02 - Ethical Foundations

8/18/2019 02 - Ethical Foundations

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Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2015

Engineering & Society:Ethical Foundations

Dr. Gershon Weltman

Engineering 183EW, U!" SE"S

!ecture #


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2Copyright Gershon Weltman, 2015

What Do We $ean %y Ethics

Descri'ti(e Ethics ) Deals *ith descri%ing e+isting ethical systems

ormati(e Ethics ) Deals *ith determining -right choices and actions

/iologicalGenetic/Neurophysiological

0hiloso'hicalTheoretical, Experiential

Ethics Are

!elie"s, Assumptions, #alues $$ Gui%es to Action

aturalNature&s 'a(s/)ni*ersal Truths

e(elationTranscen%ental Authorities

2he Sources o Ethics "re onsidered to %e

Societal

Community, Nation, Worl%

ultural

+amily, Ethnicity, Gen%er


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Ethical 0rogression

oyal4Di(ine !egal odes

e(ealed $oral4Ethical odes

S'eciali5ed !ie odes

Ethical 0hiloso'hies

Societal egulations & !a*s

2he relationshi' o ethical codes to ethical 'hiloso'hies is li6e the

relationshi' o engineering to science ) doing comes irst.7t seems that a society, a culture, or a su%culture irst decides *hat

its 'eo'le should and shouldnt do and then its 'hiloso'hers try to

igure out the %asic 'rinci'les on *hich these decisions are %ased.


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Early odes: Egy't & $eso'otamia

#99 /.. Urammu

189 /.. !i'it7shtar 1;89 /..


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ode o


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Earliest /i%lical $aterial ?@1999 /EA

$he writing was discovered on a pottery shard dug up during e%cavations at &hirbet 'eiyafa, near Israel(s )lah

valley. $he e%cavations were carried out by archaeologist #osef *arfinkel of the +ebrew niversity in

-erusalem. $he breakthrough could mean that portions of the Bible were written several centuries earlier than

previously thought. ive/cience.com -an 10, 21

otshard containing early biblical material

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/livescience/sc_livescience/byline/biblepossiblywrittencenturiesearliertextsuggests/34742032/SIG=10sog4vj6/*http://www.livescience.comhttp://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/livescience/sc_livescience/byline/biblepossiblywrittencenturiesearliertextsuggests/34742032/SIG=10sog4vj6/*http://www.livescience.comhttp://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/livescience/sc_livescience/byline/biblepossiblywrittencenturiesearliertextsuggests/34742032/SIG=10sog4vj6/*http://www.livescience.com


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e(ealed !a*s oahide ?7srael, @B99 /EA

2he Se(en !a*s 3or $an6ind

1 -ou shall practice e.uity, estalish an% promote ustice2 -ou shall not commit %olatry -ou shall not commit !lasphemy3 -ou shall not commit 4exual mmorality

5 -ou shall not commit ur%er6 -ou shall not commit The"t7 -ou shall not eat the lim torn "rom a li*e animal +lesh

(ith the li"e o" it, the loo% o" it, you shall not eat

"ccording to /i%lical tradition, the irst si+ uni(ersal la*s *ere gi(en to

"dam, the se(enth *as added or oah ater the lood.


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e(ealed !a*s Decalogue ?7srael, @99 /EA

1. Cou shall ha(e no other gods %eore me.

#. Cou shall not ma6e idols to *orshi' them.

3. Cou shall not ta6e the name o the !ord thy God in (ain.

. emem%er the Sa%%ath day and 6ee' it holy.

.


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E+am'le 7nunctions: !e(iticus1

2 #e shall not eat any thing with the blood! neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

24 #e shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

2 #e shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you! Iam

the ord.

25 6o not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore7 lest the land fall to whoredom, and

the land become full of wickedness.

3 #e shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary! I am the ord.

31 8egard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wi9ards, to be defiled by them! I

am the ord your *od.

32 $hou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy *od!

I am the ord.

33 :nd if a stranger so;ourn with thee in your land, ye shall not ve% him.

3< But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt

love him as thyself7 for ye were strangers in the land of )gypt! Iam the ord your *od.

30 #e shall do no unrighteousness in ;udgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.

3 -ust balances, ;ust weights, a ;ust ephah, and a ;ust hin, shall ye have! Iam the ord your *od,

which brought you out of the land of )gypt.

34 $herefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my ;udgments, and do them! Iam the ord.

