Ethical Engineering | Report

ETHICAL ENGINEERING
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Introduction
Ethic is anything related to morality and establishes what is right or wrong permitted or
desirable with respect to action or decision. Therefore, in any organization or sector there are
ethics code which set the rules that govern the behavior of individuals within it. In engineering,
an engineer is expected to practice their profession with the dignity and honor befitting their
special status as a professional, respecting the moral integrity of; customers, society, investors,
and the environment, based on engineering codes of ethics. This paper argues whether it would
be ethical for an engineer to participate in the design and installation of a defeat device,
analyzing using deontological, consequential ethics approaches, and with respect to future
generation and the environment.
Body
Consequential Approach
Participating in the design and installation of a defeat device does not seem ethical, one
because it not only will harm the environment by failing to give true results about emission level
but could also pollute the planet which goes against the sustainable development1. Secondly,
customers purchasing the vehicle will be affected by the pollution as well as putting the society
at risk of inspiratory illness. Therefore, in the eyes of authority this installation is illegal, and a
hefty fine is imposed on the company involved; making a bad image of the company to investors
and shareholders; which result to more potential losses than the potential advantages2.
1 Jacur, Francesca Romanin. "The environmental dimension of the dieselgate: A European and
international legal perspective." In The Dieselgate, pp. 171-178. Springer, Cham, 2017
2 Phillips, Canek Moises Luna, Yvette E. Pearson, Lisa M. Black, and Quincy G. Alexander. "The
American Society of Civil Engineers’ Canon 8: Codifying Diversity as Ethics." In 2018 ASEE Annual
Conference & Exposition. 2018.