Class Schedule

Philosophy 370 Moral Issues in Engineering (Engineering Ethics)

PDF version of PHIL 370 Class Schedule

Week 1
August 28, Topic: Ethics in Engineering: Confronting an Ethics Problem
Case: “The Forklifter”, HPR p. 320 (In class)
Class discussion and written response

August 30, Topic: Zeroing in on Responsibility
Reading: J. Ladd, “Collective and Individual Moral Responsibility”, DJ pp. 26-39
Case: “Catalyst” HPR p. 306
FIRST PAPER ASSIGNED

Week 2
September 4, Labor Day (no class)

September 6, Topic: Analyzing Responsibility (continued)
Reading: Ladd (continued)
Case: “The XYZ Corporation”, DJ p. 40

Week 3
September 11, Topic: Historical Background
Reading: M. Davis, “A History of Engineering in the U.S.”, (Electronic Reserve, Handout #1)
Case: Find, read, and bring to class at least one interesting item from the Web on the Brooklyn Bridge Success or the “Big Dig” tunnels under downtown Boston

September 13, Topic: Responsibility and Reasonable Care
Reading: “Responsibility and Reasonable Care”, HPR, pp. 23-26; K. Alpern, “Moral Responsibility For Engineers”, DJ pp.187-190: “Do Engineers Need Virtues?” HPR pp. 30-31
Case: “Carl Lawrence”, HPR pp. 23-25
FIRST ASSIGNMENT DUE

Week 4
September 18, Topic: Ethics and the Workplace
Reading: “Common Morality”, HPR pp. 50-54; “The Problem of Many Hands” and other Impediments to Responsibility, HPR 35-44
Case: “The Deadline”, HPR pp. 310
SECOND ASSIGNMENT PRESENTED

September 20, Topic: Performing Responsibly in the Business Environment
Reading: “Universalizability and Reversibility”, HPR pp. 79-82; “Respect for Persons”, HPR pp. 88-89; K. Alpern, “Moral Responsibility,” DJ pp. 190-195
Case: “XYZ Hose Company”, HPR pp. 353-354

Week 5
September 25, Topic: Is Engineering A Profession?
Reading: Engineering Role Models, HPR pp. 1-7; “What Is A Profession?”, HPR pp. 9-10; D.A. Firmage, “The Definition of a Profession”, DJ pp.63-66
Case: “Building Foundations”, HPR pp. 304-305
Tracking Progress on Second Assignment

September 27, Topic: Engineering Codes of Ethics: Why Voluntary?
Reading: “Professional Ethics”, HPR pp. 11-15; J. Ladd, “The Quest for a Code of Professional Ethics”, DJ pp.130-136; NSPE Code of Ethics, DJ pp. 98-104
Case: “Supplanting Another Engineer”, DJ pp. 94-96

Week 6
October 2, Topic: Engineers and Managers: Their Perspectives
Reading: “The Codes and Employer-Employee Relationships”, HPR pp. 182-184;
“The Manager-Engineer Relationship”, HPR pp. 186-192; V. Weil, “Is Engineering Ethics Just Business Ethics?” (Electronic Reserve: Handout #2, Case, “Airbags”)
Case: “Citicorp”, HPR pp. 307-308

October 4, Topic: Loyalty: Pros and Cons
Reading: M. Baron, “The Moral Status of Loyalty,” DJ 209 pp. 225-240
Case: “Failure”, HPR pp. 318-319
Tracking Progress on Second Assignment

Week 7
October 9, Topic: Loyalty: Uncritical and Critical, Disobedience, Whistleblowing
Reading: “Loyalty: Uncritical and Critical”, HPR pp. 197-209; “The Changing Legal Status of Employee Rights”, HPR pp. 184-186
Case: “To Dissent or Not to Dissent”, HPR pp. 314-315

October 11: Topic: Honesty, Integrity, and Reliability
Reading: “Honesty, Integrity, and Reliability”, HPR pp. 125-134
Case: “John Is A Co-0p Student”, HPR p. 125
SECOND ASSIGNMENT DUE

