Fundamentals of Ethics for Scientists and Engineers

Fundamentals of Ethics for Scientists and Engineers represents a new approach to introductory ethics that is both practical and accessible. Classical virtue theory is employed to provide a time-tested, simple, and easily remembered basis for ethical reasoning. The text is modularized for easy use in both stand-alone ethics courses and as self-contained units within engineering core courses. It is accompanied by an instructor's manual that includes a comprehensive set of sample lectures and course assignments, detailed homework solutions, and many helpful hints for teaching an ethics course. To ground the ethical analysis in practical reality, each chapter contains a real-life case together with several fictional cases. The fictional cases breathe renewed vigor into the study of ethics by employing a new learning device: the "ethical serial." Each fictional case can be understood individually, but the cases are also unified by use of a single set of college-aged characters whose personalities are developed throughout the book. These characters mimic real people far more closely than those in other texts and act in situations that are directly familiar to students. The book is composed of four units. The first two focus on ethical reasoning, outlining within the context of science and engineering the notions of character formation and intention central to virtue theory. To prepare students to handle complex ethical questions, these units extend virtue theory in a readily understandable way, accounting systematically for the consequences that follow an ethical decision. The second two units focus on practical issues such as intellectual property, conflict of interest, whistle blowing, and authorship in scientific publication. These units also treat more advanced topics like risk, resource allocation, conflicting ethical methods, and intuition in ethical decision making.

Table of Contents:
Preface UNIT ONE: FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES 1. APPROACHING THE SUBJECT OF ETHICS An Example The Importance of Ethics in Science and Engineering Managing Ethical Discussion Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics The Existence of Right and Wrong Principle: Certain aspects of right and wrong exist objectively, independent of culture or personal opinion The Subject of Moral Analysis The Role of Codes of Ethics A Real-life Case: Destruction of the Spaceship Challengerr 2. THE PERSON AND THE VIRTUES Developing a Model for the Person Components of the Psyche Limitations of the Model Habits and Morals The Four Main Virtues Principle: People should always decide and act according to the virtues insofar as possible An Example A Real-life Case; Toxic Waste at Love Canal 3. ANALYZING EXTERIOR ACTS: SOME FIRST STEPS Ethics as a Craft Distinguishing Exterior and Interior Morality Beginning Case Analysis Event Trees A Real-life Case: Dow Corning Corp. and Breast Implants 4. ANALYZING INTERIOR INTENTIONS: SOME FIRST STEPS Describing Intention The Importance of Intention Effort and the Virtues Principle: People should try insofar as possible to continue to progress in the moral life The Role of Benevolence A Real-life Case: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment SUMMARY Some Words of Caution Note UNIT TWO: RESOLVING ETHICAL CONFLICTS 5. TOWARD A HIERARCHY OF MORAL VALUES On Selecting Principles and Methods Hierarchies of Values: Moral and Nonmoral Line-drawing An Example Mathematical Analogies Ranking the Virtues A Real-life Case: Scientific Tests Using Animals 6. STARTING MORAL JUDGMENTS: EVALUATING EXTERIOR ACTS A Mathematical Analogy An Example A Real-life Case: Chemical Disaster at Bhopal 7. COMPLETING MORAL JUDGMENTS: THE DECISIVE ROLE OF INTENTION Evaluating Interior Goodness An Example Balancing Evaluations of Interior and Exterior Goodness The "Solomon Problem" Principle: The obligation to avoid what is bad outweighs the obligation to do what is good Cooperating in the Evil of Others A Real-life Case: The Problem of Performance Evaluation--Grade Inflation 8. MORAL RESPONSIBILITY Factors Limiting Moral Responsibility Degrees of Responsibility An Example The "Sainthood" and "Devil" Problems A Real-life Case: Responsibility in Software Engineering SUMMARY Some Words of Caution UNIT THREE: JUSTICE: APPLICATIONS 9. TRUTH: PERSON-TO-PERSON Truth in Actions Truth in Words Harm from Deception Harm from Withholding Truth Whistleblowing Harm from Spreading Truth Privacy A Real-lfe Case: Censorship of the Internet 10. TRUTH: SOCIAL Distinctions between Science and Engineering Approach to Knowledge in Science Recognition from Scientific Publication Black and Gray in Scientific Practice Approach to Knowledge in Technology Intellectual Property A Real-life Case: Copying Music Illegally Using the Internet 11. FAIRNESS: PERSON-TO-PERSON Conflict of Interest Qualitative versus Quantitative Fairness Credit or Blame in Team Projects Authorship Questions Fairness in Supervising Fairness in Contracting with Clients A Real-life Case: Problems with Peer Review 12. FAIRNESS: SOCIAL Intellectual Property and the Society Environmental Issues Experts and Paternalism Social Aspects of Employment A Real-life Case: Environmental Cleanup--Problems with the Superfund SUMMARY Some Words of Caution UNIT FOUR: ADVANCED TOPICS 13. RESOURCE ALLOCATION What is Resource Allocation? Allocation by Merit Allocation by Social Worth Allocation by Need Allocation by Ability to Pay Allocation by Equal or Random Assignment Allocation by Similarity How to Decide among Methods A Real-life Case: Ethical Issues in Affirmative Action 14. RISK A Historical Perspective Defining Safety and Risk Evaluating Risk Making Decisions about Risk Some General Guidelines A Real-life Case: Experimental Drug Testing in Humans 15. DEALING WITH DIFFERING ETHICAL SYSTEMS Differing Anthropologies Differing Principles and Methods Monism and Relativism Postmodernism True Pluralism Conclusion A Real-life Case: Geological Experiments in Sacred Mountains 16. HABIT AND INTUITION Rationalist Approaches to Moral Action Advantages of Rationalist Approaches Problems with Rationalist Approaches Toward a More Comprehensive Approach to Moral Behavior A Real-life Case: The Ethics of Human Cloning Chapters 1-15 end with Notes and Problems Chapter 16 ends with Notes

Review :
"It seems to possess the right mix of philosophy and technical relevance. Furthermore, it also allows for enhancing professional autonomy of students by providing cases for analysis and moral deliberation." --Roger Magyar, Drexel University