Week 1

Question 1

Give the different points of departure for consequentialsim, Kantian ethics, Virtue ethics, and Africa ethics

Answer 1

Consequentialism: consequences
Kantian: principles
Virtue: character and excellences
Africa: community

Question 2

What is the etymological meaning of the word “profession”?

Answer 2

To declare.

To commit to a certain way of life and being a certain type of person

Question 3

Define a professional

Answer 3

Someone who professes to be a certain person, with a special role in society. This role has stringent moral requirements

Question 4

How was a professor defined in the 17th century?

Answer 4

Someone with a certain set of specialised skills, for example a carpenter, sculptor, etc

Question 5

Apply the 17th century definition of a professor to the modern professional

Answer 5

The modern professional:

• Claims to have thorough qualification and training
• Exercises a certain vocation based on certain learning
• that is used to render services or practice an art

Question 6

Is the 17th century secularised meaning of a professional sufficient to describe the modern professional?

Answer 6

No, we need to distinguish the term professional from a mere occupation

Question 7

From a sociological perspective, what is the characteristics of a profession?

Answer 7

• Extended period of training, skills and theory, syllabus approved by official board with authority
• Knowledge and skills essential for well-being of society
• Control of certain professional services, only qualified, registered individuals may practice, in a strictly defined scope
• High level of autonomy
• Self regulation by ethical standards

Question 8

Who first defined the profession as a social practice?

Answer 8

Alisdair McIntyre

Question 9

Define a social practice

Answer 9

Coherent, complex form of socially established human cooperation

Question 10

What are the characteristics of a social practice?

Answer 10

• Aim/goal/goods “internal” to practice

- May also produce other goods

Question 11

What is the function of an internal aim/goal in a social practice?

Answer 11

• Establishes the practice
• Must be morally justifiable
• Provides moral criteria for assessment of those that participate in the practice

Question 12

Who developed the Socratic concept of a profession?

Answer 12

Michael Davis

Question 13

As a Socratic concept, what is a profession?

Answer 13

• A number of people in the same occupation voluntarily organise themselves in levels
• Openly in the public
• To earn a living by openly serving a moral ideal
• Beyond what the law, market, morality and public opinion would otherwise require

Question 14

In which model of a profession can it be misused, and in which model not?

Answer 14

• Misuse in business (money dominated) model

- Not misused in public model

Question 15

What are the characteristics of the business model of a profession?

Answer 15

• Primary motivation: economic self-interest
• Knowledge becomes a commodity
• Specialised knowledge becomes a basis for monopoly of the field
• Self regulation - dodge authorities
• Claim to have high ethical standards to gain social status

Question 16

What is the public service model of a profession based on?

Answer 16

An agreement between the profession and society

Question 17

What does the agreement in the public service model of a profession include?

Answer 17

• Social contract

- Society will grant certain privileges and freedoms upon fulfilment of certain duties

Question 18

In the public service model of a profession, what are the duties that the profession is expected to fulfil? Also, what are the privileges granted by society upon fulfilment of these duties, respectively?

Answer 18

• Attain specialised knowledge (grants autonomy)
• Serve public good (grants internal control of service delivery)
• Have high ethical standards (grants self regulation)

Question 19

What is a fiduciary relationship?

Answer 19

A relationship based on trust

Question 20

On which two asymmetries does a profession rest?

Answer 20

• Knowledge (specialised)

- Power

Question 21

What does it mean, despite asymmetries to society, for a profession to be in a fiduciary relationship with the public?

Answer 21

• Has to act in the best interest of the client without losing sight of the public good
• The professional stands in a double trust relationship: with the client and public

Question 22

A profession, as a social practice, must have a goal that is desirable not just permissible. This goal provides a criteria for assessing those who participate. What is the goal of engineering?

Answer 22

To promote the health, safety, and welfare of society.

Question 23

How do professional ethics differ from personal/general ethics?

Answer 23

• Standards of a professional community

- Explicit code of conducts in a society, association or institution

Question 24

In general, what is common morality?

Answer 24

• Common beliefs shared by almost everyone
• Point of reference for both personal and professional ethics
• Difficult for everyone to deny

Question 25

Describe the three characteristics of common morality

Answer 25

• Prescriptions usually negative (DON’T): used to protect against or prevent personal violations. Provides baseline.
• Aspirational component: Promote prevention of violations, protection of those in need, etc
• Distinction between action and intent: Allows for accidents

Question 26

Generally, what are personal ethics?

Answer 26

• Moral beliefs subscribed to personally (veganism, etc)

- Often overlaps with common morality, however not always shared by everyone (e.g. not consuming alcohol)

Question 27

Name the main catagories in the ECSA code of conduct

Answer 27

• Competency
• Integrity
• Public interest
• Environment
• Profession dignity

Question 28

Outline the characteristics of professional ethics

Answer 28

• Priority over personal ethics
• More descriptive and prohibitive than personal ethics
• Always in development
• Negative and positive aspects

Question 29

Describe the negative face of professional ethics

Answer 29

• Ethics of prevention: prevent harm and malpractice
• Principle: First, do no harm
• Often inspired by disasters
• Fairly easy to implement (rules)

Question 30

Describe the positive face of professional ethics

Answer 30

• Aspirational ethics
• Based no principle: Do good
• Focusses on the positive role technology can play to improve the lot of humankind
• More difficult to interpret and implement

Question 31

Outline the two areas of engineering for the public well-being

Answer 31

• Ordinary positive engineering (done during the course of your job, creative thinking, create new technologies which can improve the lives of members of the public)
• Good works engineering (heroism, Engineers without Borders [basically community service engineering])

Question 32

Outline the characteristics of peace engineering

Answer 32

• Seeks economic justice
• Reduce productions of weapons
• Promote sustainable development
• Build respect for cultural differences
• Reduce poverty

Question 33

What are the major shortcomings of ethical codes?

Answer 33

• Codes and rules do not prescribe how you should promote the public good
• Do not provide ready made answers for all situations
• Ethical decision making still entails judgement

Question 34

Using specific cases is helpful for achieving the goals of teaching ethics; it is helpful for understanding ethical decision-making on a case by case basis. There are two types of cases that will be explored: Macro cases and micro cases. Which of the following is not a characteristic or concern of macro cases?

a. Social concerns relevant to engineers as a collective
b. Cases regarding the recognition and avoidance of conflicts of interest
c. Policy cases concerning technology, for example data analytics or artificial intelligence

Answer 34

b

Question 35

Engineers must exercise moral imagination. What does this mean?

Answer 35

It is important that they try to recognise issues before they arise in order to report them early enough to prevent disaster

Question 36

Which of the following is not a characteristic or aspect of Good Works Engineering?
a. Doing your job well, identifying needs, and being creative in your approach

b. Acting altruistically and/or in a heroic manner
c. Taking the good of others as your point of departure even when it means self-sacrifice

Answer 36

a