Assignment May 2012

ASSIGNMENT MAY 2012

Discuss the dilemma engineers face in balancing capital expenditure versus optimum design for efficient operations and maintenance, bearing in mind the impact of capital expenditure on the engineer’s fees.

The goal of responsible engineers is the creation of useful and safe technological products and commitment to public health, while respecting the autonomy of the clients and the public. Because engineers often face moral dilemma to resolve such issues, different engineers have chosen different course of actions depending on their respective moral value orientations.

We live in a world of engineering products. At home, in school and in world affairs, we are always in need of engineering services. Out of innumerable materials and resources, engineers produce magnificent things for human use. The safety of these products could improve the conditions of many humans, but just a 0.01% error in them could endanger many lives. It all depends on the engineers’ course of actions, which has changed the living conditions at times for the better and at other times for the worse. For engineering to contribute to sustainable development, it must be grounded in a well established philosophy of values.

There is no doubt the scientists play a basic, fundamental role in research on genetic engineering. But engineers too are largely involved, particularly when it comes to the design, processing and packaging through final production of a finished product. This has made engineers more visible to the consumers and responsible for the integrity of the products.

While their products have an enormous impact on the society, engineers themselves appear to be more in the position of taking orders rather than assuming authorship or authority. Partly because of this, philosophers, who are working on the ethics of engineering, consider whistleblowing as very central to engineering ethics to ensure that engineering remains on the professional standard and...