Joshua Wooi
CprE 394
Ethics Essay
16 Nov, 2019
As the result of an length discussion, the consensus was made that the purpose of having/following a “Code of Ethics” is to provide electrical engineers guidance and set common ethical standards to promote consistency in professional conduct across all levels of employment in the engineering field. A code governs the actions and working relationships of board members and top management with employees.
When faced with an ethically ambiguous situation, a decision should be made to prioritise the needs of the majority; while maintaining that all involved must remain morally and ethically uncompromised. An effective method of achieving this is to consider all options and the consequences that follow, then making a decision that maximises the benefits of all. In the discussion, the issue was brought up on the controversial practice that prioritises profit over integrity. Volkswagen, a renown brand of automobiles, was caught rigging the system of their vehicles to cheat emissions tests. Obviously, this broke multiple entries in the IEEE Code of Ethics.
The ethical consideration introduced by the class emphasised more on the strict adherence to the Code, more so than the needs or wants of the majority; which was where we differed in opinions. We did come to an agreement that our practices is ultimately well-intended, and aims to bring more benefits than detriments. The most ethical decision would be likely be a balance between the two viewpoints.
The three most relevant virtues most related to my case study are Integrity, Honesty, and Responsibility. Integrity describes the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Honesty, doing acts free of deceit and untruthfulness. And responsibility, describes the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for your actions and behaviors. In the case study, Volkswagen demonstrated a lack of integrity in their active decision to cheat the emission test, and in doing so, demonstrated dishonesty in knowingly claiming the results as truth. Volkswagen however, did demonstrate responsibility by acknowledging and owning up to their deceit, however it must be said that this was only after they were caught. The other three virtues not mentioned as they are less relevant to the situation are Fidelity, Charity, and Self-Discipline. I believe the Virtue of Ethics comprehensively covers all necessary qualities to adopt as an engineer.