skills may make it seem that one has thereby disowned and forfeited power over one’s actions • Viewing engineering as social experimentation can help one overcome the above tendency.

ATTITUDE OF MANAGEMENT • Plays a decisive (vital) role in how much moral autonomy engineers feel they have. • Long term interest • Thoughtful & • involvement in project

3. ACCOUNTABILITY • Responsible people accept moral responsibility for their actions. • Accept responsibility for results of a project 1. fragmentation, 2. diffusion, 3. time pressures