Section 2.5 Ethics is Hard

In my opinion, engineering ethics deserves the devotion of an entire course to the topic. Unfortunately, for most engineers, their ethical training is limited to a couple of slides to meet some ABET accreditation requirements and it is not emphasized throughout the curriculum.

In this book, I will try and change that. Throughout the book, you will encounter ethical quandaries that are intended to provoke discussion. One thing that you should always keep in mind, ethics is hard and there are not always right answers.

Example of Why Ethics is Hard

A lot of engineering ethics ask silly questions. Here is an example that I have found in a current edition textbook, that I find particularly silly: “A cashier gives you too much change for a purchase. Do you correct the cashier?”. OF COURSE YOU DO! This question lacks nuance or depth that arises in real-life ethical dilemmas.

A better ethical question would be: “A cashier gives you too much change for a purchase. You are struggling for money after being laid off. Your son’s shoes have holes in them and as the Wisconsin winter approaches, you are worried that his feet might get frostbite if he doesn’t get new shoes. You don’t even care if they are new, you are willing to get him a used pair, but you don’t even have enough money to pay the rent and money is tight. However, having worked in grocery before getting laid off, you understand that the cashier will be held personally responsible for the missing money and you do not want to get them in trouble. Do you correct the cashier if the amount in question is 1 dollar? 5 dollars? 100 dollars?”

Real-life ethical dilemmas do not have clear-cut solutions or consequences. Keep that in mind throughout the semester as we discuss these topics.