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Teaching vs. Preaching: EC2000 and the Engineering Ethics Dilemma
Author(s) -
Pfatteicher Sarah K.A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of engineering education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.896
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 2168-9830
pISSN - 1069-4730
DOI - 10.1002/j.2168-9830.2001.tb00581.x
Subject(s) - accreditation , graduation (instrument) , engineering ethics , dilemma , ethical dilemma , applied ethics , information ethics , engineering education , sociology , engineering , pedagogy , political science , philosophy , engineering management , law , epistemology , mechanical engineering
The recently revised accreditation criteria issued by ABET have stirred renewed discussion of how and why to teach engineering ethics. This paper suggests that demonstrating students “understand ethics” need not (indeed, should not) imply that we assess whether our students “behave ethically,” either before or after graduation. Suggestions are provided for an approach focused on teaching ethics rather than preaching ethics, potential counter‐arguments are considered, and references to key resources in the engineering ethics literature are included.