Ethical issues in engineering design - 3TU.Centre for Ethics and ...

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Towards warranted trust in engineers some case-studies on participatory methods in Europe and problems with these methods see [Klüver, Nentwich and others, 2000] and, for a more general discussion on democratization of technology see [Kleinman, 2000]). A third problem with regard to acceptance can be that acceptance of the regulative framework is not sufficient for warranted trust. The requirement of acceptance seems to imply that an accepted normative framework is also ethically acceptable. This implication is questionable because it appears to be based on a naturalistic fallacy: that practices are accepted does not imply that they are acceptable (see [Moore 1903/1988]). The question then becomes whether acceptance by the affected actors is sufficient for warranted trust or that the regulative framework should also be ethically acceptable. There might be normative frameworks that are accepted by the affected actors but that can be shown to be ethically unacceptable. One could think of a situation in which poor people accept poor working conditions because doing this dangerous work in unhealthy conditions is their only opportunity to support their families. The fact that someone seems to accept or says that he or she accepts a regulative framework is therefore probably not sufficient for warranted trust because this does not guarantee that the accepting person’s values are properly taken into consideration. Conditions or procedures might be proposed under which given acceptance is sufficient for warranted trust. The question then becomes: What is the basis of these conditions and procedures? One way or another such conditions and procedures seem to be connected to an idea of ethical acceptability instead of mere acceptance. As said above there are also problems concerning the requirement for a pragmatically complete and unambiguous normative framework. The first problem is that it is not clear how “pragmatically complete” and “unambiguous” a normative framework should be. It is impractical, if not impossible, to prescribe every little detail in a regulative framework. The more detailed and prescriptive a regulative framework is, the fewer situations it will cover. It is very difficult to formulate rules that cover a range of situations and that are not ambiguous or do not need further interpretation. This problem, amongst others, has led some philosophers to claim that it is impossible and undesirable to formulate universal principles in ethics. According to these philosophers, context and situation specific features should play a role in moral deliberation (see for example [Dancy, 2004]). Thus, formulating a regulative framework that is really complete and unambiguous is impractical and perhaps even impossible or undesirable. The second problem is that a balance needs to be found between complete and unambiguous frameworks and providing some freedom for engineers to 179
Ethical issues in engineering design make decisions. Very detailed prescriptive regulative frameworks might lead to engineers just living by the book instead of relying on their engineering judgment and experience [Pater and Van Gils, 2003]. According to philosophers some autonomy and freedom is necessary to act as a moral actor. Some moral and professional autonomy may be necessary for engineers to behave morally and professionally, and to be trustworthy engineers (see for example [Ladd, 1991]). Moreover trying to prescribe every little detail in a normative framework is at odds with the very idea of trust. According to Baier, the trustee has some discretion in what to do to take care of what the trusting person values (see section 2.3.3). This discretion is, in cases of normal design, limited by the regulative framework but when trying to define a really complete and unambiguous framework this discretion might disappear. Some engineers interviewed for the case-studies felt empowered by a regulative framework and especially by some of the more detailed prescriptive elements concerning safety. If some minimal safety requirements of a regulative framework are formulated unambiguously and given in detail then a customer can easily be persuaded to follow these requirements. If a customer refuses to allow an engineer to follow the minimal safety requirements then their design will not be certified. If a regulative framework does not include such detailed, minimal safety requirements then the engineer has to persuade the customer to take some minimal safety requirements into account without the backup of certifying organisations or legal pressure. Therefore a balance needs to be found between giving engineers the discretion to act professionally and morally, and giving them enough detailed prescriptive rules that they feel empowered towards their customers. To conclude, trust in engineers making normal designs is warranted if: • the engineers are competent. The engineers are responsible for being competent and this mostly concerns being technically competent in normal design. • the regulative frameworks used for the design are adequate. Requirements for determining the adequacy of regulative frameworks still have to be developed taking into account the problems with Grunwald’s requirements for normative frameworks. These two conditions are necessary but not sufficient conditions for trust. If these conditions are fulfilled and the public trusts the engineers involved in a design project then this trust is warranted. The public cannot be forced to trust the engineers making normal designs, even if the engineers are competent and the regulative framework is adequate. 180
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Ethical issues in engineering desig
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Contents 1 Introduction 9 1.1 Resea
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Contents 7.3 Safe in what sense? 13
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3 Introduction to the case-studies
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Page 200 and 201: Samenvatting Ethische aspecten in o
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Page 216 and 217: Appendix 2 Members of the DutchEVO
Page 218: Appendix 2 Ryan: Industrial designe
Page 222: Curriculum Vitae Anke van Gorp was
Page 225 and 226: Simon Stevin Series in the Philosop
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