Professional Engineering Ethical Behavior: A Values Based Approach

I would like to argue here in favor of a values-based approach to engineering ethics because of what such an approach can provide. By a values-based approach I mean simply a perspective on one’s professional (or personal) life that focuses on identifying and enacting values. And by values, I mean those moral goods intrinsically valuable to human beings, such as fairness and freedom. A professional ethics that is directed to common moral commitments or values is not necessarily easy, but it is concrete and it focuses ethical thinking on questions like “What is important?” instead of on “What is legal?” or “What is expected?” My argument for a values-based approach proceeds in three parts. First, I consider why a values-based approach to engineering ethics is best and I make use of some of the current works on engineering ethics. Second, I discuss what values should be focused on and, third, I explain how to use a values-based approach.