Which toxic elements does Z-Corp release through wastewater?
Lead and arsenic.
How does Z-Corp's conventional measurement compare to the newer method?
It reports lower concentrations than the newer, more reliable method.
Why can Z-Corp stay within legal limits by diluting wastewater?
Because regulation concerns concentrations, not absolute amounts.
What major loophole does Z-Corp exploit in wastewater regulation?
Diluting wastewater to meet concentration limits.
By how much does Z-Corp plan to increase production?
By 500 percent.
What is engineer David Jackson told about solving emissions?
There is no money to solve the emissions problem.
What distinguishes a well-structured problem from an ill-structured one?
A well-structured problem has clear goals and fixed alternatives; an ill-structured problem lacks definitive formulation.
What defines an ill-structured problem?
It has no definitive formulation and may have inconsistent formulations.
When can an ill-structured problem be defined?
Only during the process of solving it.
What are the steps in practical problem solving?
Analyzing the problem, choosing and defending a solution, and finding a new solution if necessary.
What is the ethical cycle used for in moral decisions?
Structuring and improving moral decisions through systematic analysis.
Which steps does the ethical cycle include after stating a moral problem?
Problem analysis, options for action, ethical evaluation, reflection, and conclusion and enactment.
What defines a moral problem in ethics?
Two or more positive moral values or norms cannot be fully realized simultaneously.
How does a conventional moral dilemma differ from Cooley's moral dilemma?
Conventional dilemmas make every choice morally wrong; Cooley's allow at least one permissible action but leave moral residue.
What three elements does a moral problem statement identify?
The problem, the person who must act, and the moral nature of the problem.
Who are stakeholders in technology development?
Beings with an interest in the technology's development.
What does problem analysis identify besides stakeholders?
Their interests, relevant moral values, and relevant facts including context and historicity.
What is whistle-blowing?
Speaking to media or public about an undesirable situation against employer's wishes.
What types of whistle-blowing exist regarding anonymity?
Anonymous or open whistle-blowing.
Who can undertake whistle-blowing?
A current or former employee.
What forms can whistle-blowing take internally or externally?
It may be internal or external.
What does the intuitivist framework evaluate in ethical decisions?
Action options based on intuitive acceptability.
How does the intuitivist framework support its ethical judgments?
By formulating arguments for the intuitive judgment.
What does the common sense method weigh in ethical evaluation?
Available action options in light of relevant values.
What is the goal of wide reflective equilibrium in ethics?
To seek coherence among moral judgments, principles, and background theories.
What is moral deliberation?
An extensive and careful consideration of moral arguments for and against actions.
What does overlapping consensus mean in moral judgments?
Agreement on moral judgments despite disagreement on principles and theories.
What is the difference between first-order and second-order learning?
First-order learning improves goal achievement; second-order learning concerns which goals and values to pursue.
What does an ad hominem fallacy attack instead of the argument?
A person's character.
What mistake does the law-equals-morality fallacy make?
It equates legality with morality.
What does legal compliance fail to establish according to the law-equals-morality fallacy?
Moral acceptability.
What assumption does the naturalistic fallacy make about what is and what ought to be?
They are the same.
What condition makes an act morally right under the Quasi-Categorical Imperative?
The agent does not treat any valuable being as a mere means.
What must a reasonable person believe about an act's consequences under Reasonable Person Utilitarianism?
They will probably have utility at least as great as any alternative available at that time.
What is the first step in the alternate decision procedure?
Identifying the moral issue.
Which test is used to verify the conclusion in the alternate decision procedure?
The Moral Paradigm Test.
Who raised safety concerns internally in the BART case starting in 1969?
Holger Hsortvang, Max Blakenzee, and Robert Bruder.
What happened to the BART whistleblowers in March 1972?
They were fired without cause or appeal.
What responsibility did the IEEE state engineers have?
Safety, health, and welfare of the public.
What event occurred three weeks after BART began carrying passengers?
An accident injured passengers.
What is a code of conduct?
A set of guidelines for responsible behavior by members.
Who formulates a professional code?
A professional association.
What is the nature of a professional code compared to a corporate code?
Professional codes are advisory; corporate codes are disciplinary and mandatory.
What monopoly does every profession have over its practice?
A monopoly over its occupational practice.
What are the societal roles of every profession?
Serving society and regulating practice through ethical standards.
What do professional codes regulate regarding employers and clients?
Obligations toward employers and clients.
What defines a conflict of interest in engineering?
A situation where personal or professional interest conflicts with obligations to employer or client.
What does NSPE require engineers to prioritize?
The safety, health, and welfare of the public.
What does FEANI require engineers to prevent?
Avoidable danger to health and safety and adverse environmental impacts.
What is corporate social responsibility?
Responsibility of companies beyond law and shareholder interests toward stakeholders and society.
According to Milton Friedman, to whom are corporations responsible?
Only to shareholders.
What objections exist to Milton Friedman's view on corporate responsibility?
Ethical conduct can improve profits and laws may lag behind technology.
What elements may corporate codes contain?
Mission statement, core values, stakeholder responsibilities, and norms for situations.
What are the three types of codes of conduct?
Aspirational, advisory, and disciplinary codes.
What do aspirational codes express?
Values.
What do disciplinary codes require?
Behavior meeting specified values and norms.
How long has Gilbane processed wastewater into Gilbane Gold manure?
For 75 years.
What annual tax benefit does Gilbane Gold provide per household?
$300 per year per household.
How many good solutions can ill-structured problems have?
Several good or satisfying solutions.
Why are solutions to ill-structured problems difficult to compare?
Because the solutions are difficult to compare with one another.
What choice does Sophie face in William Styron's Sophie's Choice?
Choosing which one of her two children will live.
What happens if Sophie refuses to choose in Sophie's Choice?
Both children will be killed.
What two action options does a black-and-white strategy consider?
Doing the action or not doing it.
According to Jürgen Habermas, when are moral judgments legitimized?
When they result from moral deliberation based on arguments, not authority or power.
Name one fallacy included in risk fallacies.
The sheer size fallacy.
Name another fallacy included in risk fallacies.
The fallacy of naturalness.
Which fallacy in risk fallacies involves ignoring problems?
The ostrich's fallacy.
What fallacy in risk fallacies involves delaying action or relying on the precautionary principle?
The delay fallacy or precautionary principle.
What does the Moral Paradigm Test construct for decision evaluation?
An idealized version of a person one wishes to emulate.
What happens if the paradigm does not approve the decision in the Moral Paradigm Test?
The decision is revised.
What should engineers do about unavoidable conflicts of interest?
Disclose them to interested parties.
In which areas should engineers perform services?
Only in areas of their competence.
What is the relationship between shareholders and stakeholders?
All shareholders are stakeholders, but not all stakeholders are shareholders.
Test your knowledge with 38 questions on Engineering Ethics and Professional Codes.
1. Why might Z-Corp’s conventional wastewater test understate the environmental risk from its computer-parts production?
2. How can Z-Corp exploit a loophole when regulations limit pollutant concentrations rather than total pollutant amounts?
Review the complete course in the study sheet for Engineering Ethics and Professional Codes.
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