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

Engineering ethics and design processes
‘Pragmatically complete: the normative framework has to comprehend
adequately the decision to be made, and should leave out no essential
aspects from consideration.
Locally consistent: there has to be a “sufficient” degree of freedom from
contradiction among the various elements of the normative
framework.
Unambiguous: beyond the normative framework, there has to be a
sufficient common understanding among the actors in the context of
the decision under discussion.
Accepted: the normative framework has to be accepted as the basis for
the decision by those concerned.
Observed: the normative framework has to be in fact observed; lip
service, for instance, in environmental concerns, is not enough’
[Grunwald, 2001, 419].
With regard to the acceptance of the normative framework Grunwald states that
acceptance needs not be universal, but neither should it be restricted to the very
narrow sphere of engineering. Instead it ‘must include further groups or
individuals such as the assumed users, but also people possibly affected by the
side-effects or other impacts’ [Grunwald, 2001, 419-420]. Grunwald considers the
normative framework to be a “morale provisoire”: it is relative to ‘the actual state
of the relation between culture, society and technology, relative to the moral
convictions of society and to the knowledge about consequences and impact of
technology.’ [Grunwald, 2000, 191]. The normative framework is therefore
dynamic.
According to Grunwald, a normative framework consists of all obligations
given by political regulation and all obligations resulting from other societal
regulation like technical codes and standards, and codes of ethics [Grunwald,
2000]. The normative framework that Grunwald has formulated comprises
therefore the same elements as the regulative framework. In my analyses of the
different design processes the question whether regulative frameworks exist and
fulfil the above requirements plays an important role.
2.3.3 Moral responsibility and the trust relationship between engineers and
society
Engineers have specific knowledge and experience and play an important part in
the design of products. Engineers are given power to decide in design processes.
This power is limited by the regulative framework. In this thesis, I will assume
that a trust relation exists between society and engineers designing products.
Engineers are given “a licence to operate” based on this trust relationship. Being
trusted by society brings with it responsibilities for the engineers. Engineers
have responsibilities towards their customers and to society as a whole. The
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