ETHICAL ISSUES

ABSTRACTS

TOPICS

• Thinking Like an Engineer: The Place of a Code of Ethics in the Practice of a Profession - Abstract: Most discussions of engineering ethics dismiss the idea of codes of ethics from the outset. Codes are described as self-serving, unrealistic, inconsistent, mere guides for novices, too vague, or unnecessary.(1) M. Davis does not do that here. Instead, he argues that a code of professional ethics is central to advising individual engineers how to conduct themselves, to judging their conduct, and ultimately to understanding engineering as a profession. M. Davis begins with a case now commonly discussed in engineering ethics - the Challenger disaster.