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/26ahttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/26bhttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/26chttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/26dhttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/27ahttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/28ahttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/28bhttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/29ahttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/29bhttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/29chttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/30ahttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/30ahttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/29chttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/29bhttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/29ahttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/28bhttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/28ahttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/27ahttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/26dhttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/26chttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/26bhttp://scriptures.lds.org/en/lev/19/26a


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e(ealed hristian Doctrine ?7srael, @39 "DA

Follo* the !a*, o%ey the ommandments Do not only not s*ear oaths alsely, do not s*ear oaths at all /lessed are the mee6, the 'ersecuted, the merciul, the 'eacema6ers "gree *ith your ad(ersary, murder %egins in the heart, 2urn the other chee6, do not gi(e =an eye or an eye, a tooth or a tooth> !o(e your enemies, do good to those *ho hate you Do your charita%le deeds in secret, 'ray 'ri(ately, ast to %e seen only %y God !ay u' treasures in hea(en and not on earth, you cannot ser(e %oth God and

mammon "dultery is committed in the heart *hen you loo6 at a *oman *ith lust Di(orce is adultery, unless or se+ual immorality

Do not *orry ) a%out your lie, a%out ood and drin6, a%out clothingH.. udge not, that you %e not udged

According to the Gospels, Jesus of Naareth preached!

2hese no(el teachings em'hasi5ed humility, lo(ing 6indness,

and orgi(eness rather than 'rohi%itions and retri%ution


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"n Essential 7dea: 2he Golden ule?sA

udaic:

What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. hristian:

What you would want others to do to you, do so to them.

/uddhist:

Hurt not others with that which pains you. $uslim:

Desire for your brother that which you desire for yourself.


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" Golden onundrum

0ractical !e(el "ssume homogeneity ) E(eryone thin6s the same

Em'hasi5e 'rinci'les o(er 'articulars ) E.g., 'leasure & 'ain

Empathi8e $$ 9o as they would have you do onto them:

once'tual !e(el Shared cogniti(e models

Family and Friends

!earned cogniti(e models: 7ndi(iduals ) 0sychology

Grou's ) Sociology

$etacogniti(e 'rocesses reate models

2est and reine models

"nalytical !e(el: 0hiloso'hies o Ethical 0rinci'les

;o( %o you


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odes: hi(alry ?Euro'e, @1999 "DA1

I%ser(e all the hurch teaches

Deend the hurch

Do not recoil %eore your enemy

$a6e *ar on the 7nidel *ithout

cessation or mercy

!o(e your country o %irth 0erorm your eudal duties

ham'ion the ight and Good

against 7nustice and E(il

/e generous to e(eryone

es'ect all *ea6nesses and ma6eyoursel their deender

e(er lie, and 6ee' your *ord

1 "ter Gautier, hi(alry, 18


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odes: $agna arta and the ule o !a* ?1#1A

Englands Jing ohn 'romises

his %arons in *riting that he *ill

=o%ey the la* o the land>

Esta%lishes the 'rinci'le that

Law is u''ermost, e(en or 6ings

ecogni5es the rights oindi(iduals *ithin states

0ro(ides a 'artial %asis or our

onstitution and /ill o ights


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odes: /oy Scouts ?England, @199 "DA

2rust*orthy

!oyal


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odes: West 0oint ?US", @19 "DA

" cadet *ill not lie, cheat or steal,

or tolerate those who doL

Sim'le codes are easy to remem%er, %ut in their sim'licity they may

neglect more com'le+ ethical and moral issues o great im'ortance


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odes: Engineering 0roession ?US" @#999A

Engineers, in the ulillment o their 'roessional duties, shall:


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E+am'le: reation o e* !a*s

Chil% >hurriers? in

1@th century coal mines

= hild la%or 'layed a maor role in the Euro'ean 7ndustrial e(olutionN $ore than 9O o children rom to 1 *or6ed *ithout regulationN 189# English la* reduced childrens *or6 day rom 1B to 1# hours

N 18; English la* limited adults and children to 19 hours *or6 dailyN hild la%or la*s 'resaged other restrictions on industrial 'ractices

/ut child la%or remains a *orld ethical issue todayL


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E+am'le: e(ersal o E+isting !a*s

Sla(ery

Segregation

Discrimination

Su%ugation o Women

Disenranchisement

ontrace'tion4"%ortion

Derogatory S'eech

7nteracial $arriage

SameSe+ $arriage

Go(ernment Sur(eillance

ruel & Unusual 0unishment

2orture

Death 0enalty

hemical4/iological Wea'ons

!and $ines

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Sale o /ody 0arts

Ithers

7n the US" many 're(iously legal 'ractices ha(e %een o(erturned or

are %eing ree+amined on the %asis o moral or ethical considerations:

$any urther e+am'les in 'olitics, %usiness, s'orts and daily lie.


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Ethics, $orality and !a*: " !ocal E+am'le


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Ethics, $orality and !a*: Summary

$any o the diicult 'ro%lems in engineering ethics lie inside the%oundary o *hat is legal.

"t the same time, things that *ere ormerly ethical Muestions

such as se+ual harassment, o%related age discrimination, and

ar%itrary dismissal are no* outside the !a*.

