Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases

by Charles E. Harris Jr., Michael S. Pritchard

This text bridges the gap between theory and practice in engineering ethics. The authors provide real-life cases, structured methodology for analyzing cases, and examples of cases that have been analyzed to give students a true understanding of what is involved in practicing ethical engineering. Codes of Ethics are also provided and discussed. This book helps engineering students to carry over their natural analytical talents into a new area: moral deliberation. It shows them the importance of being analytical, stressing the fact that many apparent moral disagreements are really disagreements over the facts or over the definitions of crucial terms, and that the locus of moral disagreement can only be discovered by analysis.

Genres: Engineering, Reference, Philosophy, Textbooks

432 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 1994

Reviews

[Greg]

Very intriguing, and informative. An great insight to a blind eye in the world of the ethics of the professional world.

[Travis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although engineering ethics is a very important aspect of engineering, I found this book to be far too dry and dull a read to convet message that was trying to be conveyed.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly well-rounded and informative introduction to professional engineering ethics. Its strengths are its practicality in dealing with ethical theory at the beginning of the book and its one of the best engineering ethics books that I've seen in how it treats legal issues. The appendix also has a nice long set of case studies for engineering students to look at.

Its weaknesses are that it tends to focus, at some points, upon minutiae that I believe is fairly unimportant for most engineering students and it also does nothing to address very important issues in professional ethics such as sexual harassment or affirmative action. However, there are plenty of other good professional ethics books that treat these matters well that could supplement this book.

Overall, I think this is a fairly good introductory text to professional engineering ethics. It's readable and practical.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to applied and theoretical ethics as it relates to all types of engineering disciplines. The end section of the book contains multifarious real-life and fictional scenarios which allow the student to apply the concepts learned throughout the book.

[Haneen · Rating 2 out of 5]

CIV402:Engineering Ethics
Winter 2012-2013
SuMoTuWe 9:00-12 pm

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like engineering.
I have an interest in ethics.
This combines both!