Introduction to engineering ethics

Author(s): Schinzinger, Roland
Document type: Book
Year: 2000
Pages: 260
Source: Publishing house: McGraw-Hill Higher Education
Language(s): English

Classification

National background: United States
Category: Non-EU Training Material for Research Ethics
Subject areas: Conflict of interest; Environment; Other: engineering
Focus: Sub-focus: general engineering ethics
Content: Case studies; Ethical theories; Important codes; Normative reflections
Issues touched: Social impact of research, economic benefits, risks for third parties Social background of research, conflicts of interest, researcher vs. doctor, commercialisation
Audience: Scientists
Classification remarks: As is frequently the case in the more technical disciplines, it is hard to judge whether the topic of the book can be described as research ethics or rather as the ethics of technological applications. Most of the examples discussed are bordering between research and application, and in chapter 3 the authors themselves characterize engineering as a kind of social experimentation. The book primarily addresses professional engineers and introduces them to moral thinking and social responsibilities.

Estimation

Theoretical quality remarks: The book is subdivided into 6 chapters.
Didactical quality: Didactically prepared material
Overall estimation: recommendable
Estimation remarks: The book provides an extensive collection of case studies and discussion topics which can be very useful and instructive, especially as their technical details may attract engineers to their discussion. However, the normative and ethical reflections contained in the book are presented in a less convincing manner: they expect too much foreknowledge from non-philosophers.