Week 8
October 16, MID-TERM Test

October 18, Topic: Intellectual Property, Secrecy, and Confidentiality
Reading: R. Frederick & M. Snoeyenbos, “Trade Secrets, Patents, and Morality”, DJpp. 291-297; “Confidentiality in Client-Professional Relations”, HPR pp. 139-142
Case: “The Costs of Keeping A Secret”, DJ p. 221; Film: “Incident at Morales”
INITIATE GROUP PROJECTS
AUTUMN BREAK October 19-21

Week 9
October 23, Topic: Conflicts Of Interest and What To Do About Them
Reading: “Conflicts of Interest”, HPR pp.144-146
Cases: “Ownership of Another Firm”, DJ pp. 298-299; “Wife’s Investment in Project”, DJ p. 300

October 25, Topic: Bribery, Extortion, Grease, and Gifts
Reading: R. Almeder, “Morality and Gift Giving”, DJ pp. 327-329; “Bribery, Extortion, Grease, and Gifts”, HPR pp. 263-267
Case: “Catching Up With a Lucky Star”, DJ pp.300-301
First Progress Report on Group Projects (from each student)

Week 10
October 30, Topic: Engineers and the Legal System
Reading: D.E. Wilson, “Social Mechanisms for Controlling Engineers’Performance”, DJ pp. 354-361; “Expert Witnessing”, HPR pp. 138-139; Optional: V. Weil, “Introduction to Trying Times,”; V. Weil “Contracts” (Electronic Reserve, Optional Readings #1 and #2)
Case: “Unlicensed Engineer”, HPR p. 347

November 1, Topic: Safety and Risk: Estimating Risk
Reading: “Safety, Risk…”, HPR pp.150-159
Case: “Cadillac Chips”, HPR pp. 305; Film “Incident at Morales,”

Week 11
November 6, Topic: Safety and Risk: Normal Accidents and Normalizing Deviance
Reading: “Are There Normal Accidents?” HPR pp. 159-161; “Normalizing Deviance”, HPR pp. 161-163
Case: The Space Shuttle Columbia in “Self-Deception”, HPR pp. 38-39
Second Progress Report on Group Project (from each student)

November 8, Topic: Perspectives on Risk: Expert and Layperson,
Reading: “The Expert’s Approach,” HPR pp. 163-166; “The Layperson’s Approach”, HPR pp. 166-170, K.S. Shrader-Frechette, “The Conceptual Risks of Risk Assessment,” pp. 190-192 (Electronic Reserve, Handout #3)
Case: “Containers”, HPR pp. 308-309

Week 12
November 13, Topic: Perspectives on Risk: The Government Regulator’s and the Engineer’s
Reading: “The Government Regulator’s Approach”, HPR pp. 170-172; The Engineer’s Liability”, HPR. Pp.172-177
Case: “Fire Detectors”, HPR. PP. 319-32

November 15, Topic: Engineers and the Environment: Some Important Distinctions
Reading: “Controversy Over the Environment”, HPR pp. 214-220
Case: “Excess”, HPR pp. 317-318
Third Progress Report on Group Project (from each student)

Week 13
November 20, Topic: The Environment: Why the Reluctance? What Does the Law Say?
Reading: “Why The Reluctance?” HPR pp. 220-223; “What Does the Law Say?” HPR pp. 223-227
Case: Mere “Technicality?” HPR pp. 331-332
GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATION

November 22, No Class, Take Home Assignment (Required)
Choose a provision on the environment from one of the engineering codes that contains such a provision. Either revise the provision or state in writing a rationale for the adequacy of the provision as it stands.
Due November 27 (Bring two copies to class)

Week 14
November 27, Topic: Ethical Issues in Emerging Technologies
Reading: G.I. Rochlin, “’High Reliability’ Organizations and Technical Change: Some Ethical Problems and Dilemmas,” (Electronic Reserve, Handout #4),
Case: Barneby Feder, “Too Tiny for Trouble? Scientists Take a Look,” (Electronic Reserve, Handout #5)
Exchange of Code Provisions and Rationales
GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

November 29, Topic: Global Practice of Engineering
Reading: “The Search for Culture-Transcending Norms”, HPR pp. 247-252
Case: “Working in Saudi Arabia”, DJ p. 300; Film “Incident at Morales”
GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

Week 15
December 4, Topic: Critique of Engineering Code Provisions
GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

December 6, Topic: Critique continued (time permitting)
Course Wrap-up
GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATIONS COMPLETED

Week 16

FINAL EXAM
Goodbye