$ost o our outmoded la*s are still open issues from a

worldwide perspective, and 'ro(ide (alua%le insight into the

historical e(olution o morality, ethics and la*s.

2he challenge is to %uild a solid "ersonal #thical Framewor$ in the

ace o continual interaction and luctuation o morals, ethics and la*s

) and then to act decisi(ely on the %asis o that rame*or6.


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Ethical 0hiloso'hies

7m'ortant Ethical 2heories

ights Ethics

Duty EthicsP

Qirtue EthicsP

UtilitarianismP

0ragmatism

"lternati(e Ethical 2heoriesP

0hiloso'hies are attem'ts to systemati5e, rationali5e and 'rescri%esocietal and 'ersonal ethical choices. We *ill re(ie*:

P"lso treated in Qan de 0oel and oya66ers, Ethics, 2echnology & Engineering


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ights Ethics

Fundamental once'ts (s. =e* Society>


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U.S. Declaration o 7nde'endence

>hen in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to

dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another,

and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and e?ual station to

which the aws of @ature and of @atureAs *od entitle them, a decent respect

to the opinions of mankind re?uires that they should declare the causes which

impact them to the separation.

>e hold these truths to be self evident

= $hat all men are created e?ual= $hat they are endowed by their reator with certain inalienable 8ights= $hat among these are ife, iberty and the ursuit of +appiness= $hat to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Cen, deriving

their ;ust powers from the consent of the governed

= $hat whenever any Dorm of *overnment becomes destructive of these ends,it is the 8ight of the eople to alter or abolish it, and to institute new *overnE

ment, laying its foundation on such principles and organi9ing its powers such

form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their /afety and +appiness.


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ights 7ssues

Where Do ights ome From

Iutside Sources: God, ature, %atural Law 7nside Sources: odes, !a*s, !eason

Wrongs: /ad E+'eriences R $orality1


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ase 7n 0oint: aliornia Fair


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ase 7n 0oint: aliornia Fair


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Ither ights 7n I''osition

ight to 6ee' and %ear arms

ight to reedom o s'eech

ights o deendants

ight to health care

ight to medical treatment

ight to a clean en(ironment

ight to chose a%ortion

ight to 'ersonal 'ro'erty

Etc., Etc.

ight to saety and 'rotection

ight to a nonhostile en(ironment

ights o (ictims and o society

ight to 'ersonal inde'endence

ight to reuse to gi(e treatment

ight to a 'roita%le %usiness

ight o etus to lie

ight o society to resources

Etc., Etc.

ight I''osing ight


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Duty Ethics ?Deontological EthicsA

Fundamental once'ts eMuired duties are actions that agree *ith %asic morals Em'hasis is on *hat *e o*e to others $irror image o rights or e(ery right there is a duty

elated 7ssues Uniication 'rinci'les

"utonomy ) $an determines morality through reason

Uni(ersality ) 0rinci'les a''ly eMually to all 'eo'le

eci'rocity es'ect others desires, needs, eorts

(ant)s Categorical *mperative


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2he ategorical 7m'erati(e

First ormulation ?2he Uni(ersal !a*A:

+ct only according to that maim whereby you can, at the same

time, will that it should become a universal law.

Second ormulation ?2he End in 7tselA

-o act that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end, never

merely as a means.

7mmanuel Jant, roundwor$ of the etaphysics of orals, /012


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Duty Ethics

Fundamental once'ts Duties are %asic $irror image o rights or e(ery right there is a duty Em'hasis on *hat *e o*e to others

elated 7ssues Uniication 'rinci'les

"utonomy ) Go(erning ones o*n lie morally

Uni(ersality ) 0rinci'les a''ly eMually to all 'eo'le es'ect Ither 'eo'les desires, needs, eorts

(ant)s Categorical *mperative

E+am'les 2he Decalogue ode o hi(alry adet


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(irtues o 0lato and

"ristotle *ere mainly

intended or *ealthy,

lando*ning males

oman (irtues o

icero *ere intended

or ci(ic leaders o the

more e+'ansi(e and

militant oman Em'ire

Wisdom

ourage 2em'erance

ustice

Faith


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Qirtue Ethics

Fundamental once'ts

Qirtues are desira%le as $oti(es, attitudes and emotions

Guides to conduct

/eing a (irtuous 'erson

elated 7ssues

E(olution o (irtues 2he =Golden $ean>

"ssociation *ith societal classes

E+am'les eligious 'rece'ts

/oy Scout Iath

ecent commentators ha(e suggested that a return to sim'le (irtue ethics

might %e a solution to our a''arent loss o any ethical oundation


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E+am'le: $urray on "mericas ritical Qirtues

In his 212 book Goming :partH author harles

Curray gives :mericaAs founding virtues as!= Industriousness

= +onesty

= Carriage

= 8eligiosity

+e says the lack of or adherence to these virtuesis what is separating the Gnew lower classH fromthe Gnew upper class,H and he provides statisticalevidence to support his thesis.

