For the past three classes, we discussed two ethical situations. The first was the decision of making more energy efficient cars by sacrificing safety measures. The second was increasing natural gas extraction, which would cause a decrease in water and air quality and an increase in natural disasters. We discussed these decisions in terms of the IEEE Code of Ethics and Classical Ethics.

In these discussions, we came to the conclusion that your final decision comes down to your personal set of morals and your interpretation of ethics. The IEEE Code of Ethics is generally a code to protect you from legal trouble, but the true ethical decision will come from your personal morals because the IEEE Code of Ethics can be interpreted differently. Generally scientists will conform to a Utilitarian set of ethics, meaning the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This makes it possible for scientists to continue advancing technology. If a specific ethical code were not followed each time, the ethical argument would continue forever. If a different ethical code were used, it would disallow most advancements, considering them unethical. Using Utilitarianism, scientists are able to justify their choices and push forward with technological advancements.

I think that from a classical point of view, The University of Scranton provides an excellent background in different ethical theories. It may help, however, if there were a class to bridge these theories in our understanding of ethics in engineering. The discussions we have had in the past few classes have shed some light on this bridge, but I think a full semester class would be necessary for a complete understanding. As of now, classical ethics and the IEEE Code of Ethics seem completely separate, but it has been made clear that with further thought and knowledge, classical ethics could be applied to assist in making ethical engineering decisions.