Do you see this as reasonable,

or is $urray off on a wrong track


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Utilitarianism ?onseMuentialismA

Fundamental once'ts: Inly the conseMuences o an action are morally rele(ant "ctions are a %alance o good (s. %ad conseMuences "ctions should 'roduce =the most ha''iness or the most 'eo'le>

elated 0rinci'les: ohn Stuart $ill =Do no harm> =0romote reedom>

E+am'les: ars: S'eed & on(enience (s. Saety & Economy "ir and Water 0ollution: 0u%lic


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0ragmatism Fundamental once'ts

onte+t ) 7n *hich acts and (alues must %e %alanced

"nalysis Ethical reasoning (s. i+ed rules or ideals Fle+i%ility ) 7n integrating and harmoni5ing com'eting (alues

elated 0rinci'les Guidance in methods o analytical thought

Warnings o negati(e conseMuences

0ractical "''roach ases are concrete dilemmas ) *ith diering moral4ethical o'inions

Em'hasi5ing principles oten leads to accentuation o dierences

Em'hasi5ing particulars o(er principles can lead to 'ragmatic

reconciliation o dierences

Didn)t we earlier say the opposite with regard to the olden !ule3

&+ foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.'

!alph Waldo #merson


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"lternati(e Ethical Structures

onudeo4hristian: 7slamic, /uddhist,


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2he ole o eligion

$homas -efferson created a personal @ew

$estament that contained -esusA moral and

ethical teachings, but eliminated all of the

miracles and supernatural happenings. $he

/mithsonian Institute recently republished theoriginal -efferson Bible.

$he 6alai ama has said! G:ll of us, all human beings, are

basically inclined toward what we perceive to be good…In view

of this, I am of the firm opinion that we have within our grasp a

secular way and means to ground inner values without

contradicting any religion and yet, crucially, without depending

on any religion.H

While religion can certainly %e a guide to ethics, many 'eo'le, e(en religious

ones, ha(e also sought a secular, or nonreligious, 'ath to ethical %eha(ior


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2he ole o Science and eason

GCodern sensibilities have increasingly conceived

moral worth in terms of consciousness, particularly the

ability to suffer and flourish, and have identifiedconsciousness with the activity of the brain. The

change is part of the turning away from religion and

custom and toward science and secular philosophy as

a source of moral illumination.

/teven inker

$he Better :ngels of our @ature

Gnce reasoning has got started its hard to tell where

it will stop.H

eter /inger

$he )%panding ircle! )thics and /ociobiology

0in6er is certain, Singer not so much, %ut %oth see moral ho'e in reason


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!easoning *tself and $oral or Ethical "ctions

&+n act has no ethical 4uality whatsoever unless it be chosen out ofseveral 5acts that are6 all e4ually possible.'

William ames 2he 0rinci'les o 0sychology, 189

William ames, reno*ned 1th century 'sychologist and 'hiloso'her,

comes do*n irmly on the side o conscious

choice, and thereore reasoning, as a critical

com'onent o ethical action.


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Does Ethics De'end on easoning

o, it does otL

=!ather, moral action depends on compassion. "arents need no reasoning tonourish their children to loving $indness. Human beings need no reasoningto help other needy humans and creatures. +ll we truly need is compassion.'

Ces, i..

&..that means that moral action depends on reason. We do not have to gothrough a process of reason7ing in order to arrive at a view of what morality

re4uires on every occasion. 8ften, we simply $now. 9ut moral action doesnot merely depend on reason. oral action is rational action, because themoral law is a law of reason.'

Ces and o.

=:es because the actions we can truly call moral depend on the wor$ of

reason at some stage, no because the moment7to7moment eecution ofactions, moral or otherwise, is not necessarily under the control of reason.'

2odays ethical 'hiloso'hers are di(ided, citing a (ariety o actors including genetics.

For a com'lete 'resentation o these and other (ie*s, see ***.tem'leton.org4reason.

:ref :li @ayed

&alam 8esearch, 6ubai

rof. &ristine &orsgaard

+arvard niversity

rof. :ntonio 6amasio

/


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"re Ethics 7ntuiti(e

onathan to orm their moralities, and thatthese e(olutionary attitudes contri%ute more to the

control o %eha(ior than does reason.


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"re Ethics 7ntuiti(e

onathan


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Copyright Gershon Weltman 2015

2he 7m'ortance o E+'erience

&@he life of the law has not been logicA it has been eperience.'

udge Ili(er Wendell undou%tedly includes the a%ility to reason as *ell.

Documents

02 - Ethical Foundations